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| ITV scores in FA Cup rights fight | ITV scores in FA Cup rights fight |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| ITV and Irish broadcaster Setanta have secured the rights to show the FA Cup and England home internationals in a £425m four-year deal. | ITV and Irish broadcaster Setanta have secured the rights to show the FA Cup and England home internationals in a £425m four-year deal. |
| The Football Association confirmed the deal, beginning in August 2008, saying that it was "delighted" at the outcome. | The Football Association confirmed the deal, beginning in August 2008, saying that it was "delighted" at the outcome. |
| The deal is up from the current £300m agreement which is held jointly by the BBC and BSkyB. | |
| Snatching the FA Cup and England rights is a major coup for ITV and its executive chairman Michael Grade. | Snatching the FA Cup and England rights is a major coup for ITV and its executive chairman Michael Grade. |
| 'Sporting highlight' | |
| Mr Grade made boosting ITV's coverage of live sporting events a priority when he left the BBC to join ITV in December. | Mr Grade made boosting ITV's coverage of live sporting events a priority when he left the BBC to join ITV in December. |
| Our position is now substantially enhanced as the leading terrestrial free-to-air sports broadcaster Michael Grade, ITV chairman | |
| ITV already has the terrestrial rights to the Champion's League, which it shares with BSkyB. | ITV already has the terrestrial rights to the Champion's League, which it shares with BSkyB. |
| Mr Grade hailed the agreement - through which ITV will show England home internationals exclusively and about 16 FA Cup matches a year - as a "great deal". | |
| "ITV is pleased to be returning both the FA Cup and England games to our viewers and advertisers. Our position is now substantially enhanced as the leading terrestrial free-to-air sports broadcaster." | |
| The BBC and BSkyB have held the FA Cup rights since 2001. | The BBC and BSkyB have held the FA Cup rights since 2001. |
| BSkyB and Setanta, which will have exclusive pay-TV coverage of the FA Cup under the new deal, are involved in an increasingly fierce battle for pay-per-view sports rights. | |
| In a statement, Setanta Sports said it would be showing 25 FA Cup matches a year as well as eight England friendlies over the lifetime of the contract. | In a statement, Setanta Sports said it would be showing 25 FA Cup matches a year as well as eight England friendlies over the lifetime of the contract. |
| "The FA Cup is a great highlight in the English football calendar and an excellent addition to the Setanta line-up," said Trevor East, Setanta Sport's director of sport. | |
| 'Value for money' | |
| 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. | 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. |
| BSkyB and Setanta won a £1.7bn auction to screen Premiership games last year. | BSkyB and Setanta won a £1.7bn auction to screen Premiership games last year. |
| The decision leaves the BBC without any live domestic football coverage, although it has the rights to Premiership highlights until 2010. | |
| "Whenever we bid for a contract, we have to bear in mind the interests of licence-fee payers and we always have to seek value for money," the BBC said in a statement. |