It provides France Televisions with exclusive rights in France to the Heineken Cup, Europe’s premier club rugby tournament, through to the end of the 2009/2010 season.
France Televisions will become ERC's longest standing commercial partner, having been one of the original broadcasters when the tournament was launched in October 1995.
The extension will generate increased revenues for the development of the professional club game in the tournament’s six shareholder nations.
France Televisions will, from next season, double its Heineken Cup live broadcasts and televise two matches each tournament weekend as well as increased coverage of the knock-out stages.
Last season's France Televisions broadcast of the all-French final at Murrayfield, when Toulouse needed extra time to beat Stade Francais Paris, achieved a record audience of 3.4 million viewers in France.
The follows other major commercial announcements by ERC in 2005:
Heineken's extension of its title sponsorship through to the 14th final in 2009
Sky Sports extension for television coverage of the Heineken Cup until 2010
S4C secured rights to an extensive highlights package for five seasons
RTE has secured the rights to full delayed broadcasts of all games involving Irish teams (home and away) for the next four seasons
