The BBC Sports department have secured the rights to show live network and full match coverage on their Grandstand programme of the Celtic Cup Final which will be played on Saturday 14th May 2005 with a 5.30pm kick off time. This latest increase in broadcaster support was described today by Keith Grainger, the competition’s Tournament Director, as ‘further recognition of the progress which the tournaments have made and a boost for the Celtic teams’.
Grainger also confirmed that ‘in addition to Network coverage of the final it had been agreed that the BBC Sports Network would also show edited highlights on Sunday the 8th of May from both Celtic Cup semi-finals, and that the BBC in Scotland had acquired further live match rights.
BBC Scotland’s Head of Sport, Neil Fraser, said ‘BBC Scotland is delighted to confirm that it has acquired the right to show Live coverage of the Scottish Pro teams’ games should they qualify to play in the Celtic Cup at the end of the Celtic League season’ and he added that ‘the announcement further strengthened BBC Scotland’s rugby coverage following the recent announcement that the BBC is to show all Scotland’s home International games including the Abbey Autumn Test series and the RBS Six Nations’.
This now means that both the Celtic League and Celtic Cup tournaments are guaranteed not only pan-Celtic but truly pan UK exposure for their teams and tournaments. The agreement with the BBC guarantees exposure for the Celtic Cup final through to and including the 2008/2009 season.
