Pay-TV boost for Switzerland teams

Switzerland's league season starts today, boosted by growing competition among the country's top clubs and a lucrative new television rights deal. Basel's visit to Young Boys and Grasshoppers home match against newly-promoted FC Sion will be the first...

Switzerland's league season starts today, boosted by growing competition among the country's top clubs and a lucrative new television rights deal.

Basel's visit to Young Boys and Grasshoppers home match against newly-promoted FC Sion will be the first games shown in a Pay-TV deal worth roughly $10.42 million - double the amount the league earned previously.

The novel idea of paying to watch Swiss league football has been made more enticing by last season's nail-biting finish which saw FC Zurich clinch the title with an injury time goal against title rivals Basel in the last match of the season.

Unbeaten at their St Jakob Park stadium for 59 matches, Basel would have picked up their third successive title had it not been for Zurich's late winner, scored by Romanian defender Iulian Filipescu.

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