BBC3 beats ITV to football rights
- Published: 14 August 2008 14:59
- Author: Katherine Rushton
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- Last Updated: 14 August 2008 14:59
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BBC3 has secured the rights to the second leg of Arsenal's Champions League third-round qualifier, after the BBC beat Setanta and ITV in a surprise bid for the match.
The corporation is understood to have paid around £200,000 for the game, beating rival bids from Setanta and ITV.
It will air the game on its digital youth channel on Wednesday 27 August, going head to head with ITV1 and the second leg of Liverpool's qualifier against Belgians Standard Leige.
BBC3 is best known for comedies like Gavin and Stacey and entertainment shows such as Lily and Friends, but has previously aired some football including the Africa Nations Cup.
The corporation's bid for the Arsenal match came a surprise given it has not aired any other live European football this season, or even made an offer for the Uefa Cup or Champions League group matches earlier this year.
The BBC was not available for comment at the time of publication.
