F1 agrees a deal for UEFA Champions League matches

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F1 will continue to broadcast free-to-air UEFA Champions League matches until 2009 after agreeing a deal with UEFA. The French channel has been awarded the free-to-air rights from 2006-09, with UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson saying: "TF1 has been a committed partner of the UEFA Champions League since the

creation of the competition." Olsson added: "TF1, as the leading commercial TV player in France, is prepared to invest heavily once again and it is a further demonstration of the strengths of the world's premier club competition."

The flexible approach to rights packaging which allows broadcasters to pick one match to televise every Champions League week, regardless of the day on which it is played, has worked well in France in the past two years and was a clear favorite with French broadcasters for future seasons. As French teams have performed to high levels in the revised competition format, UEFA is confident that the quality of games available to TF1 viewers in the 2006-09 seasons will continue to be of an exceptional standard.

The remaining French rights packages, including all other live matches and highlights from matches on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays, are still to be awarded. Discusions are continuing between TEAM, UEFA’s exclusive marketing partner, and interested pay-TV broadcasters. Until the end of the 2005-06 season the rights to broadcast other matches are the property of subscription TV operator Canal for the sum paid of €26.5m.