Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) sports broadcaster ESPN has finalized deals with all the major U.K. pay-television channels to wholesale its new U.K. sports channel after it won the rights to broadcast some U.K. soccer matches following the demise of Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports Holdings Ltd. in June.

ESPN won the rights to broadcast two of the six U.K. premier league soccer packages in the 2010 season and one package thereafter. British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC (BSY) holds the remaining package rights.

ESPN agreed a deal to wholesale its sports channel to BSkyB shortly after it won the rights in June, but has only just agreed terms to wholesale its channels to the other three Pay-TV suppliers, BT Group PLC (BT.LN), cable company Virgin Media PLC (VMED) and Top Up TV, which allows viewers to buy extra channels on top of the selection available for free.

ESPN's sports channel was launched Monday and will broadcast U.S. and international sports until the U.K. soccer season starts next weekend. It will also broadcast half of the Scottish league football matches, which ESPN also successfully bid for, as well as games from German, Dutch, Russian and Portuguese national football leagues.

The company, which is 80%-owned by Disney, said it will retain some Setanta broadcast personalities, including Jon Champion and Kelly Cates, as well as hiring Ray Stubbs, former footballer and BBC broadcaster, to present its English and Scottish matches.

News Corp. (NWS), publisher of this newswire, holds a stake of around 39% in BSkyB.

Company Web site: www.espn.co.uk

-By Kathy Sandler, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-207-842-9293; kathy.sandler@dowjones.com