ITV and Irish broadcaster Setanta are set to pick up the rights to show the FA Cup and England home internationals.

 

The Football Association is expected to confirm later on Friday that it has agreed a new four-year £400m-plus television deal with the two companies.

 

The contract, which will begin in August 2008, is said to be worth £100m more than the existing deal with the BBC and BSkyB.

 

BSkyB and Setanta won a £1.7bn auction to screen Premiership games last year.

 

Sporting priority

 

Snatching the FA Cup and England rights would be a major coup for ITV and its executive chairman Michael Grade.

 

Mr Grade made boosting ITV's coverage of live sporting events a priority when he left the BBC to join ITV in December.

 

The broadcaster already has the terrestrial rights to the Champion's League, which it shares with BSkyB.

 

The BBC and BSkyB have held the FA Cup rights since 2001.

 

BSkyB and Setanta are involved in an increasingly fierce battle for pay-per-view sports rights.

 

Last year the Irish broadcaster secured a six-year deal to televise the PGA golf tour featuring 40 leading tournaments, rights previously held by Sky.

 

Setanta also holds the rights to broadcast the Scottish Premier League.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6509141.stm

A intresting devlopment.... hmmmm

Sky could be right about Mr Bransons plans to dominate the UK market with his desired merger with Virgin Media/ITV

Ugh, this is rubbish, I hate ITVs football coverage

Okay ITV ain't as bad as some of the games going to £15 a month Setanta Sports. At least ITV is 'free', although their coverage is Shit.

what a sig Dave!!!!

What does it say?