The BBC has struck a £180m deal to secure the Premier League highlights for a further three years, ensuring that Match of the Day passes 50 years on TV, reports The Guardian. The BBC submitted a £179.7m bid to secure the UK free-to-air highlights rights for three seasons from 2013/14 to 2015/16. This represents a 4.5% increase on the £172m the BBC paid for its existing three-year deal.
The rights cover BBC1's Match of the Day on a Saturday evening as well as Match of the Day 2 on Sunday evenings. The deal extends to "other evenings when Premier League fixtures justify a show".
"It is wonderful news that we have MotD for another three years," said presenter Gary Lineker. "It is a flagship programme and it shows how much the BBC values sport and the importance of football."
Match of the Day was first broadcast on 22 August 1964 on BBC2 and featured a single match - Liverpool beating Arsenal 3-2.
