Premier League bosses plan to remove smaller TV rights packages, including the one won by Amazon, in favour of fewer, bigger packages containing more games.
- It could mean the Premier League is split among fewer broadcasters from 2025.
- At least four bidders are expected.
- Whoever wins could retain the rights for four instead of three seasons.
According to the FT, Premier League officials are finalising the terms of the auction process. But the next round of broadcast rights could mean bigger packages with more games for broadcasters. Plans are afoot to get rid of the smaller packages of games – such as the one held by Amazon Prime Video. However, the remaining rights packages would contain more games, up from the 200 per season at the moment.
As a result, it could mean that just two broadcasters could win the rights and carve the televised games between themselves. Alternatively, with at least four broadcasters expected to bid, the rights could be split by more broadcasters, each with a substantial chunk of the games.
In the second scenario with more than two bidders winning packages, Sky or TNT Sports could end up with around the same number of games per season, but a lower proportion of the overall number of televised games.
There are also plans to extend the broadcast rights deals to last four years. This would mean the next round of rights would cover 2025 to 2029. Broadcasters previously claimed that the shorter broadcast rights cycles gave them less time to invest in production.
Sky (Comcast), TNT Sports (WBD), DAZN and Amazon are expected to bid for the next round of UK rights.
Marc Thornham