Media
The three year deal, reportedly worth in the region of £165m, runs from August 2009. ITV will broadcast the first pick of Wednesday night games during the tournament, including the final and the UEFA Super Cup final.
"I'm thrilled that ITV is now the definitive home for all premium free-to-air football in this country," said ITV executive chairman Michael Grade. "This is good news for ITV's shareholders, advertisers and of
course our viewers. With Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all through to the quarter final stage this year, British representation in Europe has never been stronger."
On Tuesday, Sky won the rights to all Tuesday games and non-first choice Wednesday games with a knockout bid estimated at £240m. It is understood that ITV's decision to drop coverage of Formula One was designed in part to ensure it was able to effectively compete for today's last remaining package of Champions League rights.
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