UEFA to sell England qualifier TV rights

The Football Association has agreed to allow UEFA to sell its international television rights from 2014, despite initial reservations that it would lose money under the system.

UEFA president Michel Platini confirmed today that all 53 member associations, including the FA, have signed up to a new scheme for centralising the sale of international television rights, including qualifying matches for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.

The FA was understood to have been initially concerned about being disadvantaged under the new system only to be convinced by guarantees from UEFA that it would earn around £25m a year from the plan.

Speaking at the UEFA Congress in Paris, FA general secretary Alex Horne said: "We thought it through long and hard and we have got a good deal for ourselves out of it.

"It is higher than the current valuation of our rights. We have gone into this with our eyes wide open. It is a creative idea and we believe it will work.''

What will happen with the sale of FA Cup rights has not yet been agreed, but the FA is thought to want to sell them alongside England rights in the future.

At the height of the sports rights market in 2008, four-year deals for England and FA Cup TV rights generated around £575 million in domestic and international revenue for the FA, including £150m from Setanta.

After the Irish sports broadcaster collapsed in late 2009, the FA agreed a four-year deal with ESPN, which was understood to be considerably less lucrative.

Also speaking at the UEFA Congress, UEFA president Michel Platini said that it is now "essential" to centralise the way international television rights are sold.

"It is a project aimed, above all, at protecting and developing national team football. And, what is more, the knock-on effect will be guaranteed revenue for each association," he said.

"You will therefore all be able to concentrate on the football without having to worry what the draws might throw up and whether their outcome will be favourable - or not - in terms of TV rights.''