File
Oliver McIntosh, president and CEO of Sportsmax Ltd.

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA Content (IMC), owners and operators of local and regional sports cable channel, SportsMax, has signed a three-year deal with international sports broadcaster, Setanta Sports.

The deal, which will result in more Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, European Champions League, World Cup qualifier and international rugby matches being shown in Jamaica, will see the Setanta Sports being shown on a 24-hour-per-day basis via a newly created 'MaxPak' sports package.

High demand

The package, which will include the channels SportsMax, Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports, will be available to sports fans beginning this week.

"We have had high demands in previous seasons for more of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Champions League, England, France and Portugal matches, and this deal with Setanta Sports is a response to those calls," said Oliver McIntosh, president and chief executive officer of SportsMax said.

"SportsMax broke ground in the region with its exclusive presentation of live Premier League over the past four years, broadcasting three matches live per weekend," McIntosh said.

"Now, with the launch of Setanta Sports, there will be seven live Premier League matches weekly, so all the big teams will be on every weekend. Plus matches from the Coca-Cola Championship, featuring players from the Reggae Boyz and other Caribbean teams. It's a no-brainer; this is the football fan's subscription package," he said.

According to McIntosh, the roll-out of the 'MaxPack' package will result in viewers being able to view the full line-up of Setanta Sports offerings on their cable systems for free for the month of September, with a subscription fee of $650 per month to be required thereafter.

"All subscribers need to do is to ask for the 'MaxPak' at their cable operators," he said.

Shane O'Rourke, president of Setanta Sports, in welcoming the partnership with IMC, said he was happy to add the Caribbean market to its North American operations, and looked forward to a fruitful relationship.

"Setanta Sports is truly a delight that all sports fans will readily appreciate," O'Rourke said. "We are excited about our affiliation with SportsMax, a channel with similar understanding of the value of amassing the most popular and lucrative competitions the world over, that goes directly to the homes and pubs to all sports fans."

Global coverage

Setanta Sports, which has its origins in Britain and operates 11 sports channels across the globe, features season-long coverage of the UEFA Champions League; England's second division, the Coca-Cola Championship; MUTV (Manchester United TV); Chelsea TV; the European World Cup qualifiers featuring England, France, Portugal, and more.

This, according to McIntosh, will complement SportsMax's exclusive coverage of the South American qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, featuring Brazil and Argentina. SportsMax is also the home to exclusive coverage of the 2008 IAAF Grand Prix season.

Additionally, he said, rugby fans will be pleased with the addition of Setanta Sports, as Setanta shows rugby year-round, including the Guinness Premier League, the Heineken Cup, Tri Nations, Six Nations and the Magners League.