Abu Dhabi TV wins EPL broadcasting rights

Abu Dhabi Media Co, owner of Abu Dhabi TV, has won the rights to broadcast the English Premier League for three-years from 2010, according to a statement by state news agency WAM on Friday.

WAM said the deal between Abu Dhabi TV and the EPL is "exclusive", suggesting that broadcaster Showtime Arabia, which has held exclusive rights since the 2007/08 season, has been cut out.

The Premiership has been a central part of Showtime's strategy to drive subscriber numbers since it won the contract from rival broadcaster ART.

"We broadcast the Spanish and Italian leagues, and now the Barclays English Premiership League will complement these two competitions making us the leading pay television operator in the region," Azhar Malek, vice president, marketing and public relations at Showtime, said at the time.

Edward Borgerding, the chief executive of ADMC, said the deal was a "defining moment for Abu Dhabi and our media company as we establish a partnership with the world’s most exciting football league”.

No details have been released as to how much ADMC has paid for the three year deal, but it was rumoured to have taken in excess of $120 million for Showtime to prize the rights away from ART.

“We look forward to many years of co-operation with the Premier League to develop the brand of the Arab world and to maximise their exposure to Arab-speaking families in the Middle East and North African region," Borgerding was quoted as saying.

"This supports our strategy of delivering the best of the world’s entertainment, sports and news to the Arab-speaking world.”

Abu Dhabi already has close links to the English Premier League with the Abu Dhabi United Group for Investment, run by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, purchasing Manchester City FC last year.

The deal also reveals the extent of Abu Dhabi's commitment to building a media powerhouse in the capital. Last year, ADMC launched the English language daily the National, staffing it at levels previously unseen in the region.

The paper - the largest in the UAE - has 270 journalists, including 40 foreign correspondents. It hopes to break even in four years.