Beeb to double up on the Cup
BBC Sport, who are less than half way through their four-year FA Cup contract, are understood to be in talks with the FA about extending the deal for a further four years.
This would take their coverage of the world’s most famous club knockout competition through to the 2022 final. That would be a huge bonus for a tournament whose future is the subject of much debate, with the abolition of replays and midweek games being mooted.
The FA Cup’s structure will have to become far more certain before any agreement is signed, though it could be in place by the summer. But the importance of the competition to the BBC is shown by the 5.5million peak viewing figure for the Peterborough v West Brom fourth-round replay, which was hardly the most eagerly anticipated of clashes.
BT Sport would also continue as the junior partner for the length of the new contract in the type of partnership the BBC now regard as necessary to preserve their dwindling share of the TV rights market.
l IT can only be a FIFA election week, given the latest lurid revelations. It is alleged that former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb hired private detectives to trail his own confederation colleague and USA representative Sunil Gulati, and Webb is also alleged to have used his confederation credit card for bar bills and strip club visits. And the Court of Arbitration for Sport will rule today on whether the six transparent voting booths, ordered by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein to ensure no skulduggery, should be used for Friday’s ballot. Meanwhile, election chief Domenico Scala has dismissed makeweight candidate Jerome Champagne’s complaint about front-runners Gianni Infantino and Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa flooding the election room with observers, saying it is ‘perfectly in line’ with FIFA practice. NOTHING much has been seen or heard of Nancy Dell’Olio (right) on the sports front since her erstwhile partner Sven Goran Eriksson left English football. But Nancy is back to host a black tie gala dinner on April 30 in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust that will honour former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.
l WITH the FIFA presidential election possibly coming down to photo finish between Sheik Salman and Gianni Infantino, there will be extra focus on the attempts of Kuwait and Indonesia to have their voting rights returned following suspensions for government interference. A vote on their reinstatement is scheduled early in the congress agenda with the Sheik, who would expect both Asian confederation countries to back him, having the most to gain.