The current deal is reported to be worth around £5 billion
over a three-year cycle and covers 200 matches per season.
The English top flight hailed the agreements shared between
different broadcasters as the “largest sports media rights deals ever concluded
in the UK”.
Sky Sports and TNT Sports have retained their rights to show
live matches, with Amazon, currently showing 20 matches per season, not part of
the next cycle.
Sky will screen a minimum of 215 live matches per season
while TNT will broadcast 52. BBC Sport and its Match of the Day highlights
programme is part of the new deal.
A Saturday afternoon blackout, designed to protect
attendances in the lower leagues, will remain but for the first time all
matches outside of those scheduled for 3:00 pm on Saturday will be screened
live.
Despite the eye-catching headline figure, the Premier League
is selling significantly more games over a longer period.
“The outcome of this process underlines the strength of the
Premier League,” said the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters.
“It is testament to our clubs, players and managers who
continue to deliver the world’s most competitive football in full stadiums, and
to supporters, who create an unrivalled atmosphere every week.”
He added: “As longstanding and valued partners, Sky Sports
and TNT Sports are renowned for consistently delivering world-class coverage
and programming.
“We have enjoyed record audiences and attendances in recent
seasons, and we know that their continued innovation will drive more people to
watch and follow the Premier League.”
The Premier League said the new deal would provide financial
certainty for clubs throughout professional football until at least 2029.
It is the first Premier League tender process since 2016 as
the current deal was rolled over in 2021 for an extra three years due to the
impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier League clubs already enjoy a huge financial
advantage over their European competitors due to far more lucrative domestic
and international TV rights deals.
AFP