RTÉ hits the spot with Euro 2008

RTÉ has won the rights from UEFA to screen all games in the Euro 2008 Championships next summer.

Live coverage of the 31 matches from the tournament in Austria and Switzerland will be spread across television, radio and the RTÉ website.

The Republic of Ireland still has a chance to qualify for Euro 2008 and plays its next Group D qualifier away to Slovakia on September 8.

RTÉ said it was one of the few public service broadcasters in Europe to have such a strong sports rights portfolio.

The broadcaster has already won live broadcast rights for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, twice-weekly Champions League coverage, Eircom League as well as both the FAI Ford Cup semi-finals and the final.

Glen Killane, RTÉ group head of sport, said UEFA awarded the broadcasting rights after studying the quality of the national broadcaster’s coverage and its viewer figures.

“Securing these games enables us to bring yet another major international sporting event to Irish viewers free-to-air,” he added.

UEFA director of marketing and media rights Philippe Le Floch said: “RTÉ is the leading broadcaster in Ireland and is a long-term partner of UEFA with vast experience in broadcasting major sports events.”