IT’S NANI-STYLE backflips all round at UTV Media’s radio subsidiary TalkSport after it agreed a deal with the Premier League to become its exclusive global audio broadcaster for the next four football seasons.

TalkSport can now approach the transfer market with glee. It needs additional editorial and commercial staff to fill the desks in its expanding London studios in order to broadcast live commentary outside Europe on all 380 Barclays Premier League games in multiple languages, including English, Spanish and Mandarin.

It’s easy to see why TalkSport chief executive Simon Taunton says he “can’t wait to see the buzz on matchdays”.

This is, according to Davy analyst Simon McGrotty, “a really nice deal” for UTV. “The costs associated with the rights are minimal but, if executed correctly, the agreement could bring in a meaningful revenue stream over time,” McGrotty said.

TalkSport, which already has the UK radio rights to 64 Premier League games each season, also intends to establish a network of global radio partners in Asia, North America and Africa.

Producing commentary in multiple languages means UTV can sell advertising space on a per-country and per-language basis.

Alongside the radio broadcasts, UTV will also monetise the rights through internet streams and audio apps, meaning the deal fits in well with UTV’s recent bulking up of its digital marketing team.

UTV said the service would have initial set-up costs in the region of €800,000 and make a loss of around £1 million in the first year of operation. It will break even in the second year and rake in profits thereafter.

The deal also furthers positions UTV away from television, which in 2011 accounted for just a quarter of its profits. Does the company’s ITV franchise for Northern Ireland still have a place in its squad?