The BBC has won the rights to show Premier League highlights from 2007 until 2010.

It means Match of the Day will continue on BBC One on Saturday nights and MOTD2 on Sundays for another four seasons.

 

"This is the best possible news for us ahead of the World Cup," said Roger Mosey, the BBC's Head of Sport.

 

"As well has having the World Cup until 2014, we now have every Premiership goal and all the main action free to people in the UK until 2010."

 

The BBC had submitted a bid of £171.6m for the three-year period.

 

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said: "The BBC and Match of the Day have been almost synonymous with our great competition since it started.

 

"This deal allows fans to continue to access its high-quality coverage through to the next decade. We are very pleased at the outcome.

 

"The deal also gives our clubs the opportunity to showcase their football to the wide and varied audience that the BBC attracts.

 

"The market for the highlights rights was very competitive and we were extremely impressed by other proposals.

 

"However, we now look forward to extending the great relationship we have with the BBC, one that goes further than this rights deal."

 

The Premier League has been issuing various rights packages for the period from 2007 to 2010.

 

Irish pay-TV firm Setanta broke BSkyB's monopoly of live Premier League football matches by winning the rights to show 46 matches per season from 2007.

 

BSkyB was given 92 live matches, including the "A" package of games on late Sunday afternoons.

 

Other Premiership rights, including mobile rights and overseas rights are still to be determined.

 

Match of the Day first appeared on BBC Television on 22 August 1964.

 

The BBC lost the rights to show Premiership highlights to ITV in 2000, but regained them in 2003 for £105m.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/5060828.stm

MOTD has been pretty pants for a while now. If I'm in on a Saturday then I just watch football interactive on sky. Far more choice and you aren't stuck with watching Chelsea, Man U or Liverpool as the main game EVERY week.

Good News for MOTD, at least the highlights will be kept free