SBS acquires free-to-air Euro 2012 rights

Australian public-service broadcaster SBS acquired free-to-air rights for this summer’s Uefa Euro 2012 football tournament.

SBS will show four live matches from the tournament: the final, one semi-final, and two quarter-finals. These matches will also be streamed live online. The broadcaster will show full, delayed coverage of: the opening match between Poland and Greece, and the Spain v Italy, France v England and Netherlands v Germany group stage matches. It has also got rights for a highlights programme.

It is thought that SBS will pay less than the $750,000 (€560,000) it paid for live coverage of eight matches from the previous tournament, Euro 2008.

The deal was brokered by the Sportfive agency, which markets the Euro 2012 media rights in Asia and Oceania, excluding Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia, on behalf of Uefa, European football’s governing body.

Pay-television rights for Euro 2012 in Australia were awarded to Setanta Sports late last year, in a deal worth $3.4 million (€2.5 million).