Premier League set for TV cash boost after it agrees to renew £4.7bn contracts with Sky, BT and Amazon on same terms
The Premier League is close to renewing its £4.7bn domestic broadcast contracts with Sky, BT and Amazon, according to reports.
It has chosen a private sale to current partners on the same terms as existing deals rather than a traditional auction of the rights for 2022-2025, according to SportBusiness Media.
The arrangement must still be rubber-stamped by government but would likely be welcomed by England’s leading clubs.
A fall in the value of sports rights had led to predictions that the Premier League would also have to accept reduced terms.
But a private sale may suit all parties, protecting clubs from a risky auction and giving broadcasters certainty over budgets.
Under contracts for 2019-2022, Sky agreed to pay £3.75bn for 128 live games per season. BT pays £975m for 52 matches a year. Amazon’s 20 games cost just £90m.
While the value of the Premier League’s domestic contracts has flatlined, its deals with overseas broadcasters have continued to grow.
Contracts with foreign broadcasters totalled £4.2bn for 2019-22, up eight per cent, and could rise again.
The Premier League achieved a major uplift in sales to Scandinavia and retained the value of rights in the Middle East and North Africa, where piracy has been rife.
Stable or even slightly increased broadcast revenue would be a boost to England’s top clubs, who have been badly hit by Covid-19 and were left out of government aid packages.
The Premier League declined to comment. Broadcasters did not immediately respond.