ABU DHABI // The new Etisalat Pro League, the professional football league for the Emirates, is among several events to be broadcast on the relaunched Abu Dhabi Sport Channels. The three channels consist of two that are free-to-air and one that is on pay-per-view via the ART subscription. The paid for channel, Abu Dhabi Sport 3, will show live the two biggest ties of each round of the European Champions League, with a highlights package available later on ADS1 and ADS2. ADS3 will also have coverage of the World Club Championship from Japan, which will be hosted next year by Abu Dhabi, the Asian and African Champions Leagues, and the African Super Cup.
Along with the Pro League, the free channels will also show live Saudi Arabia League games, World Cup matches from the four Gulf nations still involved in trying to qualify, and Brazilian League highlights. Other events include all the tennis grand slams, Formula One powerboating, world touring cars, and Arab League basketball. The Super League Formula races, in which football clubs race against each other with the UAE being represented by Al Ain, will also be shown live.
The head of programming at Abu Dhabi Sport TV, Mohammed Najeeb, said: "Our goal is to be the best free sports channel in the region." Najeeb added that the channel was also hoping to show the 2010 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations. mwalker@thenational.ae