ESPN agrees FA Cup TV deal
ESPN agrees four-year FA Cup deal with Football Association
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By Adam Leveridge. |  |
Tuesday, 08, Dec 2009 05:16
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Broadcaster ESPN has secured a four-year deal for the right to show matches in the FA Cup from next season onwards.
Running parallel to the existing coverage provided by the ITV, ESPN will show one exclusive semi-final and a simulcast of the final itself.
The American company will also screen two matches in the first and second rounds, three matches from the third, fourth and fifth rounds and two quarter-finals.
Until now, ITV owned the sole rights to the FA Cup and was contracted to screen two live games between the third and fifth rounds and all games from the quarter-finals onwards.
Under the revised plans, effective immediately, ITV will screen an additional game in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
FA chief executive Ian Watmore said: "We are extremely pleased to have added ESPN to our list of broadcast partners.
"As a global broadcaster, who have already demonstrated a strong presence in the UK, ESPN will give our football great visibility and we look forward to an excellent partnership with them.
"Whilst it's a very different market to two years ago, we have nevertheless taken our time and as a result have received some strong, credible bids."
The vice president of ESPN Europe, Jeroen Oerlemans, added: "The FA Cup is one of the great UK sports properties and will add to an already strong line-up of top-quality football on ESPN.
"We are delighted to have been awarded these exclusive domestic rights, which are another significant step in growing our presence in the UK."
The deal also includes the rights for ESPN to screen all home England under-21 internationals and the proposed Women's Super League when it is launched in 2011.