(Telecompaper) Dutch cable operator Ziggo plans to start its own free sports channel, reports the Algemeen Dagblad. It's partnering with Sport1, the premium channel owned by its parent company Liberty Global, to develop the new channel. Sport1 has rights to events such as the Champions League, Spanish football and Formula 1. The new channel should launch by the end of the year as part of Ziggo's standard offer, the paper said, making it available to the around 4 million customers of Ziggo. Ziggo said the creation of a new sports channel was an "interesting thought" but declined to comment further on the report.