FOOTBALLS BIGGEST SIGNING FROM ONDIGITAL

ONSPORT1, ONdigitals sports channel, have introduced a sign language commentary for top UEFA Champions League football matches.
Marcel Hirschman, the person responsible for the idea, will provide signed commentary for a match at 10.00pm each Friday on ONsport1. Hirschman said: “My job is to translate what the commentators say so that deaf viewers watching the match get the same access to background information and comments that hearing viewers take for granted.”
This is the first time any British broadcaster has offered a full 90-minute coverage of a match with an on-screen signer.
Jeremy Dale, Director of Marketing for ONdigital, said: “We’re over the moon to be pioneering a service to cater for an even wider range of football fans. ONsport1 has rights to exclusive live matches in the UEFA Champions League and, to prove that it’s a game of two halves, next season we will also be showing exclusive coverage of the Worthington Cup and the Nationwide League, when we plan to extend the signing service so that even more hard of hearing football fans can enjoy the best soccer line-up on TV.”
The matches Hirschman will be signing commentary for in the coming weeks include, Lazio vs Arsenal on October 20, Leeds vs Barcelona on October 27.