Eleven Sports Sets Up American Channel Targeting Younger, Female Viewers

A "key figure behind BT's entry into televised sport has set up a broadcaster in America," according to Callum Jones of the LONDON TIMES. The new U.S. broadcaster "aims to reach younger and female viewers rather than the older males who primarily watch the main sports channels, such as ESPN." It is "looking at football rights and also considering Twenty20 cricket, lacrosse and mixed martial arts." Eleven, already available in Belgium, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and Luxembourg, is "set to expand this year." Eleven Sports Exec Chair Marc Watson said, "There are some other opportunities -- in fact, there are a lot of opportunities around the world, so I think you can expect some more news from us during the course of the year." He was "quick to deny that Eleven may enter the British market, which is dominated by Sky and BT." Watson: "The value of rights, at the moment in the U.K., is at a level which precludes new entrants -- particularly entrants of our scale" (LONDON TIMES, 3/20).