The Premier League made a groundbreaking announcement on Monday, revealing a historic domestic television rights deal valued at £6.7 billion ($8.45 billion) for the four-year term commencing in the 2025/26 season.
In contrast to the current £5 billion deal covering a three-year cycle and encompassing 200 matches per season, the newly unveiled agreements with various broadcasters are hailed as the “largest sports media rights deals ever concluded in the UK.”
Sky Sports and TNT Sports have successfully retained their rights to broadcast live matches, while Amazon, currently featuring 20 matches per season, will not be part of the upcoming cycle. Sky is set to showcase a minimum of 215 live matches each season, and TNT will broadcast 52. BBC Sport, along with its Match of the Day highlights program, is included in the new deal.
While the traditional Saturday afternoon blackout, aimed at preserving attendances in lower leagues, will persist, all matches outside those scheduled for 3:00 pm on Saturdays will be available for live broadcast for the first time.
Despite the headline-grabbing figure, the Premier League’s extension involves selling significantly more games over a more extended period. Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, remarked, “The outcome of this process underlines the strength of the Premier League,” praising clubs, players, and managers for delivering competitive football in full stadiums.
Masters added, “Sky Sports and TNT Sports are renowned for consistently delivering world-class coverage and programming. We have enjoyed record audiences and attendances in recent seasons, and we know that their continued innovation will drive more people to watch and follow the Premier League.”
This newly-inked deal is anticipated to offer financial stability for clubs in professional football until at least 2029. Notably, this marks the first Premier League tender process since 2016, as the previous deal was extended in 2021 for an extra three years due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier League clubs already possess a substantial financial advantage over their European counterparts, courtesy of more lucrative domestic and international TV rights deals.