ITV SPORT CHANNEL SIGNS CARRIAGE DEAL

ITV SPORT Channel has signed a carriage deal with NTL, one of the largest cable TV companies in the UK, bringing another two million potential subscribers to the channel.
The channel, which launches on August 11, will offer more than 150 live football matches each season, including exclusive live coverage from the world’s most prestigious club competition - the UEFA Champions League, plus the Nationwide League and The Worthington Cup.
ITV Sport Channel will be the first new premium sports service to launch in the UK for a decade and is backed by the reputation and popularity of the country’s most respected sports broadcaster, ITV Sport.
Stuart Prebble, Chief Executive of ITV, said: “We are delighted that NTL has confirmed carriage of ITV Sport Channel. Both ITV Digital and NTL believe in the need continually to improve our offering to customers, and we believe that ITV Sport Channel does just that - twice as much live football as satellite, backed by ITV’s unrivalled talent and style. ITV Sport Channel will be a real advantage for the DTT and NTL platforms."
The UEFA Champions League has become the pinnacle of competitive football in Europe and will provide the cornerstone of the new channel with unrivalled coverage of live matches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the competition’s 17-week format. The new channel will combine live football with feature-led programming to give viewers complete coverage of the UEFA Champions League.
ITV Sport Channel will also launch the most comprehensive commitment to the Nationwide League yet seen on British television. With a total of 80 live matches to be screened on Thursdays and Sundays, the new channel will raise the profile and extend the experience enjoyed by millions of followers of English football’s original league competition. With a diet of live matches, extensive highlights, intelligent and informed analysis, club and player profiles and other innovative feature programming, it will provide the depth and quality of coverage that the Nationwide League has not enjoyed before. (CD)