UPC to air UEFA matches

net1

Netherlands-based company UPC has closed a three-year deal with UEFA for the exclusive pay TV rights of UEFA Champions League football.

UPC will broadcast the games in The Netherlands as of the start of the new football season 2003-2004 via its Digital TV service. The company said that it will use these rights for a new approach to the broadcast of football.

Whereas Holland’s national public broadcaster NOS will air one match per match night, UPC’s service will show all eight games simultaneously, and will then repeat each match one or more times. Dutch viewers will be able to watch all the matches live and in full for the first time via eight channels. Viewers will have the possibility to choose the live match of their favourite football team, zap between the games and choose which of the other games they would like to watch later.

UPC is also in talks with other cable companies to extend the availability of programmes to viewers of other platforms in The Netherlands.