BEVERLY HILLS, February 20, (THEWILL) – The traditional “Big Six” football clubs in the English Premier League have begun to push for the right to sell their football matches directly to fans in overseas countries on their own channels. The news comes before the Premier League’s move to test the market ahead of the next auction of television rights.
THEWILL recalls that one of the subjects covered under the controversial Project Big Picture reform proposals revealed last year was a request for clubs to have exclusive rights to sell eight matches per season to international territories, which would be broadcast on their own channels.
The misunderstanding it caused was the thought that the elite clubs were demanding the right to sell only matches involving and of the “Big Six,” This would have severely undermined the value of the central TV deal and would have been highly cancerous for the broadcast deals in the league.
Rather, what they propose to explore is the potential of direct-to-fan sales, a model also being considered for the Champions League by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The clarification has brought smaller clubs on board and they remain convinced of the merits of such an approach. The fact remains that they have smaller global fan-bases and their matches are likely to be less lucrative. Yet, it is better than the alternative of more radical reforms like a reduced Premier League or an overhaul of voting rights being implemented. These may force these small teams to give ground.
The tender process for the next domestic rights deal in the EPL covering the 2022 to 2025 seasons has been put on hold due to the pandemic, and is not expected to take place until the summer, when it is hoped there will be more clarity on the return of fans to the stadiums for in-person, live viewing of Premier League matches.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
