Sky retains bulk of £4.46bn Premier League TV rights

Sky retained its position as the main broadcaster of EPL matches for  二0 一 九- 二 二. — AFP Photo

LONDON — The rights to show English Premier League matches domestically were sold on Tuesday for £ 四. 四 六 billion (US$ 六. 四 三 billion), with two live packages still to be sold.

Although the deal for  二0 一 九- 二 二 as it stands is down on the previous agreement, it still confirms the Premier League as the biggest money-spinner in the European leagues in terms of TV receipts -- for example domestic rights for Spain’s La Liga for the three seasons from  二0 一 六/ 一 七 were sold for  二. 六 五 billion euros.

The five Premier League packages of the seven to be sold have netted £ 七00 million less than the total achieved in  二0 一 五, when  一 六 八 games were up for grabs.

Sky retained its position as the main broadcaster of EPL matches by winning four of the packages of television rights for  二0 一 九- 二 二.

Sky, the Premier League’s main broadcast partner since the competition was established in  一 九 九 二, will broadcast  一 二 八 out of  二00 available games, including all fixtures on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.

The other one of the packages sold so far has gone to BT Sport, a satellite rival of Sky.

With  四0 more games a season still to be sold, that means the cost-per-game price is £ 九. 三 million, down from the current £ 一0. 二 million, although Premier League officials have already sold some overseas rights at an increased price compared to previous television deals.

But the escalation in domestic rights, which had increases of  七0 per cent in  二0 一 二 and  二0 一 五, appears to be at an end.

There had been talk that global technology giants Amazon and Facebook might enter the fray but they remain on the outside for the time being, although the Premier League said Tuesday that "multiple bidders"大众were interested in the remaining two ’simulcast’ packages.

"We are extremely pleased that BT and Sky continue to view the Premier League and our clubs as such an important part of their offering,公众said Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore in a  statement.

"Both broadcasters are fantastic partners for the Premier League and have a track record of making our competition available to fans across the country through their high-quality and innovative progra妹妹ing.

"We will now continue the sales process to deliver the best possible outcome for the remaining packages of rights in the UK and throughout the rest of the world."

Meanwhile Sky UK chief executive Stephen van Rooyen said: "We continue to invest in content that our customers value and which complements our strategy to broaden our offer.

"Not only do we remain the home of Premier League football but also the home of top quality drama, entertainment, comedy and other sports.

"Our disciplined approach means we continue to have the flexibility to invest in each of these areas as we choose, underlining our position as Europe’s largest investor in content.公众— AFP