Eurosport secures media rights to show Uefa Europa League in Singapore for 3 years

Sevilla's Aleix Vidal celebrating after winning the UEFA Europa League Final on May 27, 2015. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Sevilla's Aleix Vidal celebrating after winning the UEFA Europa League Final on May 27, 2015. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

SINGAPORE - Sports network Eurosport has won the exclusive media rights to show the Uefa Europa League in Singapore.

The agreement with Uefa - the governing body of football in Europe - runs for three years from the 2015/2016 season that starts from August, Eurosport said in a statement on Thursday.

In April, the network initially won the Uefa Champions League rights for Singapore for three seasons.

Eurosport chief executive Peter Hutton said: "We are delighted to offer Singapore football fans two major tournaments of European club football. With the US Open and Tour de France already available on Eurosport in Asia, these football acquisitions make Eurosport an even stronger proposition."

Eurosport will make the live matches and highlight shows available to its viewers through its linear, online and over-the-top content.

The Uefa Europa League features 48 European teams comprising domestic cup winners, in addition to a number of clubs that finish between second and sixth position, depending on their final league standings, from the previous season.

The tournament culminates with the Uefa Europa League final, played and broadcast on Eurosport in May each year.

The winners automatically qualify for the Uefa Champions League the following season. This year, it will be Spain's Sevilla after they won the recent final.

Eurosport is one of the sports channels on Starhub. Singtel's MioTV had controlled the broadcast rights to the Europa League from 2012 to 2015.

The Media Development Authority's cross-carriage rules are not applicable in this instance, as the content was acquired by a third party and not by either of the two pay-TV operators.

chuimin@sph.com.sg

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