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| ITV set to snatch FA Cup rights | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| ITV and Irish broadcaster Setanta are set to pick up the rights to show the FA Cup and England home internationals. | |
| The Football Association is expected to confirm later on Friday that it has agreed a new four-year £400m-plus television deal with the two companies. | The Football Association is expected to confirm later on Friday that it has agreed a new four-year £400m-plus television deal with the two companies. |
| The contract, which will begin in August 2008, is said to be worth £100m more than the existing deal with the BBC and BSkyB. | |
| 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. |
| Sporting priority | Sporting priority |
| Snatching the FA Cup and England rights would be a major coup for ITV and its executive chairman Michael Grade. | Snatching the FA Cup and England rights would be a major coup for ITV and its executive chairman Michael Grade. |
| 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. |
| The broadcaster already has the terrestrial rights to the Champion's League, which it shares with BSkyB. | The broadcaster already has the terrestrial rights to the Champion's League, which it shares with BSkyB. |
| 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 are involved in an increasingly fierce battle for pay-per-view sports rights. | BSkyB and Setanta are involved in an increasingly fierce battle for pay-per-view sports rights. |
| 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. |
| Setanta also holds the rights to broadcast the Scottish Premier League. | Setanta also holds the rights to broadcast the Scottish Premier League. |