Five has signed an exclusive three-year deal with UEFA for the 2009-12 UEFA Cup.

Under the terms of the deal, which begins in the 2009-2010 season, Five will have the first pick of matches in each round thereby bringing the very best games of the tournament to viewers on a free-to-air basis. Five will also have exclusive rights to the UEFA Cup Final. In total the deal will guarantee 15 games a year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

For the first time, TV rights for the tournament from the Group Stage onwards have been sold collectively rather than by the individual clubs involved. Five negotiated the agreement with sports marketing agency T.E.A.M, who are distributing the TV rights on behalf of UEFA.

Robert Charles, Five's Controller of Sport, said: "Five has been the place to see the UEFA Cup with more than 100 games shown over the past 11 years. I'm delighted we have secured these rights and will now see the tournament, from the first round right through to the final, on Five until 2012."

Charles Constable, Five's Director of Strategy, said: "Football is a key part of Five's programming strategy. It's great for our viewers that we can now guarantee them so many games every season, involving some of the best teams in Britain and Europe."

Football has been a cornerstone of Five's schedule since its launch in 1997 with more than 264 live games shown including: five England internationals; UEFA Champion's League qualifiers involving Manchester United and Liverpool; European Cup Winner's Cup matches with Chelsea and international games involving Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the UEFA Cup.