CWC scores with exclusive Premier League football rights

Starting next season, the Premier League will have a new home in the Caribbean. Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) today announced on Wednesday that it has won the exclusive rights to broadcast live all 380 matches per season of the Premier League across 32 Caribbean countries from 2016/17 to 2018/19.{{more}}

Commencing in August 2016, the Premier League will be available on the Caribbean’s newest sports network – Flow Sports. CWC was also awarded the mobile clip rights, allowing fans to follow the latest goals and action from the world’s best football league on any mobile device.

The extensive coverage of live Premier League matches will form the centrepiece of Flow Sports’ programming schedule. The network will be launched in November 2015, with content that includes coverage of international and regional football, cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics, as well as CWC’s exclusive NFL and Rio 2016 Olympics coverage. Flow Sports will broadcast across the region from a new 4-K-ready, state-of-the-art facility in Trinidad, offering 24/7 sports coverage in HD.

Commenting on the exclusive rights award, John Reid, president of CWC’s Consumer Division said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Premier League across the Caribbean. As the most popular league of the world’s greatest sport, the Premier League will be at the heart of Flow Sports, the region’s newest and largest sports network. We are excited as well to bring additional jobs, skills and investment into the Caribbean with our new Trinidad facility, truly showcasing the power of the new Cable & Wireless and our commitment to the region.”

CWC’s market research has shown that sports programming is a key decision driver for customers purchasing TV and broadband packages. Approximately 70 per cent of customers identify as being ‘sports fans’, with the Premier League dominating sports viewing in the Caribbean.

Reid added: “As the region’s leading quad play operator, we look forward to bringing Caribbean sports fans closer to the action with our innovations in mobile and online viewing. With our Flow ToGo application and access to mobile clips, fans won’t miss any of the excitement that truly defines this tremendous sports asset. Flow Sports will be available in our basic subscription package, meaning more games for more fans, and instantly positioning Flow as the home of sports in the Caribbean.”

Phil Bentley, chief executive of Cable & Wireless Communications said: “Following our merger with Columbus and our re-branding to Flow, the agreement with the Premier League is yet another example of the growing momentum building across the Caribbean, delivering significant additional revenue synergies through cross-selling and upselling, as well as improving customer loyalty. This is set to accelerate over the next few years.”

Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League said: “We are very pleased that Cable & Wireless Communications has chosen to invest in Premier League broadcasting rights in the Caribbean.

“We look forward to welcoming them as a new partner and are sure they will do excellent job making the competition available to fans across the region.”