ESPN secures Serie A TV rights

ESPN has secured an exclusive TV rights deal to broadcast live Italian Serie A matches in the UK.

Under the deal agreed with Media Partners and Silva, ESPN will broadcast up to three live Serie A games per week for the 2009/10 season. Coverage will begin on August 22 when AC Milan take on Siena, followed by Serie A champions Inter Milan versus Bari on August 23.

All matches will be shown on the new ESPN channel, which was launched on Monday in standard and high definition on Sky and Virgin Media. The SD channel is also now available on Top Up TV and BT Vision.

ESPN EMEA vice president Jeroen Oerlemans said: "We're very pleased to be able to broadcast the Italian Serie A. As one of the best leagues in the world, the live coverage will sit nicely with our Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Premier League and Bundesliga matches, making the channel the number one stop for football fans around the UK in SD and HD."

Media Partners and Silva chief executive Carlo Pozzali added: "We are delighted to increase our relationship with ESPN, a broadcast partner which ensures best coverage for Italian Serie A in the United Kingdom."