Friday, September 18, 2026

Premier League Reasserts Dominance With $8.5B Domestic Rights Deals

  • Deals achieve small rights fee increase for top European league.
  • Agreements notably leave out streaming entities.
English Premier League teams Leeds United and Brighton Hove & Albion in action during a match.
Premier League

The Premier League has completed an $8.5 billion set of domestic media rights agreements that reasserts its presence as one of the world’s most dominant sports properties.

In four-year pacts starting with the 2025-26 season, Comcast’s Sky Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT will broadcast up to 270 live games per season, each retaining their status with the league, while the BBC will continue to broadcast a free-to-air highlights package. 

The highly anticipated agreements are described as the largest sports media rights pacts ever completed in the U.K. A 4% increase from the prior rights cycle, the aggregate fees nearly double the recently struck domestic rights in Italy for Serie A. 

“The outcome of this process underlines the strength of the Premier League and is testament to our clubs, players, and managers who continue to deliver the world’s most competitive football in full stadiums, and to supporters, who create an unrivaled atmosphere every week,” said Premier League CEO Richard Masters.

Notably, the deals leave out streamers Amazon and DAZN. 

Amazon, which has held a smaller package of Premier League rights since 2019, maintains UEFA Champions League rights but has been more measured in its acquisition of European and South American domestic league rights. The streaming and retail giant reportedly declined to bid on the full Premier League offering, given the volume of games.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bezos’s Liverpool–Amazon Entanglement Is New for English Soccer

Bezos’s Prime Video has Tuesday night Champions League rights in the UK.

Wild Transfer Window Shows How Premier League Towers Over Soccer

Spending in England vastly outstripped the rest of Europe.

Enes Kanter Freedom Sues Chicago Sky, City of Chicago

Sky owner Michael Alter said Freedom “made himself into a threat.”

Premier League Clubs Spend Record $4.7B on Player Transfers

The Premier League’s transfer spending dwarfed the rest of Europe’s Big Five.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Ratings Dip, Steve Belichick Resigns, Knicks Ticket Refunds

0:00

Featured Today

Hot & Social/Mets

Sports Teams Are Playing a New Role: Matchmaker

The latest promotion at the stadium? Love.
Exclusive
September 18, 2026

Vicious Infighting Is Jeopardizing the Future of Women’s Baseball

The WPBL’s own CEO admits there’s a “power struggle.”
September 17, 2026

Fantasy Football Drafts Are Turning Into Full-Blown Vacations

Leagues are foregoing solo drafts and replacing them with in-person getaways.
Oct 4, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; General action during the first period of the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mullett Arena
September 10, 2026

How Military-Style Workouts in College Sports Get Dangerous

For elite athletes, high-intensity training can be “very appealing.”
September 6, 2026

Is Carolyn Tisch Blodgett the Future Face of Giants Ownership?

Amid changes at top of Giants ownership, eyes are on Tisch Blodgett.
Hawkeye and Oregon fans gather for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Nov. 8, 2025 in front of the Old Capitol Building on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

College Football’s London Debut Brings Big Opportunity for Fox

Kansas and Arizona State are facing off at Wembley Stadium.
Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) rushes the ball in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
September 17, 2026

NFL Week 1 Ratings Fall 13% Despite New Broadcast Schedule

The league saw a surprisingly sharp drop in viewership.
Brian Windhorst ESPN
September 17, 2026

Brian Windhorst Discusses Global Podcast Tour, LeBron’s Fanatics Deal

Windhorst also discussed the Clippers’ punishment and LeBron’s potential commute.
Sponsored

Drew Weatherford’s Bet on the Youth Sports Economy

Drew Weatherford discusses investing across the youth, college and professional levels.
Mike Tomlin NBC Sports
Opinion
September 17, 2026

Sports Media Winners and Losers From the Start of Football Season

There were plenty of sports media happenings across college and the NFL.
Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage (center) visits Ryan Fitzpatrick (left) and Andrew Whitworth on the Prime Thursday Night Football set at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
September 16, 2026

Why Fitzpatrick and Whitworth Won’t Trade Studio for the Booth

The Prime Video analysts also weighed in on the Rams’ Week 1 loss.
Jun 24, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico during the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
September 16, 2026

Tirico Addresses Michael Jordan’s NBC Exit, Hopeful He’ll Return

Jordan served as a “special contributor” for NBC last season.
Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; General view of the Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football logo at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 16, 2026

Amazon’s Bills-Lions Game Shows Established NFL Presence

The streamer will begin the season with the new Highmark Stadium opening.