ITV HD to formally launch for Euro 2008

Published Tuesday, Jun 3 2008, 17:51 BST | By Dave West

ITV has confirmed its first ever high definition broadcast intended for public consumption will be coverage of Portugal versus Turkey on the first day of Euro 2008.

Freesat viewers will be able to access the HD stream by pressing the red button while watching ITV1 during the broadcast from 7.30pm on Saturday. The service will not be available on Freeview, Sky, or Virgin Media digital cable.

Coverage of Euro 2008 matches on Monday and June 10, 11, 12 and 13 will also be available in HD, the broadcaster said today.

ITV will become the third public service broadcaster in the UK to publicly launch a HD service, following BBC HD and Channel 4 HD.

The HD broadcasts are intended to be exclusive to Freesat, the subscription-free satellite service jointly-backed by ITV, although some traditional free-to-air satellite receiver equipment will be able to display the broadcasts if specifically configured.

ITV said it will from now on inform the media and listings providers which broadcasts will be available in HD and "press the red button" alert messages are expected to be used on ITV1.

In a statement today ITV said the programmes "will be available in HD on Freesat only".

ITV took part in a limited trial broadcast of digital terrestrial HD channels in 2006. Digital Spy forum members have also been watching test transmissions of ITV HD on satellite for several weeks.