Fox Sports International is negotiating a purchase of Setanta Sports USA or many of its soccer rights, according to a person familiar with the talks, a possible prelude to launching the company's second all-soccer network in the United States.
Negotiations were ongoing and could be completed within days, the person said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.
Premier League games were dropped this week from the schedule on Setanta USA's Web site, but on Friday two games were restored for the weekend: Arsenal vs. Everton on Saturday and West Ham vs. Wolverhampton on Sunday. The Web site EPL Talk, which first reported on the talks, said this week that a Fox company had obtained a trademark for the name ``Fox Soccer Plus.''
The deal being discussed would give Fox Sports International increased distribution of England's Premier League, the most-watched soccer league worldwide. Fox Sports International. a division of News Corp., owns the U.S. broadcast rights through 2012-13 and televises matches on Fox Soccer Channel. It has been televising the Premier League in the U.S. since 1998 and sublicensees some of the games to Setanta USA and ESPN2, which is televising 48 matches this season.
Fox also owns U.S. rights to England's Football Association Cup, Italy's Serie A and the European Champions League, which it took over this season from ESPN. British Sky Broadcasting Group, another company affiliated with News Corp., dominates English Premier League rights.
Setanta USA has rights to the English League Championship, the English League Cup and several other soccer properties.
Fox Soccer Channel says it is about to starting to broadcast in high definition, although its unclear which cable systems will carry it.
