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Monday, November 25, 2024

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.

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