Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) has partnered with Endemol Sport to launch new HD English Premier League (EPL) sports channels for its expanded AD Sports (Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya) channels portfolio.

Endemol Sport will join forces with Endemol Middle East to support ADMC in the production of programming covering the EPL.

These programmes will be produced at new state-of-the-art studios at ADMC and will be broadcast in HD, along with all 380 EPL matches, as part of next season’s subscription package.

The partnership is the latest step in providing football fans across the region with more in-depth coverage than ever before. This will include big match previews and reviews, news bulletins and shows mixing football and entertainment, thereby providing extensive EPL content in addition to the live matches. More information on availability, packages, pricing and other partnerships will be released in due course.

Two new EPL channels will be broadcast in Arabic and in addition to showing games, will be packed full with original new content.

Two of the channels will be in English with the main one broadcasting Premier League TV, the newly launched official 24/7 channel from the English Premier League, with match presentation from studios in London and additional programming including a mix of news, views and classic games from the EPL archives.

Other channels will be included in the package so all 380 games can be broadcast live in HD.

'In addition to providing unprecedented live EPL match coverage in HD, we will be creating a fresh mix of entertainment EPL programming that will further immerse fans in the world's most watched league. Endemol have a proven track record in blockbuster entertainment programs along with an experienced sports team and our partnership is another example of ADMC working with the very best as we embark on this ambitious project,' said Karim Sarkis, executive director of Broadcast at ADMC.

'This is possibly the most significant sports channel launch of the last decade,' added Lawrence Duffy, managing director of Endemol Sport.

The agreement with Endemol comes just weeks after ADMC announced its distribution strategy to make English Premier League available in the Mena region via several subscription platforms, including high-definition set-top box, IPTV, and streaming via broadband Internet.

Endemol Sport will also assist ADMC in recruiting the talent needed to create compelling football programming.

The EPL 2010/2011 season kicks off in mid-August 2010.-TradeArabia News Service