The FA Cup is a special competition that means many things to many people. One of the few things it does not mean to anyone at present is staring at Andy Townsend’s misshapen nose and waiting for the next advert break. That could all be about to change though.
ITV are apparently close to securing the rights to both live FA Cup matches and England’s home matches. The broadcaster has teamed up with Irish channel Setanta to offer the FA a £400 million deal, which they are expected to accept later today. The FA’s current deal with the BBC and Sky is reportedly worth £300 million. The new contract would start from August 2008.
UPDATED: FA chief executive Brian Barwick has since confirmed the TV rights for England and FA Cup matches have been awarded to ITV and Setanta Sports starting in the 2008-09 season.
[Via BBC, Rob Parker]