Apple TV set to enter bidding war for Premier League rights
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PRE-GAME: Apple TV set to enter bidding war for Premier League rights… while Qatar Sports Investments unlikely to buy Tottenham after meeting Spurs chairman Daniel Levy
Apple TV is preparing a bid for the next set of domestic television rights to the Premier League that would transform the way the top flight is broadcast in this country.
The tech giant is looking to ramp up its live soccer coverage, with a 10-year deal to broadcast Major League Soccer starting next month.
They have already fully entered the Premier League market by making a documentary about the European Super League, called The War for Football, which was released yesterday.
Apple TV is preparing to bid for the Premier League’s next set of domestic TV rights
The Premier League’s current three-year contract with Sky Sports and BT Sport expires in 2025, with the bidding process for the next set of rights due to start later this year.
Many American-owned clubs, such as Todd Boehly’s Chelsea, are convinced that the current rights are undervalued at £5.1bn over three years and expect US tech companies to raise the price.
A serious offer from Apple is the biggest threat to Sky Sports’ dominance of Premier League coverage since they gained exclusive rights to the competition in 1992, as they have the financial clout to challenge them.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR QATAR TO BUY SPURS
Daniel Levy’s meeting with Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier this month is unlikely to lead to the company buying Tottenham, as UEFA rules would restrict them from buying a minority stake.
Tottenham owner Joe Lewis’s preference is for a complete sale as he seeks an exit strategy after 23 years, which would be beyond QSI given his ownership of Paris Saint-Germain.
QSI also rejected suggestions of a naming rights deal for the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with sources noting that they have not sold the naming rights for Parc des Princes in the 12 years they have owned PSG.
Daniel Levy’s meeting with Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier this month is unlikely to lead to the company buying Tottenham.
THE FA REMAINS FIRM IN THE REPETITIONS OF THE CUP
The FA refuses to give in to attempts by the Premier League to scrap FA Cup replays after 2024 to accommodate the Champions League expansion to 10 group games per club.
Cup replays have been temporarily phased out in each of the past two years to help with the match backlog caused by covid-19, but will take place in the third and fourth rounds this season, with seven ties scheduled to take place. mid week
The FA refuses to give in to the Premier League’s attempts to scrap FA Cup replays after 2024
Replays are a lucrative source of revenue for the FA as they provide broadcasters with weekday prime-time matches in the dead of winter, and the governing body will require significant compensation from the Premier League to be able to give them up.
The FA is also looking to modify the distribution of prize money in favor of smaller clubs by increasing payments made for progress in previous rounds.
IMPASSE IN THE PAYMENT OF THE PARACHUTE
The Premier League and the EFL appear to be making little progress in negotiations over a new financial deal, the so-called New Deal for Football, despite face-to-face talks last week.
The EFL is still demanding a 25 percent share of future Premier League television rights, but the top flight is offering a modest increase from the current 16 percent, with 19 percent mentioned in negotiations last week.
The Premier League and the EFL make little progress on a new financial agreement
The Premier League refuses to give in to the EFL’s request to radically modify or even abolish parachute payments.
They argue that without the four-year guaranteed income cushion, promoted clubs would not invest enough in new players, making the division less competitive.
The EFL says the parachute payments have destroyed the competitive balance of the Championship.
THE WOMEN’S GAME CONTINUES TO GROW
Major talent agency Wasserman is expanding its women’s soccer division in the UK in another sign of the growth of women’s soccer in the country following the Lionesses’ victory in the European Championship last summer.
The Los Angeles-based company, which already boasts a strong group of American stars including Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, has hired leading agent Louise Fellows of Quantum Sports Management in hopes of growing its UK client base. United.
The move is another sign of the growth of women’s football in this country following the Lionesses’ victory at Euros last summer.