BBC to broadcast all England Women's Euro 2013 games
The new deal will see the BBC broadcast live coverage of all England's matches in Sweden on BBC3, with both the semi-finals and final played across BBC3 and BBC2
After a tremendous response to Women’s football during London 2012, the BBC has snapped up the rights to broadcast all of England’s matches at the UEFA European Women's Championship next year in Sweden.
The deal will see the BBC broadcast live coverage of all England's matches on BBC3, with both the semi-finals and final played across BBC3 and BBC2.
Though the men's UEFA European Football Championship is always given extensive coverage on the BBC, the women's championship - which has been held every four years since 1984 - is yet to receive the same treatment.
The BBC Director of Sport Barbara Slater has said the decision to broadcast all of England's games on their main channels came down to "the response to women’s football at London 2012" which proved Britain has a "strong appetite" for women's sport on TV.
The move will please plenty of sport fans as well as Culture Secretary Maria Miller who recently called for broadcasters to show more women's sport on TV as a "legacy from the Games."
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Excitingly, the England women's football team have a good chance of reaching the final stages of the championship. The team made it to the final of the Euro 2009, before being beaten by Germany, and have qualified unbeaten for next summer's championship following a 3-0 win against Croatia in September.
The BBC's news completes a great year for sportswomen which has seen five women nominated for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, the results of which will be revealed this weekend.
Euro 2013 takes place between 10 and 28 July 2013. England's first match will be against Spain on 10 July.
