TV
The Football League is on the verge of signing a new contract with ITV, according to the Sunday Times.
The news comes just six months after ITV's main partners, Carlton and Granada, pulled out of a £315m deal with the League, who had acquired the television rights to the League's games for the now defunct ITV Digital.
The newspaper reports that the new contract -- worth £5m over two years, for highlights only -- will outrage chairmen of the League's 72 clubs, many of whom are financially crippled from the collapse of the DTT operator. Nevertheless, in a vote last week, more than 50% backed the deal over a rival joint bid from the BBC and five.
The contract will be formally signed in the next "two to three days," with highlights returning to the air as soon as October 19.
The BBC/five offer was worth around £650,000 per year over four years, which would have cost clubs money should it have been accepted.
The news comes just six months after ITV's main partners, Carlton and Granada, pulled out of a £315m deal with the League, who had acquired the television rights to the League's games for the now defunct ITV Digital.
The newspaper reports that the new contract -- worth £5m over two years, for highlights only -- will outrage chairmen of the League's 72 clubs, many of whom are financially crippled from the collapse of the DTT operator. Nevertheless, in a vote last week, more than 50% backed the deal over a rival joint bid from the BBC and five.
The contract will be formally signed in the next "two to three days," with highlights returning to the air as soon as October 19.
The BBC/five offer was worth around £650,000 per year over four years, which would have cost clubs money should it have been accepted.
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