UEFA Euro 2008 broadcasting rights

The Broadcasting rights to the UEFA Euro 2008 football championship have enabled the tournament to reach more people across the world than ever before.cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7452599.stm | title = Euro 2008 takes on web pirates | accessdate = 2008-06-14 | date = 2008-06-13| publisher = "BBC Online"] Previously UEFA had sold the rights to the tournament through the European Broadcasting Union but for 2008 they worked through a sales agency Sportfive.cite web| url = http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/european-football-championship-tv-coverage/id_29616/catid_29 | title = EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: TV coverage | accessdate = 2008-06-14 | date = 2008-05-30| publisher = "The Sofia Echo"] Sportfive approached each market individually and was thus able to secure more for the rights due to strong competition between broadcasters.cite web| url = http://www.cnbceb.com/Articles/2008/June/43/a-whole-new-ball-game.aspx | title = A Whole New Ball Game | accessdate = 2008-06-14 | date = 2008-05-21| publisher = "CNBC"]

Financial targets

UEFA hoped to secure 600 million euros from the television rights but initially was reported to be struggling to raise the amount they wanted.cite web| url = http://www.eufootball.biz/Television/260307-EURO-2008-TV-deals-not-coming-through.html | title = EURO 2008 TV deals not coming through | accessdate = 2008-06-15 | date = 2007-03-26| publisher = "euFootball.BIZ"] In the end however UEFA secured 410 million euros from four of the five biggest markets, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy.cite web| url = http://www.eufootball.biz/Television/231107-Sportfive-EURO-2008-TV-rights-Spain.html | title = Sportfive to conclude EURO 2008 TV rights deal in Spain | accessdate = 2008-06-15 | date = 2007-11-23| publisher = "euFootball.BIZ"] The broadcasting rights as a whole are reported to have secured UEFA over 30% more than the TV rights to the UEFA Euro 2004 championship.

UEFA and free-to-air TV

UEFA kept a policy that each country should be able to watch their own team on Free-to-air television. However UEFA was unhappy that the list of events that must be shown on terrestrial television in the United Kingdom included all of the matches in the tournament even though none of the home nations qualified for the event. Only in the UK and Belgium was pay television unable to bid for any of the live broadcasting rights.cite web| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/13/euro2008.gambling | title = French bets ruling could be windfall for sport | accessdate = 2008-06-14 | date = 2008-06-13| publisher = "guardian.co.uk"] UEFA is bringing a legal case with the European Union as it saw this as infringing their property rights and distorted competition.cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7438763.stm | title = Uefa eyes change to free TV football | accessdate = 2008-06-14 | date = 2008-06-06| publisher = "BBC Online"]

Internet

The organisers broadcast all of the games on the internet and made all those who won the broadcasting rights do the same. Over 150 of the qualifiers for the tournament were also shown on the internet on JumpTV from March to November 2007.cite web| url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/18/sports/NA_SPT_SOC_Euro_2008_Webcasts.php | title = Euro 2008 qualifiers to be available via Internet | accessdate = 2008-06-15 | date = 2006-12-18| publisher = "International Herald Tribune"]

List of broadcasters by nation

The following national broadcasters have secured broadcasting rights of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. [ [http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/634586.pdf UEFA Euro 2008 Broadcasting Rights] ]

UEFA

*flag|Albania - Top Channel / Digit-Alb
*flag|Andorra - RTVA
*flag|Armenia - ArmTV
*flag|Austria - ORF
*flag|Azerbaijan - Lider TV
*flag|Belarus - ONTcite web| url = http://www.eufootball.biz/Television/190207-TV-deals-growing-for-EURO-2008.html | title = TV deals growing for EURO 2008 | accessdate = 2008-06-15 | date = 2007-02-19| publisher = "euFootball.BIZ"]
*flag|Belgium - VT4 [ [http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF23012008_138 Belgian rights] in "De Standaard Online", January 23 2008] / RTBF
*flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina - BHRT
*flag|Bulgaria - Diema
*flag|Croatia - HRT
*flag|Cyprus - Plus TV / LTV
*flag|Czech Republic - TV Prima
*flag|Denmark - TV 2 / TV 2 Zulu
*flag|Estonia - ETV
*flag|Finland - YLE / MTV3
*flag|France - TF1 / M6
*flag|Georgia - Rustavi 2
*flag|Germany - ARD / ZDF
*flag|Greece - ERT
*flag|Hungary - MTV / Sport 1
*flag|Iceland - RÚV
*flag|Ireland - RTÉ
*flag|Israel - Charlton (Sport 1/Sport 2) / Channel 10 (Israel)
*flag|Italy - RAI
*flag|Kazakhstan - Khabar
*flag|Latvia - LTV7
*flag|Lithuania - LRT
*flag|Luxembourg - RTL
*flag|FYR Macedonia - Alsat M
*flag|Malta - TVM / One / Net TV / Smash / Melita Sports
*flag|Moldova - Prime TV
*flag|Montenegro - TV In
*flag|Netherlands - NOS
*flag|Norway - TV 2 / Canal Digital (Telenor)
*flag|Poland - Polsat (27 matches) / Polsat Sport Extra (27 matches) / Polsat Sport (4 matches)
*flag|Portugal - TVI / Sport TV
*flag|Romania - TVR
*flag|Russia - Channel One (16 matches) and Russia TV Channel (15 matches) / NTV+ (all matches)
*flag|San Marino - SMRTV
*flag|Serbia - RTS
*flag|Slovakia - STV
*flag|Slovenia - TV3
*flag|Spain - Cuatro (one daily match) / Canal+ (all matches) [ [http://www.nortecastilla.es/20071221/television/cuatro-ofrecera-partidos-espana-20071221.html Spanish rights] in "El Norte de Castilla Online", December 21 2007]
*flag|Sweden - TV4 / TV4 Sport [ [http://www.fotbollskanalen.se/631825.html Swedish rights] in "Fotbollskanalen (TV4)" ", April 22 2008]
*flag|Switzerland - SRG SSR idée suisse
*flag|Turkey - ATV / Digiturk
*flag|Ukraine - Sport 1 / Sport 2 / UT1
*flagcountry|United Kingdom (flagcountry|England, flagcountry|Scotland, flagcountry|Northern Ireland, flagcountry|Wales) - BBC / ITV
* flagcountry|Liechtenstein - has no broadcaster, viewers will be able to watch on German, Swiss and Austrian television networks.

