Sky Sports to show UEFA Euro 2016 and FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifiers
Sky Sports has been awarded the rights to Home Nations and Republic of Ireland qualification matches for UEFA EURO 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“Both the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup are football’s most important international tournaments and this deal offers Sky Sports viewers the complete qualification story. We’ve been broadcasting international football since the beginning of Sky Sports and this deal means our viewers can enjoy watching some of the best players and nations over the next four years.” – Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis
A deal announced today with ITV Sport sees many England games return to live, free-to-air coverage, on the terrestrial channel. This new agreement with UEFA provides Sky Sports with coverage of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, together with and all other UEFA member associations, between 2014 – 2017.
The schedule of up to 500 international matches underlines Sky Sports as the home of televised football the company states with their portfolio of rights shown across six channels which include highlights of every England qualifying match for both tournaments and live away matches should England play other Home Nations.
All matches home and away exclusively live in the UK during qualification for both tournaments concerning Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the ROI. There will also be up to 500 matches screened starting with UEFA Euro 2016 qualification fixtures in September 2014, Sky Sports will show up to 500 international competitive matches over three years.
Sky Sports has also won the rights to broadcast all 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship matches exclusively live, adding to this summer’s exciting schedule of sport. The tournament, which features Europe’s brightest young stars from England and seven other nations, kicks off on 5 June. Taking place in Israel, coverage will include all group matches, both semi-finals the Final on 18 June.
The wider football schedule on Sky Sports includes 116 fixtures from the Barclays Premier League – three quarters of all live matches and more than ever before – as well as over 120 UEFA Champions League fixtures, 75 npower Football League fixtures, the Capital One Cup, over 100 fixtures from La Liga, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, William Hill Scottish Cup and much more.
