UK public service broadcaster the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV will share rights in the country to the 2024 and 2028 editions of men’s soccer’s UEFA European Championship national teams tournament, it has today (November 9) been announced.
Matches during each tournament will be split equally between the broadcasters until the finals, which will be shown by both.
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The arrangement continues that used in the UK for previous editions of the Euros, which is classed as a Category A event protected for live free-to-air coverage.
The 2024 edition of the Euros, to be held in Germany, is due to run between June 14 and July 14 that year and will see 24 teams compete across 51 matches.
The host(s) of Euro 2028 is due to be decided and announced next year.
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The last edition of the tournament, Euro 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Held across 11 cities in 11 countries, it saw Italy run out as winners in the final, beating England after extra time and penalties at the latter’s home stadium of Wembley in London.
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By GlobalDataThe final saw a 24-year TV audience high in the UK, while the tournament as a whole generated a cumulative global live audience of more than 5 billion.
Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “The BBC has proven time and again that we have the ability to bring the biggest sporting events to the widest audience. The previous UEFA European Championships were a huge success so we’re delighted that we’ve completed this deal for the next two tournaments that we hope will provide even more memorable moments for viewers.”
Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport, commented: “This deal keeps the Euros available on free-to-air television for viewers for the coming years. Having delivered the biggest ever UK single channel football audience of 27.6 million at last year's Euros, for England’s semi-final victory over Denmark, we’re looking forward to bringing to the widest audiences the very best coverage of tournaments that have such broad appeal.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA, added: “We are very pleased to continue our partnership with ITV and the BBC. Each partner brings in-depth knowledge and expertise to the broadcasting of the UEFA European Football Championship and we look forward to the extensive and excellent coverage for the fans across the UK.”
Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
