BBC and BT secure FA Cup rights until 2018

The BBC and BT Sport have secured a four year shared rights deal that will see both broadcasters become home to The FA Cup from 2014.

The Football Association confirmed the deal in a joint announcement at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. Action will be free to view on BBC One and on BT Sport, which is free with BT broadband.

Led by Gary Lineker, the BBC’s programming will make the games available on TV, online, mobile and tablet with live streaming across all devices.

Jake Humphrey will lead BT Sport’s coverage from the company’s new studios in the Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford. BT Sport is already due to show live matches from The FA Cup in the 2013-14 season along with live Barclays Premier League matches.

BBC director general Tony Hall said: “Bringing the FA Cup back to the BBC was something I really wanted to do and I am so pleased that we have achieved it for football fans everywhere.

“There is something very special about big national moments on the BBC and the FA Cup should absolutely be one of them.

“The Olympics, Wimbledon and Glastonbury have shown how our audiences love it when we put the full weight of all our services on TV, radio and digital behind covering these events in depth and in ways no one else can.

Hall added that the BBC’s involvement with the FA will change the way the FA Cup is viewed forever.

New FA Chairman, Greg Dyke, said: “We’re delighted that the competition is back on their [the BBC’s] channels, not just through television but with significant online presence as well.

“BT Sport might be new to television but they’re a major corporation and have been a part of everyday British life for a number of decades.

“They have millions of customers and are shaping up to be a heavyweight player in the broadcasting world so The FA Cup is a fantastic asset for their growing portfolio of sports.”