The Premier League has decided to extend its current broadcasting deal with Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime all being eligible for showing games on their respective services. The league’s shareholders had a meeting wherein they agreed on extending the current £4.5 billion contract for three more years.
The league needed permission from the UK Government to roll over the deal in place. This was in contrast to the belief that a competitive auction was on the cards.
Rival streaming services such as DAZN were unhappy at the absence of the auction. This means that they were unable to bid for the rights to broadcast the top flight matches. However, the government has assured DAZN that their decision falls under competitive law and isn’t a breach.
The main reason behind this extension is to provide stability to the clubs of the competition, who have reported massive losses this season. While fans were allowed for a few games, they have been absent from the stands for the majority of the campaign. This has resulted in clubs reporting losses worth millions with every passing matchday.
Spectators are expected to return for the last two match days of the season, and will possibly continue to attend games next season. The situation could be normal next season, and clubs could be seeing a rejuvenation financially.
