The guys over at the FA have gone against their better judgment by awarding a new two-years rights deal with broadcaster ITV for the FA Cup and England internationals.
The deal, which cost £90million over the period, will see ITV screen 16 live FA Cup games per season and England’s home World Cup qualifiers. They will also screen the domestic football season’s annual curtain-raiser, the Community Shield as well as six matches from the FA Youth Cup.
This deal represents a further smack in the teeth for armchair football fans. ITV‘s recent football coverage has been hit a series of poor presentation problems and high-profile cock-ups. The sooner the BBC and Sky jointly take back the rights when they next come round to bid, the better it will be for the fans.