ITV will screen a number of live matches form the event including the quarter and semi finals, as well as the final next may.
The deal will add to ITV Sport’s long list of sports coverage which includes live Nationwide League soccer matches, the Premiershp and rights to screen a number of live games from the Champions League.
Carton Communications and Granada, the joint owners of ITV Sport have agreed to spend £150m ($220m/B237m) on the channel but some analysts are not convinced that the channel will reach profitability. In a recent research note, Neil Blackley, a media analyst at international investment bank Merrill Lynch described the channel as a “potential financial black hole” and broker Goldman Sachs has advised Granada and Carlton to close the channel.
