BT, in a bid to pry open the hold of BSkyB over the pay-TV sports market in Europe, has agreed to purchase ESPN's UK and Ireland television business. The deal includes ESPN and ESPN America and will include football coverage of the FA Cup, Scottish Premier League, UEFA Europa League and the German Bundesliga.
The takeover would be formalized on July 31, 2013 and would still remain as one ESPN branded channel offering as part of its BT Sport package to be relaunched this summer. Another feature of the ESPN deal would allow BT to broadcast live sports programs from the United States over ESPN America, such as American football, college basketball and Nascar Racing Circuit.
BT took the lead from BSkyB's actions when it won rights over English Premier League football coverage from 2013 and then purchasing rights to English Premiership Rugby that will commence on the same year.
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