Just days before they show blanket coverage of the 2014 tournament in Brazil, the BBC and ITV have gained broadcast rights for the World Cup finals of 2018 and 2022.
The move means that that despite growing fears that the World cup will move towards a pay-TV model, viewers in the UK at least will have free-to-air access to the world's biggest festival of football.
The 2018 finals will be the 14th consecutive FIFA World Cup that the BBC and ITV broadcast together. Over three-quarters of the UK population tuned in to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Commenting on the deal, BBC director of sport, Barbara Slater, said: "We are delighted to have secured the rights to one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It is fantastic news that the pinnacle event in world football will continue to be available free of charge for everyone in the UK. As we prepare for kick off in Brazil we hope viewers at home will enjoy watching it as much as we will look forward to broadcasting it."
ITV director of sport Niall Sloane added: "The excitement building on the eve of this summer's tournament in Brazil demonstrates how the FIFA World Cup offers a shared, collective experience for people across the UK. So we're thrilled to be able to look forward to bringing the next two World Cups free-to-air to viewers in 2018 and 2022."
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/international-news/item/5151-bbc,-itv-gain-uk-rights-for-2018,-2022-world-cups.html
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