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ESPN to bid for English PL soccer rights -report

Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:20am EST

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Jan 14 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ESPN TV network plans to bid for some of the rights to broadcast English Premier League soccer games live, a report by Bloomberg news agency said.

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The most watched U.S. sports channel is considering bids for one or two of the six packages on offer, the agency said, citing a person familiar with the plans, who declined to be identified because the bidding process has not started yet.

The FA Premier League sent out invitations last month to tender for the rights for the three seasons from 2010 to 2013, offering them in six packages as it did last time, the agency said.

The bids are due by Feb. 4, the person told the agency.

ESPN would start a new television channel in the UK to market the games after a successful bid, the agency said, citing the person familiar with the plans.

BSkyB (BSY.L), a British satellite company partly owned by News Corp (NWSA.O), currently holds most of the broadcast rights to the English Premier League, which includes teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

ESPN could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters. (Reporting by Ajay Kamalakaran in Bangalore, editing by Will Waterman)

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