UEFA Euro 2012 in October 2011, the nine group winners qualified automatically, along with the highest ranked second placed team. The remaining eight-second placed teams contested two-legged play-offs, and the four winners qualified for the finals. Twelve of the sixteen finalists participated at the previous tournament in 2008. England and Denmark made their return to the Euro, having last participated in 2004, while Republic of Ireland returned after a twenty-four-year absence to make their second appearance at a European Championship. One of the co-hosts, Ukraine, made their debut as an independent nation (before 1992 Ukraine participated as part of the Soviet Union). With
UEFA Euro 2012 broadcasting rights UEFA Euro 2012 broadcasting rights Below is the list of confirmed broadcasting right holders for UEFA Euro 2012. European Broadcasting Union and Sportfive acts as the agent who responsible for TV right sales in Europe and Asia-Pacific respectively. Eurosport has also secured the rights to broadcast the matches on tape delay in 58 European countries. In January 2012, it was announced that Telekomunikacja Polska and Orange had successfully completed the first phase of tests of the technology infrastructure and services to be provided during the competition to bring connectivity to over twenty locations in Poland (host cities, stadiums, hotels for