EURO 2008 INFO

The channel M6 propose for the first time in its history, matches with the French football team by distributing at least two meetings of the Euro-2008, announced Thursday those responsible for the chain.

M6, which shares the rights with TF1, does not have the opening match, but will broadcast the meeting Romania / France (from 18.00) on June 9, the first game Bleus, and the encounter France / Italy (starting 20H45), June 17, the last match of group C of Bleus.

"It's a pretty emotional moment for us, because we have waited 21 years for the French team," said the CEO of M6, Nicolas de Tavernost, during a press briefing.

Nicolas de Tavernost stressed that the chain had invested "off production costs, 50 million euros for half of the matches of the Euro 2008", after making an offer of 100 million euros for all, representing, he said, "a very large investment for the chain."

A total of M6 broadcast "15 or 16 matches, including two quarter-finals and semi-finals," said Philippe Bony, deputy director of programmes, in charge of film, sports and youth.

Regarding matches hens, M6 broadcast ten matches and W9 (channel free of TNT, which belongs to the group M6), two matches. Both chains retransmettront including all the matches of the German team for this phase.

If France reached the semi-finals, M6 with the possibility of making the first choice at this stage, a third game Bleus could then be disseminated. Regarding the final decision is not taken, but a possibility exists that it be aired on M6.

To comment on the event, M6 has formed two teams of reviewers, each consisting of a journalist and a consultant, a former sportsman, including journalist Thierry Roland thus bringing out its big comeback in the commentary on television matches Team France, interrupted since France-Poland for the fall of 2004.

Thierry Roland will be associated with Frank Leboeuf, who was world champion in 1998, while the journalist Jérôme de Verdière will be associated with the 1984 European champion Jean-Marc Ferreri for the second team.