Football: ITV Sport sign new league deal

ITV Sport have signed a two-year extension to their contract to broadcast Coca-Cola Football League highlights.

The company lost their rights Premier League action at the end of last season but will continue with coverage from the lower leagues until 2005/06.

An ITV spokesperson said: "We hope that fans of the Championship and Leagues One and Two will be well catered for in the coming season with an extensive level of terrestrial coverage across both the ITV network and throughout the local regions."

A weekly 45-minute programme called 'The Championship' will be shown on Sunday mornings on ITV1, featuring extended highlights of two games and goal action from the other matches.

The first programme will be shown this weekend at 10.30am and features the game between Leicester and West Ham.

Viewers in different regions will see goals and key action in Saturday tea-time news bulletins and any midweek games will be featured in regional news throughout the week.

There will also be a regular Thursday night regional programme with the highlights from the previous weekend and midweek games involving local teams.

ITV will also continue with their Carling Cup and Champions League coverage.
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