EURO 2008 is primetime in England

The EURO show will go on in England despite the absence of the home side.

ITV and BBC are mandated to carry EURO 2008, with or without any of the British Isles teams participating. Legislation is in place making major international football tournaments available on free-to-air television.

And all matches must be shown. Only when there are conflicting contests must one be moved to digital TV.

So the 2008 European Championships will feature 27 live matches aired by BBC1 or ITV1. Twenty-three will be airing during primetime, meaning postponements for regular programmes.

An additional four contests will be on the digital channels BBC3 and ITV4.

ITV has lost in the vicinity of GBP 11 million in advertising revenue due to England's inability to qualify. The network is bracing to lose more if people are shut out of their primetime viewing habits.

Despite England's absence, TV executives feel people still will tune in — not just because of the prime-time airing, but because fans will know many of the high-profile internationals who play in the Premier League.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.