The BBC is poised to sign a multi-million pound TV rights deal to extend its 18-year grip on screening live National Lottery draws.
Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, is expected to sign a new multi-year deal with the BBC this week.
The BBC's current six-year deal is due to expire at the end of December. It is not clear how long the new multi-year contract is for, but it will almost certainly take the corporation's exclusive live coverage of the National Lottery past 20 years.
In 2006, the BBC saw off competition from ITV, which offered the temptation of running the draw around The X Factor. However, this time Camelot is not thought to be talking to rival broadcasters.
The BBC considers the National Lottery draws, which are broadcast on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, to be a key weapon in its ratings battle with ITV.
In particular, the Saturday night draw, which regularly attracts audiences in excess of 5 million viewers, is considered a key plank in BBC1's weekend entertainment lineup.
Recent acts that have featured on the show, hosted by presenters including Myleene Klass and Scott Mills, including Susan Boyle and McFly.
The BBC has held the rights since the first draw in November 1994, hosted by Noel Edmonds, which attracted an average audience of just over 20 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme of the year.
"We are in discussions with Camelot about the future of shows on the BBC, but we will not be losing the National Lottery from BBC1," said a spokeswoman for the BBC.
Andy Duncan, the chief executive of Camelot, said: "We have had a long-term and very successful partnership for TV shows on the BBC, and we would expect that to continue."
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