ESPN ADDS GERMANY & FRANCE EURO QUALIFIERS TO UK SCHEDULE
LONDON 14 JULY 2010 - ESPN will broadcast all home Euro 2012 qualifiers and friendlies for both Germany and France over the coming months, live and exclusively in the UK.
Following their 3rd place finish and semi-finals appearance in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a dynamic German side will approach the Euro 2012 qualification campaign as one of the strongest teams in Europe. ESPN will broadcast Germany’s home Euro 2012 qualifiers against Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Austria and Belgium, with additional friendly home matches to be announced*.
ESPN will also offer fans the opportunity to watch France’s bid regroup following its group stage exit at the World Cup. On Friday 3rd September, France will open its Euro 2012 qualification campaign with a home match against Belarus. ESPN will also bring UK football fans live coverage of France’s home Euro 2012 qualifiers against Romania, Luxembourg, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Today’s announcement means ESPN will broadcast a total of at least 26 Euro 2012 qualifiers over the coming months and builds on ESPN’s growing portfolio of international football. In May, ESPN announced a deal for the rights to broadcast at least 16 Euro 2012 qualifiers and, at least 20 international friendlies. Additionally, ESPN will deliver live and exclusive television coverage of five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil as they play the top-ranked national teams around the world in the Brazil World Tour.
With strong German showings in the World Cup and UEFA Champions League and interest in German football rising, fans will find the best German football on ESPN next season. As part of today’s deal, ESPN will also broadcast the culmination of the German Cup, won last year by Bayern Munich for the fourth time in six seasons as the Bavarian club captured a historic Bundesliga and German Cup double. ESPN will broadcast the German Cup Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals and Final.
In addition to the German Cup, Euro 2012 qualifiers and German national side friendlies, ESPN will also feature exclusive, live coverage of the Bundesliga. ESPN’s Bundesliga schedule begins on Friday 20th August at 19.45 BST with last season’s Champions League runners-up Bayern Munich taking on Wolfsburg, now led by former England manager Steve McLaren — the first ever English manager in Germany’s top flight.
ESPN continues to build upon its offering of top domestic and international football, which now includes Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, the Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and the UEFA Europa League, among others. Next season, ESPN will further expand its line-up of top-quality, exclusive sports, broadcasting 43 live and exclusive games from the Rugby Premiership and airing 25 FA Cup fixtures live and exclusively throughout the 2010/11 season.
Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President TV Channels, ESPN EMEA, said: “ESPN is delighted to acquire these home games for France and Germany. International football is core to our expanding line-up, and a keen interest for many UK fans. We will continue to add to our schedule as we build a network that delivers a great variety of top live sports in the UK.”