Channel 4, the UK free-to-air commercial broadcaster, has agreed a deal to air the upcoming final of men’s soccer’s UEFA Under-21 European Championship between England and Spain.
Up to this point, the ongoing Under-21 Euros in Romania and Georgia have only been available to view in the UK on the streaming platform of UEFA, European soccer’s governing body.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Tomorrow's (July 8) final between England and Spain will be played in Batumi, Georgia. It is England’s first Under-21 final in 14 years.
Channel 4 will provide linear coverage of the final and will also stream the program live on its digital offering.
For the previous edition of the biennial Under-21 Euros, pay-TV heavyweight Sky held UK rights.
In Spain, meanwhile, public service broadcaster RTVE holds rights to the tournament as part of a wider UEFA deal.
Ian Katz, chief content officer at Channel 4, said: “Channel 4 has brought a number of historic sporting moments to a free-to-air audience in recent years and we’re delighted that the nation will be able to watch England’s Under-21s as they attempt to make their own bit of history against Spain on Saturday.”
The final will add to the commercial network’s sporting coverage over the weekend, with it set to show both the qualifying session for motor racing’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix tomorrow and then the race itself on Sunday (July 9).
Yesterday (July 6), Channel 4 and Sky extended their long-running partnership for F1 through to 2026.
The partnership extension will see Sky continue to sub-license highlights from all F1 qualifying sessions, sprints, and grands prix to Channel 4 for the next three years. Sky will continue to show exclusive live coverage from practice sessions, qualifying, sprints, and grands prix through its existing agreement with F1, which is set to last through 2029.
Image: MB Media/Getty Images
