Community Shield 2009 will take place on 9 August between premier league champion Manchester United and FA Cup champion Chelsea. The new season of English football will start with this match and the football fans of both sides are looking to see the newly signed players in the game. Naturally the match has huge attraction among the English fans.
However, there is bad news for the Indian football fans and that is, the match will be broadcast live on Sony Pix television channel in this part of the world. The official television right for this match is held by Sky Sports in Britain, but the channel sold the Indian broadcasting right to Sony Pix channel which is not yet a popular channel in India and its neighboring countries. When Sky Sports secured the TV rights of the Community Shield match, it was thought that ESPN or Star Sports would telecast the match in India and both the channels are hugely popular as sports channel in this part of Asia.
However, Sony Pix is now going to cover the match in India and many people are disappointed to know that they would not be able to watch the match live on their television. Many were also shocked when Pix acquired the rights of FA Cup matches last season.
Well, I am really very much disappointed with FA (Football Association). India is an emerging market for English football and FA should have taken this point into account while selling the television rights of Community Shield. FA should have come under a deal with Sky Sports under which TV rights for India must be sold to a popular sports channel in this part of the world. In fact, earning money should not be the only intention of FA; rather it should also ensure that the popularity of English football keep increasing in India.
If you want to get the schedule of the match on Pix television, then click here.
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