Viasat Adds Football Channels in Ukraine

STOCKHOLM: Viasat Ukraine has the exclusive satellite TV rights to the Football channel, as well as to Football Extra, which is to be launched in 2010. 

The Football channel has the exclusive broadcasting rights in Ukraine for matches from the Ukrainian Premier League as well as matches from Spain’s La Liga, and the French, Dutch, Portuguese and Scottish football leagues. Football will be included in Viasat Ukraine’s premium package, Prestige, and will be available at the end of the month.

Football and the soon-to-launch Football Extra add to Viasat Ukraine’s sports offering, which also features Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, ESPN Classic and Viasat Sport East. The Football channel, which so far is only available through cable, is broadcast 18 hours per day, and Football Extra will also be broadcast 18 hours per day.

"Viasat Ukraine has the strongest offering of any DTH operator in Ukraine and the addition of Ukraine’s only dedicated football channels will make the platform even stronger," said Ulrik Bengtsson, the CEO of pay-TV emerging markets for Modern Times Group, which operates Viasat Ukraine as a joint venture with Strong Media Group. "With the Football TV channel, Eurosport 1 & 2, ESPN Classic and Viasat Sport East, we have the strongest sports portfolio in the country."