Sirius radio to broadcast Britain's top soccer matches
Sirius , the satellite radio operator that last week named former Viacom president Mel Karmazin as it chief executive, has signed a deal to broadcast Britain's top soccer matches.

By Gautam Malkani, Media Correspondent

Sirius Satellite RadioSirius, the satellite radio operator that last week named former Viacom president Mel Karmazin as it chief executive, has signed a deal to broadcast Britain's top soccer matches.

The move forms part of Sirius' expansion of its sports and music offering as it tries to become a broader media force using satellite transmissions to deliver digital entertainment across the US.

Monday's three-year deal will give listeners access to audio coverage of matches from the Barclays English Premier League, which encompasses the UK's 20 highest-performing soccer clubs.

Sirius signed the deal with TWI, the broadcasting arm of IMG, the sports marketing agency. It will allow millions of US soccer fans and British expatriates to stay connected with teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

“We want to be the sports leader in broadcasting,” said Patrick Reilly, senior vice president of communications at Sirius. “The Premier League is one piece in a constellation of sports properties that we're pulling together.”

Earlier this year, Sirius agreed to pay $220m for the exclusive audio broadcast rights to National Football League games. It also broadcasts National Basketball Association games and National Hockey League games as part of its efforts to compete with rival satellite radio group XM Satellite.

Premier League soccer matches are broadcast on television in more than 180 countries. In the UK, where top soccer matches often achieve the highest TV viewing ratings for Saturday afternoons, intense competition between broadcasters has pushed the value of a three-year exclusive package of TV rights to more than £1bn.

Mr Karmazin's appointment was the second coup for Sirius in as many months. He is following Howard Stern, the notorious “shock jock” broadcaster. Mr Stern has signed a $500m deal to create three new subscription channels for Sirius.