Newly created German pay-TV channel Sport1 US HD, which is owned by media corporation Constantin Medien, "has acquired the U.S. sports rights of folding channel ESPN America," according to Manuel Nunez Sanchez of QUOTENMETER. The rights package "includes, among others, NBA, NFL, IndyCar, college football and college basketball." The new channel, which will start broadcasting on Thursday, "will be available exclusively to Sky satellite customers in Germany and Austria that have subscribed to either the Bundesliga or Sports Package." In addition, Sport1 US HD "has secured multi-feed rights, which enables customers to switch between simultaneously occuring NFL games." The new channel "will also be carried by cable providers Kabel Deutschland, Unitymedia and Kabel BW." The channel "will air up to seven NFL games per week as well as every playoff game." The NBA will be featured with three weekly games. In both cases, subscribers "can choose between German or original English commentary" (QUOTENMETER, 7/30).
SPORTDIGITAL DEALS: DIGITALFERNSEHEN reported German pay-TV channel sportdigital, which was also interested in acquiring ESPN America's U.S. sports rights, "has signed deals with the Argentine Primera División, the English League Championship and the Capital One Cup, the English league cup." In addition, sportdigital will air a new magazine show called "Football's Greatest Series," which will profile the world's top 10 national teams and the best 16 club teams during their glory days (DIGITALFERNSEHEN, 7/30).
