FreeSports


FreeSports is a British free-to-air sports channel operated and owned by Premier Media S.à r.l. The channel is operated in the United Kingdom, launched on 31 August 2017. It is also available in the Republic of Ireland as a pay channel.

History

FreeSports launched on 31 August 2017, with its aim to provide free-to-air sports coverage and become a top three dedicated sports channel in the UK.FreeSports#cite note-FreeSports website-1|FreeSports#cite note-FreeSports launch-2| It is available on all major platforms available in 18 million UK homes. It is only available on Freeview HD, not standard Freeview.FreeSports#cite note-Freeview HD/Freesat delay-3| The channel holds a partnership with rights holders IMG, MP & Silva, Lagardère Group, Pitch International and Infront Sports & Media.FreeSports#cite note-FreeSports website-1| It is a sister channel of Premier Sports.FreeSports#cite note-Premier Sports sister-4| FreeSports released a statement in February 2018 that it will be going HD on Sky in Summer 2018, however the channel only remains available in standard definition. In May 2019, a move to HD on Sky UK was set for 15 July 2019.
The channel launched on Virgin Media channel 553 on 21 July 2018. A temporary duplicate launched on channel 130 on Virgin Media at midnight on 22 July 2018, a slot previously vacated by Alibi +1 prior to the UKTV channels' removals, until the network was restored on 11 August 2018. On 25 September 2018, the channel launched in high definition on Virgin Media. The HD version replaced the SD version on Freesat and Sky on 15 July 2019.
On 8 January 2020, FreeSports was removed on Sky in Ireland. La Liga TV launched on 13 January 2020 on the same channel throughout the UK and Ireland.
On 30 June 2020, FreeSports was removed from Freesat due to fee disagreements.

Coverage

FreeSports aim to be majority live with over 1000 events a year for an average of 10 hours per day showing numerous sports, including association football, ice hockey, tennis, rugby league, rugby union, basketball, cricket, and snooker.

Football

The first match shown live was a 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier between the Netherlands and England on 1 September 2017. The channel also initially showed live coverage of the Primeira Liga & Segunda División. as well as numerous club TV shows, including Dortmund TV and AC Milan TV. The channel also shows weekly highlights from the National League.
In 2019, FreeSports began airing Eredivisie and Serie A fixtures through 2021 alongside Premier Sports following the decline of online streaming service Eleven Sports, prior to securing rights to Major League Soccer through 2022. They also sealed exclusive rights to the 2018–19 Coupe de France from the quarter-final stage. In May, FreeSports secured rights for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2019 Toulon Tournament, the 2019 Copa América and the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
In February 2020, FreeSports also add another Asian football rights, the Japanese J-league after a year ago bags the Chinese Super League. In May, FreeSports adds both European football rights, the Polish Ekstraklasa and Danish Superliga. Not only Primeira Liga, in July, FreeSports also confirmed to broadcast the 2020 Taça de Portugal Final between the Portuguese O Clássico rivals Benfica vs Porto in 1 August.

Ice hockey

The National Hockey League fronts the channel's ice hockey coverage with three games a week. Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin made the announcement on the channel's Twitter account. However, the first live coverage of Ice Hockey was between Nottingham Panthers and Mountfield HK in the 2017–18 Champions Hockey League. As well as NHL and CHL, the IIHF and SHL will also be shown live, while the Spengler Cup semi-finals and final will also be screened. The Ice Hockey World Championships are expected to be shown on FreeSports including live coverage of games featuring Great Britain.
In March 2018, it was announced that FreeSports would be televising the KHL Playoffs throughout March & April and later announced it had a 2-year extension to televise live KHL from the 2018–2019 season onwards.
On 20 July 2018 FreeSports and the EIHL struck a deal that will see a live game shown every two weeks which will also feature highlights, starting with the forthcoming 2018/19 campaign.

Motorsport

features on the channel and will be broadcasting live the Daytona 500 2018 for the first time on free to air television in the UK. FreeSports also shows the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series showing live as well as highlights of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Also live on the channel are Australian V8 Supercars, Swedish and Polish Speedway. There will also be highlights of Monster Jam, Arenacross, Formula D, Brisca Stock Car Racing and the FIA World Rallycross Championship. In 2020, the race also aired on subscription channel Premier Sports.

Pool

In February 2018, The International Professional Pool Association, FreeSports Champions Cup was televised live on FreeSports over the course of three days and was won by Ben Davies. Following this, the IPA FreeSports Pool Cup began on 12 February 2018 with the aim of finding Britain's best Blackball pool player.
2019 the IPA world championship was broadcast. It started on Thursday 7th to Sat 9th February, with the final being contested between Marc Farnsworth of England and Tom Cousins from Wales.

Professional Wrestling

was broadcast live on FreeSports from January to March 2018 featuring an array of British and American wrestling talent. During the first twelve shows in the UK wide arena tour, many high-profile wrestlers were on the roster including Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio, Zack Gibson, John Morrison, Jack Hager, Adam Maxted, Carlito, Chris Masters and Eddie Ryan. On April 5, 2019 it was announced that FreeSports and Major League Wrestling reached agreement to broadcast MLW Fusion on the network.

Rugby league

The channel features delayed coverage of Toronto Wolfpack games in The Championship and, in conjunction with RugbyAM, live games from the National Conference League. Last year the channel had covered the National Rugby League. However the rights passed to Sky Sports for the 2018 season. The channel had also screened some games from the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

Rugby Union

FreeSports showed Autumn internationals including France & Italy matches and is currently showing live BUCS Rugby matches.
On 30 April 2018, Premier Sports announced they have signed a landmark partnership to broadcast every game from the Guinness PRO14 live in high-definition across the UK for at least the next three years, with no less than 21 games shown live free-to-air on FreeSports.

Cricket

Pakistan Super League
Mzansi Super League

Other Sports

Twenty-five events from the ATP World Tour 250 series, FEI Nations Cup, Liga Española de Baloncesto, Drone Champions League, World Weightlifting Championships, Crankworx World Tour. Live coverage of major events in the French horse-racing calendar began with the meeting at Chantilly on 10 September 2017. FreeSports also shows boxing roughly once a month on a Friday featuring bouts promoted by Dennis Hobson.

Previous coverage

Football

In 2018, FreeSports held selected rights for the Copa do Brasil, while they also showed both Copa Libertadores Finals between the Argentine Superclásico rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate; in simulcast with BT Sport.
A year later, the Copa Libertadores final coverage is moved to BBC Sport.

Combat sport

Professional, Professional Fighters League ; formerly the World Series of Fighting. Cage Warriors; joined the channel's portfolio on 7 September 2017, KSW MMA, and ONE Championship, showing both Mixed martial arts and Kickboxing.
The British Basketball League signed a deal with FreeSports in January 2018 to broadcast a number of games during the remainder of the 2017–2018 season. The first game broadcast on the channel was the BBL Trophy Final between Worcester Wolves v Cheshire Phoenix. Other live Spanish basketball on the channel is ACB Basketball from the Copa Del Rey series.

Cricket

The channel broadcast live coverage of the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League tournament.