Sky, ITV score with fresh Champions League deal
April 27, 2011
ITV and Sky Sports will continue to hold the United Kingdom media rights for the UEFA Champions League after agreeing a new three-year term with UEFA to cover the 2012-15 cycle.
Free-to-air commercial broadcaster ITV has secured exclusive rights to 16 UEFA Champions League first-choice live matches on Tuesday as well as highlights on Tuesday. It has also acquired the rights to screen the Saturday final and the UEFA Super Cup, which will be simultaneous with Sky Sports. ITV will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions League matches and highlights on ITV1, as well as via its mobile platform and on itv.com.
Sky Sports has acquired the live rights to show all matches on a Wednesday and all games on a Tuesday except for the first-pick match, as well as delayed games and comprehensive highlights on both nights. Sky Sports will also offer live streaming to PC and laptop via Sky Player and over mobile devices through Sky Mobile TV.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA Events SA, said: “The renewal with ITV and Sky Sports will deliver extensive coverage of the UEFA Champions League across all broadcast platforms guaranteeing that it is widely accessible to all football fans throughout the United Kingdom. UEFA is delighted to maintain and further extend its current successful relationship with ITV and Sky Sports until 2015.”
On UEFA Champions League nights, Sky viewers can pick their live game – or switch between games – by pushing the red button on their remote handset. An increasing number of matches, including all those produced by Sky Sports in the UK and all broadcast on the main Sky Sports HD channels, have been offered in HD and this year’s Final at Wembley Stadium will be produced in 3D.