bbc And ITV To Share Euros
The men’s UEFA European Football Championship will remain on free-to-air TV, with the BBC and ITV sharing the rights for the 2024 and 2028 tournaments.
The deal will see the broadcasters continue to distribute all of the games equally until a shared final, an arrangement that will be replicated during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which kicks off in just 11 days.
Germany will host a 24-team tournament in 2024, with the hosts and the format of the 2028 not yet confirmed.
31 million tuned in across the BBC and ITV in the last edition of the tournament as hosts England lost to Italy in the final.
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 Director of Sport, added, “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 at UEFA, commented, “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.”
