ITV new discounted football deal
January 17, 2012
ITV has signed a £90 million (€108m) two-year deal to continue broadcasting the FA Cup and England home games, including home qualifiers for the next World Cup tournament in Brazil.
The broadcaster’s current £275 million four-year contract was due to expire at the end of this season. The new deal will run until 2014. ITV is understood to have paid about £45 million a year – more than 30 per cent less than the existing agreement.
Under the terms of the new deal, ITV will broadcast the first pick of FA Cup games throughout the season, including the final, as well as a range of third and fourth choice picks in various rounds.
It will broadcast up to 16 live games each season, as well as highlights of each round, and will also bring the pre-season FA Community Shield from Sky back to free-to-air TV.
ITV will also broadcast all home qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup – away qualifying matches are sold by overseas football bodies – and home and away friendlies over the two-year period of the new deal.
Under the deal live matches, highlights and clips will be available on ITV.com and the ITV Player.