ITV to continue showing FA Cup, England home games

ITV has agreed a new £90m, two-year deal with the Football Association to continue broadcasting The FA Cup and England internationals, including home qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.

The broadcaster will retain the rights to first pick of all FA Cup games throughout the season, from the first round to the final. It will also get the third choice game in the fifth and sixth rounds, and fourth choice pick in the third and fourth rounds.

In total, ITV will broadcast 16 live games across each season from the FA Cup, in addition to "comprehensive highlights" from each round.



The commercial broadcaster's current £275m four-year contract was due to end at the end of this season, but the new agreement renews the relationship until 2014.

In addition to the FA Cup games, ITV has reached an agreement to bring the traditional football season curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, back to free-to-air television in 2012/13 and 2013/14, after it was previously aired on Sky.

In terms of England games, all home qualifying ties for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be shown on ITV, along with all home and away friendlies during the two-year period. Away qualifiers for tournaments are not covered in the deal as they are sold by opposition football associations.

Under the agreement with the FA, ITV will also offer live matches, highlights and video clips will be made available on ITV.com and the ITV Player.

According to The Guardian, sources have said that ITV has agreed to pay around £45m a year to the FA, more than 30% less than its existing, £65m-a-season deal.

ITV director of television Peter Fincham said: "The FA Cup and England internationals are events with huge resonance and appeal for our viewers.

"I'm delighted that we are extending our partnership with The FA and that ITV1 will continue to be the home of live football on free-to-air television."

FA Group commercial director Stuart Turner added: "We enjoy a great relationship with ITV and this extension to our agreement underlines that.

"Having The FA Cup and England alongside other ITV content such as the Champions League and World Cups shows that our football content holds its own in exalted company. It further confirms ITV's position as the home of free-to-air live football."

Alongside FA Cup and England games, ITV's deal also covers live coverage of six games from The FA Youth Cup being shown on digital channel ITV4, including the semi-finals and final.

This makes the latest sports rights deal to be agreed by ITV, following deals for Champions League football and the French Open, its first foray into covering a tennis grand slam event.