Sky Television has "struck a deal to get English Premier League football back onto its satellite television service when the next season kicks off in August," according to Tom Pullar-Strecker of STUFF. After months of speculation, spokesperson Kirsty Way said that Sky "secured the rights to show two football channels" from Dubai-based broadcaster and EPL rights-holder beIN Sports, which is run by Al-Jazeera. One channel "will show EPL games, highlights and related shows in HD." The other channel "will show matches from Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1, as well as games from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and England's Championship League." The two channels, together, will cost NZ$11.96 ($8.37) a month and "will be sold separately to Sky Sports." Way said that Sky TV "would not get any revenue from the channels," with all of the money instead going to beIN. Sky said that it costs about NZ$18 ($12.60) a month "to get the same football channels direct online" from beIN and its price "compared favourably" with the NZ$20 ($14) monthly fee previously charged by Coliseum, which had held the New Zealand broadcast rights to the EPL. Way said that Sky would have up to three additional "pop-up channels" to show matches when fixtures clashed (STUFF, 6/14).
