ITV Boosts Football Coverage With UEFA Deal
ITV has added to its portfolio of sports coverage with the UK rights to the UEFA Cup Finals in 2005 and 2006, as well as the UEFA Super Cup next year.
The broadcaster’s new deal brings the largest football club competition to ITV viewers, featuring 341 matches played over 20 weeks and culminating in a sports spectacular not to be missed on 18 May at Stadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal. The venue and date of the 2006 final is yet to be confirmed.
The UEFA Super Cup opens each European football season by pitting the previous season’s Champions League winners against the holders of the UEFA Cup. In 2005 it will take place on 26 August at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.
The agreement adds to ITV’s already substantial portfolio of European football events, including the rights to show all of Newcastle United’s home games in this year’s UEFA Cup, the rights to both Newcastle and Middlesbrough’s first Group Stage games away to Greek opposition in Athens and the broadcaster’s uninterrupted coverage of the European Champions League since its inception 12 years ago.
Commenting on the latest broadcast rights acquisition, Brian Barwick, ITV’s controller of sport, said: “The deal to screen the UEFA Cup Finals and Super Cup on ITV adds a finishing touch to our comprehensive and unrivalled European football coverage over the next two years. The UK is very well represented this season in Europe and as ever interest will be high in how our teams progress.”
Earlier this year ITV announced huge successes with its screening of the Euro 2004 football championships. The broadcaster said that the event had helped its sales operation to see its strongest growth in revenue since the height of the dotcom boom in 2000, rising by 17% throughout the tournament, as an overwhelming demand for airtime spots helped it to outperform all of its commercial rivals put together (see ITV Hails Euro 2004 A Success As Revenue Soars).
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine Hallmark Launches Campaign To Push Police Dramas Former Five Boss Enters Bidding War For Hallmark Channel Elstein’s ITV Bid Boosted By Hallmark Link
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive