The BBC has secured a four-year shared rights deal with BT Sport that will see both broadcasters show the FA Cup from the start of the 2014-15 season. BBC1 will broadcast the competition, with live streaming available across online, mobile and tablet devices. The contract, which runs for four years from 2014, means that FA Cup ties will be shared between the BBC and BT whilst, tragically, ITV has retained the rights to England's home matches, with their risible, poxy coverage. Added together, the FA's income for the FA Cup and England's home matches is believed to be approaching the high watermark of the four hundred and twenty five million notes paid by ITV and Setanta in 2007. 'Bringing the FA Cup back to the BBC was something I really wanted to do,' said BBC director general Tony Hall. 'I am so pleased that we have achieved it for football fans everywhere,' Hall added. 'There is something very special about big national moments on the BBC and the FA Cup should absolutely be one of them. The Olympics, Wimbledon and Glastonbury have shown how our audiences love it when we put the full weight of all our services on TV, radio and digital behind covering these events in depth and in ways no-one else can. 
Working closely with the FA I believe we will change the way we view the FA Cup forever.' The deal was announced at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Retail said: "BT Sport made a determined joint bid to retain the FA Cup rights because we believe it is one of the truly great club football competitions. 'We are thrilled to bring our viewers the incredible stories of passion, and victories against all odds, that pepper the history of the competition.' Details of how many games will be shown live by the BBC have yet to be released. Radio coverage of the FA Cup also continues on BBC Radio 5Live until 2018. Led by Gary Lineker, the BBC's presentation of the FA Cup will become an integral part of the BBC1 schedule. The FA Cup is added to the BBC's TV football portfolio, centred on Match of the Day and which also includes The Football League Show, with action from every game in the Football League, the current UEFA Women's European Championships and the 2014 World Cup. In addition, 5Live will this season broadcast live football commentary of one hundred and twenty eight Premier League games, as well as games in the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. New FA chairman, Greg Dyke added: 'I would like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in these FA Cup broadcast rights and congratulate the BBC and BT Sport on their successful tenders. Their valuable support underlines what a great competition the FA Cup is and how important it is to the sporting calendar. ITV have done a tremendous job in recent years and we look forward to their fantastic continued support of the England team. The BBC is obviously an organisation I know very well but I don't think anyone would dispute that their name goes hand in hand with some of the most famous FA Cup moments of yesteryear. We're delighted that the competition is back on their channels, not just through television but with significant online presence as well.'
FIFA and UEFA have lost an appeal against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. In 2011, the European General Court said that the UK could keep the events on a list of 'protected' events of national sporting interest broadcast for free. It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms. FIFA and UEFA had appealed, in their greed, claiming that they could not sell the events fairly for their 'real value.' But the European Court of Justice - Europe's Supreme Court - has now said the original decision in the General Court (formerly the Court of First Instance) in 2011 was correct. The BBC and ITV had already secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2014, and they were guaranteed of being shown free-to-air. But there had been fears that moves towards a pay-TV model would have been in place in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, should FIFA and UEFA have won their case. The court said it 'dismisses the appeals brought by FIFA and UEFA in their entirety'. Even if FIFA had won its case, World Cup finals games featuring England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would have remained free to watch in the UK, as would the opening games, semi-finals and the final. But it was the other dozens of games featuring non-UK teams that FIFA was disputing - and had argued that matches such as these should not be shown for free in the UK.
FIFA and UEFA had argued that the current set-up 'interfered' with their ability to sell television rights at the 'best commercial price' they could get in the marketplace. However, the UK argued that all the sixty four World Cup finals matches and thirty one European Championship matches were 'an important part' of the list of national sporting 'crown jewels', that have to be made available to the whole population to watch on terrestrial television. And the court agreed, saying that European states were able to select broadcast events, 'which they deem to be of major importance for society' and show them for free. Otherwise it 'would deprive a substantial proportion of the public of the possibility of following those events on free television.' Belgium was also successful in keeping the rights to World Cup and European Championship matches on free-to-air services. Despite the more than two-year wait for the result of the appeal by FIFA and UEFA, many experts had expected the decision to go against them. 'The result means that FIFA and UEFA have now reached the end of their European Court journey,' said Daniel Geey, a TV sports rights expert at Field Fisher Waterhouse law firm. 'Their aim was to try and secure concessions to market some of their World Cup and Euro matches to pay-TV channels in the UK and Belgium with the ultimate aim of maximising their revenues. The European courts have rebuffed such an approach.' And placed their odious greed in check. Which is great news.
Papiss Demba Cissé has pulled out of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle's pre-season tour to Portugal after refusing to wear club sponsor Wonga's logo on religious grounds. The Senegal striker, a Muslim, told club officials that he was not prepared to promote the money-lending company. But the twenty eight-year-old did offer to wear an unbranded shirt or one bearing a charity logo instead. It leaves Cissé's future with the club in some doubt, with alleged 'sources' allegedly describing the relationship between the parties as 'strained.' The forward and his representatives have been in talks with club officials and the Professional Footballers' Association in recent days but neither the club nor their shirt sponsor have been able to find a solution.
Cissé's Newcastle team-mates Cheick Tiote and Moussa Sissoko are also Muslim, but have told the club they have no issue with wearing the sponsor's logo. Cissé will continue to train on his own as he attempts to catch up on his fitness after returning later than the majority of the squad following international duty with Senegal. Both camps are hopeful that a solution can be found, but it seems Cissé is not prepared to move on his position. In October, high-interest pay-day lender Wonga was announced as the company to take over from Virgin Money as Newcastle's shirt sponsor from the 2013-14 season. It is thought the contract is worth around eight million quid a year to the club and its owner, Mike Ashley, a man who seems to know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Speaking in June, PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes told BBC Sport: 'We're all aware that clubs need to generate revenue and sometimes have to use a wide range of companies. However, if someone feels very, very strongly that it's not compatible with their beliefs, then some sort of solution should be found.' Cissé joined the Magpies in January 2012 and has scored twenty six times in all competitions.
Working closely with the FA I believe we will change the way we view the FA Cup forever.' The deal was announced at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Retail said: "BT Sport made a determined joint bid to retain the FA Cup rights because we believe it is one of the truly great club football competitions. 'We are thrilled to bring our viewers the incredible stories of passion, and victories against all odds, that pepper the history of the competition.' Details of how many games will be shown live by the BBC have yet to be released. Radio coverage of the FA Cup also continues on BBC Radio 5Live until 2018. Led by Gary Lineker, the BBC's presentation of the FA Cup will become an integral part of the BBC1 schedule. The FA Cup is added to the BBC's TV football portfolio, centred on Match of the Day and which also includes The Football League Show, with action from every game in the Football League, the current UEFA Women's European Championships and the 2014 World Cup. In addition, 5Live will this season broadcast live football commentary of one hundred and twenty eight Premier League games, as well as games in the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. New FA chairman, Greg Dyke added: 'I would like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in these FA Cup broadcast rights and congratulate the BBC and BT Sport on their successful tenders. Their valuable support underlines what a great competition the FA Cup is and how important it is to the sporting calendar. ITV have done a tremendous job in recent years and we look forward to their fantastic continued support of the England team. The BBC is obviously an organisation I know very well but I don't think anyone would dispute that their name goes hand in hand with some of the most famous FA Cup moments of yesteryear. We're delighted that the competition is back on their channels, not just through television but with significant online presence as well.'FIFA and UEFA have lost an appeal against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. In 2011, the European General Court said that the UK could keep the events on a list of 'protected' events of national sporting interest broadcast for free. It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms. FIFA and UEFA had appealed, in their greed, claiming that they could not sell the events fairly for their 'real value.' But the European Court of Justice - Europe's Supreme Court - has now said the original decision in the General Court (formerly the Court of First Instance) in 2011 was correct. The BBC and ITV had already secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2014, and they were guaranteed of being shown free-to-air. But there had been fears that moves towards a pay-TV model would have been in place in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, should FIFA and UEFA have won their case. The court said it 'dismisses the appeals brought by FIFA and UEFA in their entirety'. Even if FIFA had won its case, World Cup finals games featuring England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would have remained free to watch in the UK, as would the opening games, semi-finals and the final. But it was the other dozens of games featuring non-UK teams that FIFA was disputing - and had argued that matches such as these should not be shown for free in the UK.
FIFA and UEFA had argued that the current set-up 'interfered' with their ability to sell television rights at the 'best commercial price' they could get in the marketplace. However, the UK argued that all the sixty four World Cup finals matches and thirty one European Championship matches were 'an important part' of the list of national sporting 'crown jewels', that have to be made available to the whole population to watch on terrestrial television. And the court agreed, saying that European states were able to select broadcast events, 'which they deem to be of major importance for society' and show them for free. Otherwise it 'would deprive a substantial proportion of the public of the possibility of following those events on free television.' Belgium was also successful in keeping the rights to World Cup and European Championship matches on free-to-air services. Despite the more than two-year wait for the result of the appeal by FIFA and UEFA, many experts had expected the decision to go against them. 'The result means that FIFA and UEFA have now reached the end of their European Court journey,' said Daniel Geey, a TV sports rights expert at Field Fisher Waterhouse law firm. 'Their aim was to try and secure concessions to market some of their World Cup and Euro matches to pay-TV channels in the UK and Belgium with the ultimate aim of maximising their revenues. The European courts have rebuffed such an approach.' And placed their odious greed in check. Which is great news.Papiss Demba Cissé has pulled out of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle's pre-season tour to Portugal after refusing to wear club sponsor Wonga's logo on religious grounds. The Senegal striker, a Muslim, told club officials that he was not prepared to promote the money-lending company. But the twenty eight-year-old did offer to wear an unbranded shirt or one bearing a charity logo instead. It leaves Cissé's future with the club in some doubt, with alleged 'sources' allegedly describing the relationship between the parties as 'strained.' The forward and his representatives have been in talks with club officials and the Professional Footballers' Association in recent days but neither the club nor their shirt sponsor have been able to find a solution.
Cissé's Newcastle team-mates Cheick Tiote and Moussa Sissoko are also Muslim, but have told the club they have no issue with wearing the sponsor's logo. Cissé will continue to train on his own as he attempts to catch up on his fitness after returning later than the majority of the squad following international duty with Senegal. Both camps are hopeful that a solution can be found, but it seems Cissé is not prepared to move on his position. In October, high-interest pay-day lender Wonga was announced as the company to take over from Virgin Money as Newcastle's shirt sponsor from the 2013-14 season. It is thought the contract is worth around eight million quid a year to the club and its owner, Mike Ashley, a man who seems to know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Speaking in June, PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes told BBC Sport: 'We're all aware that clubs need to generate revenue and sometimes have to use a wide range of companies. However, if someone feels very, very strongly that it's not compatible with their beliefs, then some sort of solution should be found.' Cissé joined the Magpies in January 2012 and has scored twenty six times in all competitions.
