Sports Rights: World Cup football

DMC

BBC and ITV get World Cup final rights until 2014

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1517504,00.html

Chris Tryhorn
Wednesday June 29, 2005

The BBC and ITV have secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2010 and 2014.

The two broadcasters have bought the UK rights to all 64 matches at the 2010 tournament in South Africa, and the subsequent competition, which will be held in a South American country.

Today's deal, which was struck with football's governing body, Fifa, includes live rights and highlights for all games.

ITV and BBC, which have already secured the rights to next year's competition in Germany, have broadcast the World Cup in tandem for 10 consecutive tournaments, going back to the famous 1966 competition won by England.

They were in pole position to pick up the rights for the tournament because the home nation games are "listed" events, which are guaranteed broadcast time on terrestrial television.

This time they dealt directly with Fifa, whereas the last rights package, for the 2002 and 2006 competitions, were bought from the German group Kirch, which later went bankrupt.

Nigel Pickard, ITV's director of programmes, said the deal was "hugely important" for ITV and the BBC.

"As the choice of channels increases, live events are ever more important to attract national audiences - and they don't come any bigger than the football World Cup. ITV is delighted to be able to offer our viewers the next three on our channels, starting with 2006."

The BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, said: "We are delighted to have secured the rights for one of the biggest sporting events on the planet and that once again the whole competition is being made available on a free-to-air basis to the audience."

dmeehan

whats the story with RTE/TV3 and the World Cup? will they be splitting like the BBC & ITV

Mossy Monk

i hope so

if Setanta were to get some of the games it would be disastrous for those with no BBC/ITV

Elmo

if Setanta were to get some of the games it would be disastrous for those with no BBC/ITV

I would say that RTE and setanta will get them. With the Irish matches (if we are in the world cup) on RTE and if not the Final being broadcast by RTE.

I think RTE have them for the next 2 world cups. Could be wrong.

DMC

Mossy Monk wrote:

if Setanta were to get some of the games it would be disastrous for those with no BBC/ITV

Akin to F1.

Not sure if RTÉ have the rights to the 2006 tournament yet. I think they have. TV3/Setanta will be available to bid for the matches that RTÉ are unable to show live (last group games that are shown at the same time) TV3 did this during Euro 2002.

limerick_man

I doubt a deal will end up being TV3/Setanta!!! I'd say Setanta wounldnt get rights because most Irish ppl wouldnt see them. In limerick anyway they are not even on the basic Ditital deal! They are an extra... the most expensive extra too (even more than playboy) LOL!

I'd say RTE/TV3, but maybe RTE will decide to charge us more and take them all?!?!

Elmo

Because of the sale of NTL you might get setanta on Basic down in Chourus land.

I'd say RTE/TV3, but maybe RTE will decide to charge us more and take them all?!?!

RTE cann't up the licence fee on there own. The licence fee is based on inflation and even then the Minister will be looking at what RTE has done over the last year before increasing the licence fee.

It might be a mixture of TG4/RTE/Setanta/TV3.

Also Setanta maybe available on DTT by that time.

Mossy Monk

Elmo wrote:

Because of the sale of NTL you might get setanta on Basic down in Chourus land.

how?

Elmo

how?

If it is all the one company, I assume that the deal that NTL and Setanta could cover chorus customers.

Am i wrong to say that NTL and Chorus will be the one company or owned by the one company?