ITV Gets UEFA Cup Rights

ITV has signed a three-year deal, starting next season, to show the final stages of the UEFA Cup in an agreement believed to be worth £25 million.

The deal covers the 2006-7 to 2008-9 seasons and will give ITV exclusive broadcast rights for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the tournament. In addition, the broadcaster gains the rights to show the Super Cup in August, an annual showpiece match between the winners of the Champion’s League and the UEFA Cup.

Although ITV screened the last two UEFA Cup finals, as well as other games featuring British clubs like Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, this new deal gives ITV exclusive rights to the final stages of the competition for the first time. TV rights to matches before the quarter-finals are sold to broadcasters on a game-by-game basis.

The matches are likely to be shown mainly on ITV1 and ITV4, which took over from ITV2 as ITV’s main digital football station when it was launched last year.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com