ITV do have issues but its something they can sort out if given the chance, lets not forget money talks volumes in this industry and UEFA may just decide it's mega money they want, they do not care if ITV can or can not improve, if for argument sake BT double the amount ITV put down will they really turn it down for the sake of one game FTA?

Exposure is one thing, money and financially secure for years to come is another.

I would say ITV are very concerned about the outcome and I still think its quite possible they will lose out but I don't think Sky will end up with everything.

I don't think a smallish difference in the UK broadcasting money would make much of a difference to UEFA. I would be staggered if ITV don't get the rights

Smallish difference I totally agree with you but if you start going into larger amounts then the outcome maybe different.

I hope you are right but....its a funny old world.

Yes if Pick TV had 99.9% reach and UEFA stipuated there was still to be FTA rights.

Not sure the exact reach Pick TV has.

Don't think for a minute that Sky have never thought about this. Same with the crown jewels. Pick TV has a very high reach but is it high enough for Sky to bid for events appearing on Pick TV

Yes.
It might seem odd to some, but i have been doing that as i cannot stand ITV football anymore.
Non-English commentary isn't a problem for me because i speak 5 other languages and normally can find a good stream with a language i speak.

Aside from the adverts, there isn't THAT much difference between ITV's football coverage and the BBC's.

So which countries are offering much better coverage then? Spanish tv crams in far more adverts than ITV, whilst a lot of other countries offer a lot more amateur and lower cost production of their football matches.

Yeah, and where's the Pick TV HD channel then?

The best ones i have watched were Al Jazeera & Sky Sport Italia. Yeah they're little nuts on Italian TV but thats better than Chiles and Al Jazeera offers it in English..
Canal+Sport isn't bad either

Really? Sky Deutschland, ZDF and TVE offer very good coverage, miles better than Sky Sport Italia.

ITV don't always get it right, i'll give you that. But at least they give it a go. They could very easily come on air 5 mins before the match and go off air 5 mins after the match has finished, but they make the effort. They just need to sharpen up a bit that's all.

Not a fan of TVE and ZDF not that much better.
Never watched Sky Deutschland coverage but told its quality so i will have to see.

ITV needs more than a sharpen up. Its needs a full overhaul and has done for years

In my opinion ITV have a rough diamond in Keane. But they need a real strong host to marshall him. Dixon is good too.
The commentary team is dreadful and needs changing.

Keane yes. he's been there and done that, won alot and knows what he is talking about even if he does act a little bit mardy at times same with Dixon, he knows his stuff and offers good insight and analysis..
Chiles is horrendous and the commentary is nothing ITV should be proud of.

Funny thing is , I enjoyed Chiles on MOTD2. But maybe he can only do that kind of show.

Chiles would be great on Sky's Saturday Night Football. He's a decent host in the wrong setting. ITV don't - and can't - give him the air-time he needs. ITV need a sharper, slicker presenter for live matches.

I quite like Matt Smith, shame that he is hidden away most of the time.

I enjoy Clive Tyldesley's commentries. I think he is a good commentator.

I think he's about the worst commentator on TV.
Ian.

I think Ian Drake is the worst commentator on TV.

May be the worst in your book but much like Martin Tyler he does have a popular following.

Clive I have to agree is certainly not one of my favorites but would not say he's the worst out there.

Having Ian Darke calling the Champion's League final would be out of this world.

Martin Tyler is arguably the best all round football commentator on TV and Andy Grey that used to work with him on the football matches is now a big miss.
Ian.

i agree, hes a good all round sport presenter...

Clive Tyldesley also has a popular following. I realise some people on this forum don't like him though. But really what does that prove. Nothing much really.

I bet you some people don't like Tyler either.

I don't think Sky miss Andy Gray. Some want to beg for his return.

Moston - rubbish.
Tyler - rubbish.
Gray - rubbish, etc, is basically the level of this thread at the moment.

Really called for was it?

To be honest I think individual commentators and pundits will be the last thing UEFA think about when deciding who wins the rights to the champions league. Clive Tyldesley is used on the UEFA programmes, directly from ITVs commentry, so it would be in ITVs favour if they were thinking of it! But if I had to say it would be:

Mostly free to air exposure and the wider interest coverage of the sport.
Then the money involved in the bid.

BT and Sky will bid more money than ITV for the 1st pick, but not by emough to take the coverage from ITV. THe champions league is a successful competition partly because of the wider coverage it gets from been on free TV.

Although a loss leader, football especially the champions league, is used to get male audiences to watch the channel, and in that regard I guess ITV will be happy to keep what they have already got, and I expect they will.