BT and BSkyB win football rights

English football fans will be able to see matches on demand

British Telecom (BT) and satellite firm BSkyB have jointly won the right to broadcast "near-live" Premier League football matches on demand.

The matches will be available for viewing after 2200 UK time on the day they take place, on BSkyB and BT's TV-over-broadband service.

The service means fans will be able to see matches without paying a regular subscription fee, says BT.

Included in the Premier League deal are 242 matches between 2007 and 2009.

Viewers will be able to watch matches during a 50 hour time frame from the night the match takes place.

While the deal does not include a subscription fee, it remains unknown how much BT will charge customers to use its television-over-broadband service, called BT Vision, to be made available in the autumn.

This latest decision comes after the Premier League awarded the "live rights," rights to broadcast matches as they happen, to BSkyB and Setanta, an Irish pay-TV company.