Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 828 Sun. September 24, 2006  
   
Sports


Chelsea go live in USA


English champions Chelsea, fresh from a third successive pre-season tour of the USA, have signed a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, which will broadcast their Premier League games live to North America.

When the Blues travel to play west London rivals Fulham on Saturday, fans from Los Angeles to Labrador will be able to hear live commentary from Craven Cottage.

Sirius already airs several Premier League games each week as well as American football, basketball and hockey. The new deal means it will become the exclusive satellite radio provider for Chelsea. It gave no financial details of the deal.

"More and more people in the USA are paying attention to professional soccer after such a fantastic World Cup," said former Italy and New York Cosmos striker Giorgio Chinaglia, who is a soccer analyst for Sirius.

"With World Cup stars like Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack joining John Terry and Frank Lampard on the Chelsea squad this season, now is the perfect time for soccer fans to follow one of the best teams in the world."

Chelsea are third in the standings level on points with second-placed Manchester United as they bid for a third straight league title. The club, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, is also in the lucrative Champions League.

"The launch of the new Chelsea show on Sirius demonstrates our long-term commitment to the US market," said the London club's business affairs director Paul Smith.

"During our recent trip to the USA, we experienced a massive wave of support with thousands of fans showing up at Chelsea practices and appearances.

"As our recognition in the United States continues to increase, we want to give our growing fan base greater access to Chelsea news, interviews and exclusive content."