Sina, one of China's leading web portals, has been awarded the exclusive new media rights for Euro 2008 in mainland China.

UEFA President Michel Platini flew to Beijing this week to sign the deal, but no details about the contract were released by either of the two sides.

As the official internet broadcaster and the official mobile content provider, Sina will be offering live broadcasting service for all the 31 competition matches, free of charge, the company said in a statement.

It is the first time that all European championship matches will be broadcast live over the Internet in China.

Like the World Cup, the European Championship is held every four years and regarded as one of the most popular international soccer events.