RTÉ secures match rights

AFTER a couple of days of uncertainty and hours of laborious negotiation, RTÉ announced yesterday evening that it has secured the rights to broadcast live, Ireland’s vital Euro 2004 qualifier with Georgia in Tblisi on Saturday.

Initially, it had been feared that Irish football fans may be unable to see the first meaningful match of Brian Kerr’s nascent reign on their TV screens.

However, after days of trying negotiations with Sport Five, a Paris-based sports marketing company, RTÉ acquired the rights to Saturday’s game and Ireland’s final qualifying match, away to Switzerland on October 11.