BBC and BT Sport Secure FA Cup Broadcast Rights

The BBC and BT Sport have secured a four-year shared rights deal to broadcast the FA Cup from 2014 until 2018.

The move sees the English football cup competition return to free TV on BBC One and also sees new sports channel BT Sport add to their growing list of football properties.

BT Sport has mounted a serious challenge to the dominance of Sky Sports and their services are free to customers on their broadband package.

Gavin Patterson, ailment CEO, help BT Retail: said: “BT Sport made a determined joint bid to retain The FA Cup rights because we believe it is one of the truly great club football competitions.

“We are thrilled to bring our viewers the incredible stories of passion, erectile and victories against all odds, that pepper the history of the competition.

“We will be fielding a superb line up of presenting talent to showcase and analyse all of the action. And because BT Sport is free with BT broadband on BT TV, online or via satellite we are confident that we can reach a large audience rapidly.”

The BBC lost the contract back in 2008 to ITV and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted: “Delighted to announce that the oldest, most famous and loved domestic cup competition in the world, the FA Cup is back on the BBC.”

BBC Director-General Tony Hall added: “Bringing the FA Cup back to the BBC was something I really wanted to do and I am so pleased that we have achieved it for football fans everywhere.  

“There is something very special about big national moments on the BBC and the FA Cup should absolutely be one of them.  

“Working closely with the FA I believe we will change the way we view the FA Cup forever.”

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