FAI’s €40m boost as UEFA agree television deal

UEFA have formally ratified the new agreement on centralising television rights for international qualifying matches for all of its 53 member associations.

As exclusively reported in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, the deal will be worth some €40m over four years to the FAI, an especially welcome boost in light of reports that, initially, UEFA were offering the association only half that amount.

The agreement, which comes into effect after the 2014 World Cup, was confirmed at UEFA’s annual congress in Paris yesterday and will apply to qualifying matches for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.