Joe Calzaghe won the 2007 Sports Personality of the Year Award

The BBC has announced that the 2008 Sports Personality of the Year event will be held at the Echo Arena Liverpool on Sunday, 14 December.

The coverage live on BBC One will come from the 10,600-seater venue.

Last year 8,000 people viewed the show live in Birmingham and the move to Liverpool will allow greater numbers to experience the unique atmosphere.

Director of sport Roger Mosey said: "It's very exciting to be part of Liverpool's Capital of Culture events."

He added: "We've had a great time in Birmingham in the past two years and we'd love to go back there in future.

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"But this shows our commitment to taking the event to venues outside London and to allowing as many people as possible to see their sporting heroes."

Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool chief executive Bob Prattey said: "This is a major achievement for the city of Liverpool and for our venue.

"It is entirely fitting that a city with such an illustrious sporting history and pedigree should host these awards during its year as European Capital of Culture."

Kris Donaldson, director of Liverpool Culture Company, said: "The BBC Sports Personality awards is a major coup for Liverpool and further underlines the city's increasing pulling power to attract the biggest names.

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"It is a fantastic addition to the major international events the city is staging as European Capital of Culture, and being in December it will help to crown off a spectacular year."

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year event, supported by Robinsons, recorded viewing figures of 8.6m people watching Joe Calzaghe win the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Programme, ticket and voting details will be announced nearer the time.

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