There is good news for soccer lovers in the Middle East and Arab region. Dubai Sports Channel and the newly-launched Al Jazeera Sports Channel have confirmed that they will be telecasting live all the Euro 2004 matches.

A spokesperson for Dubai Sports Channel, a terrestrial or free-to-air channel, told Gulf News yesterday: "We have obtained the rights to show all the games of Euro 2004.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Badr, Administration and Finance Director with Al Jazeera Sports Channel told Gulf News from Doha.

"This is one of the few occasions that a mega sporting event like Euro 2004 is being shown live on a free-to-air satellite channel," he said.

Since its recent entry into the market, the Al Jazeera Sports Channel has made a name for itself among the region's sports-loving population.

"Keeping this in mind we successfully bid for the coverage of Euro 2004," Badr stated.

Though not revealing the financial implications - that reportedly runs into millions of dollars - the Al Jazeera Sports Channel official said that they have secured the services of an exclusive satellite to show the Euro 2004 games. All matches will be beamed via Nilesat through the free-to-air channel, starting from June 12 to July 4.

"We've already sent a large television crew, including three OP vans, to Portugal to set up base for this important event," Badr stated.

"In addition, we have set up a big studio here in Doha to accommodate soccer fans and conduct on-the-spot analysis of the games."

To further cash in on this big soccer extravaganza and cement its place among the growing number of sports channels in the region, Al Jazeera Sports Channel has set up 41 big screens in Cairo alone.

"Another 10 similar screens have been set up in Lebanon," Badr added. "The Al Jazeera Sports Channel is a free-to-air channel and anyone with a Nilesat dish can receive all the Euro 2004 games for free."

Al Jazeera Sports Channel is also available on e-Vision's basic bouquet.

It is also expected that other satellite television providers will also telecast the championship.