Sky Sports and ITV will continue to screen Champions League games in the three seasons from 2006 to 2009, UEFA have announced.

Tuesday and Wednesday
The current arrangements whereby ITV transmits the best two matches live on Tuesdays and BSkyB shows the remaining matches of Tuesday and all Wednesday games live, are replicated. Also, as in the current agreement, live coverage of the final match will be simultaneously broadcast by both channels.

Extended agreement
As part of the extended rights agreement, in acknowledgment of media technology convergence and in order to meet the objective to provide even greater availability of the UEFA Champions League competition, both ITV and BSkyB will simultaneously transmit all of their respective live matches by internet.

UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson said: "The UEFA Champions League in the UK almost always plays to full stadia and invariably provides dramatic entertainment.

"UEFA is delighted to be renewing its broadcasting arrangements in the UK with two such committed and high quality partners as ITV and BSkyB."

Vic Wakeling, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: "This new deal guarantees us four more seasons of UEFA Champions League football in all, starting tonight, and allows us to develop and enhance this service still further - whilst always making sure we are with the British clubs every step of the way.

"The digital technology we have developed is unique, and has worked superbly. Our subscribers have told us how much they appreciate the power of choice, and the ability to switch between eight live matches at any time."

Scottish clubs
With reference to matches involving Scottish clubs, any match played on Tuesday when two English clubs are playing, will also be shown live by ITV in its Scottish regions. Wednesday matches involving Scottish clubs will always be shown live by BSkyB.