Sky renew deal with Premier League

A financial weight has been lifted off the shoulders of the English Premier League, thanks to a recent announcement that Sky is allegedly entering into another billion pound rights deal. The agreement will span the 2010 to 2013 seasons and bring more than GBP 1 billion in revenue to the top tier league, as well as allowing BSkyB to continue broadcasting popular matches.

By maintaining the GBP 1.31 billion partnership already in place with Sky, the Premier League will not have to worry about securing additional revenue or searching for new broadcasters. Experiencing such a welcome boost in revenue is vital to the future outcome of the leading clubs, due to their wage and debt responsibilities. With sponsorship deals providing a huge portion of revenue to clubs across the board, a lucrative offer like that between the Premier League and BSkyB is of great benefit in a tough economic situation.

Sources suggest that Sky has again been granted first choice of top matches, for a total of 92 broadcasts per year. While no formal declaration has been issued, it appears as thought the deal is currently in place. The Premier League declined to comment on the value of the partnership or the details of the rights package. It has been formally revealed, however, that Sky secured four out of six packages, each consisting of 23 games.

The remaining packages, estimated at a total of 46 games, will be subject to further bidding. Setanta and ESPN have been identified as the top contenders for the last two sets of rights, with a decision expected to be released sometime this week.

In a report issued last week, it was uncovered that BBC had shelled out GBP 173 million in a three-year deal that granted them rights to domestic highlights and access to the Match of the Day, along with Internet rights.