RTE and Sky came to an agreement late last night about the coverage of English FA Cup football in Ireland. As a result, RTE will show the fifth round match between West Ham and Blackburn this afternoon on Saturday Sport Live, which starts at 2.45. The agreement follows a day of dispute, during which RTE were forced to pull this afternoon's game because of legal threats by Sky television. However, following negotiations between RTE head of sport Tim O'Connor and Sky's Trevor East, a new agreement was put in place.
"The problem was that there were two contracts governing the showing of FA Cup football in Ireland - one held by Sky, one by RTE," said O'Connor last night. "After the lawyers failed to come to an agreement it was looking bleak, but I went head-to-head with Trevor East of Sky last night and we reached an accommodation. As a result, we will be showing the West Ham/Blackburn game this afternoon."
As to the source of the dispute, the existence of two contracts, O'Connor said: "The contracts were sold by the agents for the (English) FA, a company called CSI, and they obviously got their wires crossed. I think it was probably unwitting, but the important thing now is that there is a new contract in place."
This is not the first time RTE and Sky have tangled over rights to FA Cup games. The British company previously halted RTE's coverage of midweek replays.
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