Watching TV sports on the cheap - Technology - International Herald Tribune

Watching TV sports on the cheap - Technology - International Herald TribuneWatching TV sports on the cheap


PARIS With the much-heralded Al Jazeera English news channel bogged down in delays, the Qatar-based broadcaster's most unlikely draw for global viewers is a fast-growing satellite sports channel that offers Formula One auto races and British soccer matches, among other fare.
The commentary is strictly Arabic, but the cut-rate service, and other foreign satellite channels, are gaining a broad following in British pubs, where customers are getting accustomed to toasting their favorite soccer teams while watching the occasional ad for a Greek supermarket or Czech car dealer.
Britain's powerful Premier League is not cheering. In fact, the league has been pressing copyright violation lawsuits against dozens of English pub owners, with mixed results.
The Premier League argues that the only legal way to watch its matches in a local commercial setting is through British Sky Broadcasting's service, which is far more expensive than the foreign options.

(Via .)