HD

*flag|Albania - SuperSport HD-1/2
*flag|Austria - ORF 1 HD
*flag|Belgium - VT4 HD
*flag|Canada - TSN HD and Sportsnet HD in English and RDS HD in French
*flag|Croatia - HRT HD
*flag|Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7/ Repretel
*flag|Denmark - TV 2 HDTV 1/2
*flag|France - TF1 HD / M6 HD
*flag|Hong Kong - Now Sports HD
*flag|Italy - HD test in some zones
*flagicon|Arab League Middle East - Al Jazeera Sports HD
*flag|Netherlands - Nederland 1 HD
*flag|Norway - TV 2 Sport HD 1/2
*flag|Poland - Polsat Sport HD (27 matches)
*flag|Portugal - TVI HD/SportTV HD
*flag|Romania - TVR HD
*flag|Russia - HD Sport
*flag|Spain - C+ Spain HD
*flag|Sweden - TV4 HD Fotboll 1/2
*flag|Switzerland - HD Suisse
*flag|Turkey - Lig TV HD
*flag|Ukraine - Sport HD
*flag|United Kingdom - BBC HD / ITV HD
*flag|United States - ABC HD/ESPNHD/ESPN2HD

Worldwide

*flag|Argentina - LS83 Canal 9 ESPN ESPN+
*flag|Australia - Setanta Sports / SBS
*flagicon|Arab League Arab World - Al Jazeera Sports "(Joint Contract)"
*flag|Bangladesh - BTV and ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Bhutan - ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Brazil - TV Record 3 Games in HD/Record News/ Sportv and SportvHD all 32 Games in HD
*flag|Canada - TSN and Rogers Sportsnet in English and RDS in French
*flag|China - CCTV / Sina.com
*flag|Chile - Universidad Católica de Chile Televisión
*flag|Colombia - Caracol TV / RCN TV
*flag|Costa Rica - Repretel / Teletica Canal 7
*flag|Hong Kong - now TV of PCCW
*flag|Iran - Channel 3
*flag|India - ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Indonesia - Media Nusantara Citra (RCTI, Global TV, TPI, and Indovision)
*flag|Japan - TBS / WOWOW (All matches broadcast live)
*flag|Kosovo - RTK
*Latin America - ESPN Latin America
*flag|Malaysia - TV3, Astro [cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/01/content_7900459.htm |title=Malaysia's TV operator to add more channels for Beijing Olympics |date=2008-04-01 |accessdate=2008-04-03]
*flag|Maldives - ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Mexico - Televisa / TV Azteca / ESPN
*flag|Mongolia - C1 Television [cite news|url=http://www.montsame.mn/index.php?option=com_news&task=news_detail&tab=200806&ne=182 |title=C1 gets permission to broadcast Euro 2008 (Mongolian), "Montsame Agency"|date=2008-06-02 |accessdate=2008-06-20]
*flag|Nepal - ESPN Star Sports
*flag|New Zealand-SKY TV, Prime TV [cite web|url=http://www.skytv.co.nz/uefa-euro-2008.aspx|title=UEFA Euro 2008|accessdate=2008-05-26]
*flag|Pakistan - PTV and ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Peru - ATV - Andina de Televisión
*flag|Philippines - Solar Sports, C/S Sports
*flag|Singapore - Starhubcite web| url = http://www.eufootball.biz/Television/1202084-EURO-2008-TV-deal-Singapore.html | title = EURO 2008 deal in Singapore | accessdate = 2008-06-15 | date = 2008-02-12| publisher = "euFootball.BIZ"]
*flag|South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa - Supersport
*flag|South Korea - KBS /MBC /SBS /MBC ESPN
*flag|Sri Lanka - ESPN Star Sports
*flag|Thailand - RS Sports / BBTV Channel 7 and Modern Nine TV
*flag|United States - ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes and ABC - [http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/05/espn-releases-euro-2008-schedule.html List of Times]
*flag|Venezuela - Meridiano Televisión
*flag|Vietnam - VTV
*flag|Panama - Tvmax / RPC TV

References