The Premier League is reportedly in talks to scrap its next auction of TV rights in favour of rolling over its existing broadcast deals.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the league is in talks with Sky, BT and Amazon and the government in an attempt to stave off an expected decrease in the value of the rights brought about by the pandemic.
The rights for the next three seasons were due to be awarded by the end of May.
The report quotes football and media sources as saying a private sale is among the options being pursued “as a means of securing greater financial security”. It adds that the broadcasters are said to be open to the idea, as it could mean a small discount and would provide more certainty for their own businesses.
It’s suggested the new deal could be similar to the last round of rights awarded in 2018, when Sky spent £3.75 billion on 128 live games a season, while BT invested £975 million on 52 matches a season. Amazon picked up the final packages of 20 matches a season for its streaming service, Amazon Prime Video.
James Rushton, the co-CEO of DAZN has previously said the streamer intends to review the next tender once it’s released, which could lead to problems if the Premier League roll-over plan goes ahead.
