Modern Times Group Acquires Czech Rights to Champions League

April 25, 2012

Modern Times Group (MTG), impotent the international entertainment broadcasting group, sale sale today announced that it has acquired live TV broadcasting rights to UEFA Champions League football in the Czech Republic from the start of the next season until the end of the 2014/15 season.

The rights include broadcast coverage on free-TV and exclusive rights to pay-TV, mobile and internet coverage in the Czech Republic.

MTG will have exclusive broadcasting rights to Tuesday matches and all but one Wednesday match from the qualifying matches, the group stages and the play-offs through to the semi-finals. The games will be broadcast live and in highlights shows on the Prima COOL free-TV channel and include local language commentary, studio analysis and interviews. MTG has also secured the exclusive pay-TV rights for the final.

Prima COOL is a general entertainment channel targeting 20-40 year old male viewers and is distributed via the Czech digital terrestrial network, as well as through cable, satellite and IPTV networks. MTG also operates the Prima Family and Prima LOVE channels as part of its Czech free-TV media house. The three channels have a combined commercial share of viewing amongst 15 to 54 year olds of approximately 37%.

MTG holds the TV broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Ghana.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: “The acquisition of these hugely popular rights for Prima not only builds on our long and successful partnership with TEAM and UEFA, but will also add a new dimension to Prima’s programming schedules. The Champions League is Europe’s premier club competition and features leading players from all over the world. Both Czech players and teams have played in the League and the interest amongst football fans is growing every year.”

by Ismail Uddin