ITV And ONdigital Secure Football League Rights

ITV and digital terrestrial broadcaster ONdigital have secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the Nationwide Cup and the Worthington Cup. In a deal worth £315m the two will televise the games from the tournaments for three years starting next season.

This is ITV’s second major football rights deal this week, having snatched the Premier League highlights from the BBC yesterday (see BSkyB, NTL And ITV Win Bidding War For Premier League Games). It is believed that both the BBC and Sky placed bids for the rights but withdrew after the outcome of the week’s earlier auctions.

ITV and its regional franchises will televise live broadcasts of 15 regional matches, the final play-off for promotion to the Premier League, as well as one semi-final and the final of the Worthington Cup. ONdigital will screen 88 matches from the first, second and third divisions as well as the Worthington Cup.

Brian Barwick, controller of ITV Sport, said,”It has been quite a week for ITV Sport! This deal gives ITV a fantastic treble, the UEFA Champions League, Premier League highlights and now, with ONdigital, the Football League and the Worthington Cup. ITV’s unique regional character makes us the perfect terrestrial partner for the Football’s League.”

ITV: 020 7843 8000 ONdigital: 020 7819 8000