IMG-backed Eleven Sports takes on Sky and BT with new UK sports channels

FILE PHOTO: Football - Soccer - Juventus v Udinese - Italian Serie A - Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy - 15/10/2016. Juventus' Mario Mandzukic (R) is challenged by Udinese's Felipe (R). REUTERS/Giorgio Perottino/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Global sports broadcaster Eleven Sports is to launch two new channels in Britain and Ireland showing live matches from the top Italian and Spanish soccer leagues, taking on Sky and BT in the race for viewers.

Eleven Sports delivers upwards of 30,000 live hours per year to more than 17 million paying customers in markets including the United States, Singapore, Myanmar, Italy, Poland and Portugal.