The Walt Disney Company are eyeing off the Premier League television rights.

The Telegraph says on a recent trip to London, the chief executive of Walt Disney, Robert Iger, revealed how ESPN, the sports broadcasting arm of the company, was now it's number two brand after Disney itself and that they were considering expanding it on a global scale.

"I know they [ESPN] will look at the Premier League rights again, both individually and in partnership with others," he said.

The next auction of broadcasting rights to England's top-flight, which are currently held by BSkyB, is due to begin in January.

In another development, it has also emerged that ESPN are keen to win the rights to show the Premier League in the United States, which Fox currently hold, due to evidence of an increase in interest in football across the pond.

Top-level executives at Walt Disney feel that David Beckham's decision to join the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer has led to an upsurge in popularity for the sport in a country that has generally shown little regard for football in recent years.