The FA has concluded an agreement for ‘second party rights’ with Sportfive, the leading sports marketing agency in this area. These rights extend to the right to broadcast England home international matches into the territory of the opposing team. Sportfive already has more than 30 European football federations in its second party rights portfolio and is an ideal partner to assist The FA in developing its properties in Europe.

The FA is also pleased to confirm that it has secured the following rights deals, for the same period, in:

1. Scandinavia. The FA Cup and England internationals will be shown via the Viasat range of platforms under the ownership of The Modern Times Group. This will ensure coverage in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

2. France. FA Cup games will be shown via Canal Plus, a long-term supporter of English football.

In addition, The FA has appointed Sportfive to assist in negotiating the remaining European territories.

Jonathan Hill, FA Group Commercial Director commented:

‘We are delighted to be able to have the experience and expertise of Sportfive in both second party rights issues and also across the rest of Europe for third party sales.

‘The FA Cup and England matches are watched by a global audience in 154 countries, making The FA cup one of the world’s most popular televised cup competitions. The conclusion of direct deals with pre-eminent broadcasters such as Viasat and Canal Plus shows the continued international strength of The FA’s properties and is a great boost for our broadcast activities. We look forward to working closely with and developing our relationships with our new partners.’

The successful conclusion of the above multi-year agreements follows the acquisition of FA Cup and England rights by ESPN Star Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, for selective Asian markets.

For more information, please contact:

Nick Barron
Communications Manager
The FA
T: 020 7745 4717
E: nick.barron@TheFA.com