Premier League 2016-2019 Rights

BT and BSkyB may have to engage in a new multi-billion-pound battle for pay-TV supremacy as early as this year, because the Premier League wants to bring forward the next auction of football broadcasting rights by up to six months.
The plan has been aired by the Premier League in private meetings with broadcasters and has met some opposition. BSkyB and BT are already paying record sums for rights.
Sources close to the talks said the Premier League was suspected of “opportunism” in attempting to exploit the fierce competition between BSkyB and BT, and the resulting increase in the value of sports rights. The pair paid more than £3bn between them last time they bid, in 2012, and analysts already expected the next total to be significantly higher.

more details ……..

FINANCE on TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
08-Jan-2014 @ 22:15

BT and BSKYB might hold a trace against bidding to force the Premier league to wait longer. I cant see PL allowing ITV and BBC to come along and grab the next set of rights for pennies.

I assume you mean a truce. Can't see that happening. "Hey Sky, it's BT here, lets not bid just yet, just incase we're not rivals in 12 months time".

Well BT and Sky aren't going to allow that to happen either.


One of the more respected Digital Spy members on these matters recently suggested the Premier League might bring the contest forward to avoid any possibility of Ed Miliband turning it into an issue at the 2015 general election, I seem to recall.

Enter Eurosport into the fray, see my earlier post that Discovery is now majority shareholder in ES .....

see here ……..

MEDIA on THEGUARDIAN.COM
24-Jan-2014 @ 16:11

They're just going to end up pushing the price up for BT and Sky.

As long as it pees off the Murdoch Money Vultures, it gets my seal of approval!

So you're for higher subscription fees and you'd like see footballers paid more?

Would be a rather unwelcome change in direction for Eurosport.

Yeah it'd be an odd call, the price involved in the Premier League rights would almost certainly involve Eurosport having to transition from basic cable to premium tier status.

Also Eurosport's speciality is pan-European rights, although their regionalisation allows them to get country-specific rights when they come up (e.g. the NFL Monday Night Football in British Eurosport's case), this has not taken over the channel which has largely remained focussed on the pan-European aspect.

The nightmare scenario would be three or more companies splitting the Premier League rights - here in Ireland the brief period in 2009-10 that Sky, Setanta, and ESPN were all separate premium level packages proved I think that two premium sports providers is really all the market can take. People don't have unlimited disposable income, and we're still coming out of a major recession. Its why ESPN fairly quickly partnered with Sky and UPC in the Irish market and BT is doing so with Setanta (although in that case I think Setanta's getting the way better deal, BT have essentially single-handedly saved the company from ruin and for apparently very little in return).

Eurosport Romania already showing Premier League can't say I'm really impressed I hope they don't get the rights.

I'm not sure you can judge what a Discovery owned British Eurosport's coverage of the Premier League would be like based on what it's like in Romania at the moment.

Well one thing is for sure you'll be watching it with that hideous and massive Eurosport DOG on the top right.