ITV Local and ITV.com team up with FA to show early rounds of FA Cup
24/07/2008
For the first time in history FA Cup matches involving non-League clubs will be filmed and available to a large audience thanks to a partnership between ITV Local, ITV.com and The Football Association.
ITV and FA camera crews will capture early round FA Cup action on camera from the first weekend of the E.ON sponsored competition when over 400 clubs begin their bid for glory.
A number of matches have been selected for filming on each FA Cup weekend during August, September and October. Highlight packages will be made available to watch on ITVlocal.com, itv.com and TheFA.com.
Clubs that aren't covered by an ITV Local camera will be given access to an exclusive area on ITV Local's Grassroots Sport website where they can upload their own club videos for all to see.
ITV Local's Director of Content, Lindsay Charlton, said: "For the first time in the history of the FA Cup, dozens of preliminary and qualifying round matches will be captured on camera, thanks to ITV Local. What makes the FA Cup exciting is those small clubs that manage to smash their way through from the early rounds to face Premier League giants. With a little luck ITV Local will be able to follow some of this year's giant killers all the way."
Head of Content at ITV.com, Marc Webber, said: "With this development, we're bringing the big match atmosphere to the smallest of clubs. Everyone that plays in the FA Cup should have their day in the sun and we're proud to be the first broadcaster to cover the FA Cup from the very first kick."
The Editor of TheFA.com website, Jamie Bradbury, said: "The FA Cup is such a unique competition and the early rounds can really inspire the players and fans involved, with a chance to meet the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool a possibility. Last season TheFA.com featured highlights of games in every round of the competition, but the link with ITV.com and ITV Local means we'll be going even further this time around."
This 2008-09 FA Cup season sees a record 762 enter the world's greatest domestic cup competition. It all kicks off on 16th August with the Extra Preliminary Round.
• All FA Cup videos from early round matches will hosted at http://www.itvlocal.com/facup
• For full coverage of all the FA Cup from news and views and video go to http://www.itv.com/football
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For further information including a list of the matches being covered, please contact Ben Ayers from the ITV Consumer Press Office on ben.ayers@itv.com.
Notes to Editors
ITV has the television rights to broadcast the cream of the FA Cup and England internationals as part of a four-year deal from the start of the 2008/9 season.
Under the terms of the deal ITV1 will broadcast live coverage of sixteen FA Cup games per season including first pick live matches from each of the 1st to 6th rounds of the competition plus one Semi-Final exclusively live. The FA Cup Final will be broadcast live on ITV1. The deal additionally includes highlights of all weekend and mid-week FA Cup matches.
ITV has also secured the rights to eighteen England International games across the term of the deal including all home qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. In addition, ITV will broadcast highlights of all England home games on match days. ITV has also secured broadband and mobile rights for all games.
All matches will be screened on ITV1.
ITV Local is part of ITV Consumer, ITV’s new media division, which also includes itv.com, ITV Mobile, ITV Interactive and Friend’s Reunited. ITV Consumer was established to drive new revenue streams and offer innovative and entertaining content designed to enhance viewers’ on air experience. itv.com was re-launched in 2007 and offers more of ITV channels streamed online, plus access to further ITV programming, clips and exclusive content. ITV Local offers local information, news and services and has launched dedicated channels in 2008 including travel and crime. Both itv.com and itvlocal.com are primarily funded by online advertising.