FA Opens Up Media Rights Talks

The Football Association has issued its tender for the next four-year media
rights contract for the FA Cup and England home games with the governing body
doubling the number of match packages available.

The new contract, which runs from 2008-2012, will see broadcasters bidding
for 15 different packages including the provision of digital rights for the
first time through individual packages for the likes of video-on-demand and
mobile.

The existing FA deal is for just six packages, and is split between Sky and
BBC, with an estimated total rights value of £300m.

The 2004 to 2008 rights deal covered around 180 matches – a scenario that has
been significantly increased to more than 230 games across the 15 packages in
the new tender document.

In a statement the FA said: ‘This is the broadest set of rights packages that
the FA have offered, and has been devised to ensure that the FA’s games are
widely available to a range of different audiences and via a variety of viewing
platforms.’

Bidders will have until March 9 to respond to the tender document with full
details of the 15 packages available from the FA.