UEFA Agree Champs. League Renewals with ITV & Sky Sports

European soccer’s governing body UEFA announced yesterday, April 28, that free-to-air broadcaster ITV and Pay-TV operator Sky Sports will continue to hold the media rights for the UEFA Champions League after agreeing a new three-year deal with European football’s governing body to cover the 2012-15 period in the UK.

Under the terms of the agreement, ITV has secured exclusive rights to 16 Champions League first choice live matches on Tuesday and highlights on the same night. Additionally, they have acquired the rights to broadcast the Saturday final and the UEFA Super Cup which will be simultaneously screened with Sky Sports. 

ITV will continue to air the UEFA Champions League matches and highlights on ITV1, as well as via their mobile platform and on itv.com.

In an extension of their existing deal, Sky Sports has acquired the live rights to broadcast all matches on a Wednesday and all matches on a Tuesday except for the first pick match, as well as delayed matches and comprehensive highlights on both nights. Sky Sports will also offer live streaming to PC and laptop via Sky Player and over mobile devices through Sky Mobile TV.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA Events SA, said: “The renewal with ITV and Sky Sports will deliver extensive coverage of the UEFA Champions League across all broadcast platforms guaranteeing that it is widely accessible to all football fans throughout the UK.”

UEFA Events SA manages UEFA’s commercial and event operations and is responsible for generating media rights, sponsorship, licensing and hospitality revenue from all professional national team and club competitions, and for managing relationships with all associated commercial partners.