THE Champions' League will stay free to view until the year 2000 after ITV signed a new three year deal with UEFA for exclusive British rights to Europe's premier club competition.

it completes a £45 million a season package, also covering the FA Cup and highlights of England's international games, which will allow the commercial terrestrial company to compete with Sky.

ITV will not reveal how much they have paid to UEFA to extend an agreement which began from the Champions' League inception five years ago. But Jeff Farmer, head of football, said: "It's a tremendous contract for us because the Champions' League delivers tremendous peak time audiences, as high as 12 million."

From the start of next season ITV also has the FA Cup, a major coup which has hurt their rivals the BBC.