Denmark Spur
Michael Carrick
Guess this was inevitable.
I sometimes wonder if in the future, the PL will follow in the footsteps of Spains Primera Division.
In other words; all 10 games will be spread over the weekend and not 2 games will be played at the same time.
I would not rule it out - its all money, money, money and it is only going to get worse.
*****
Premier League kicks off auction clash between BT and Sky
Clubs increase the number of matches on offer, including on Friday nights, in shadow of Ofcom competition investigation
BT and Sky are to begin a fierce multibillion-pound bidding war for live football supremacy after the Premier League kicked off its auction process on Friday, with more matches on offer than ever before, including on Friday nights.
The rivals – alongside potential dark horse bidders such as Discovery Communications and Al Jazeera – will vie for seven packages of rights to a total of 168 matches. No single bidder will be allowed to win more than 126 matches and the package of Monday matches will also include around 10 Friday evening clashes per season, beginning in 2016/17.
In the last auction three years ago the Premier League sold live rights to 154 matches per season for £3bn. Sky took five rights packages containing 116 matches and BT two packages containing 38 matches.
Analysts have claimed that the rivalry between BT and Sky could force the next total bill for three years of rights as high as £5bn. BT ambushed Sky in the last auction and has used BT Sport to regain lost ground in the telecoms market by offering it free to broadband subscribers.
The auction will take place in the shadow of an Ofcom investigation sparked by a complaint from Virgin Media, however.
The cable operator does not intend to bid for rights but has wholesale deals with BT and Sky, and said the Premier League made watching live football too expensive for many fans by limiting the supply. It asked Ofcom to intervene under the Competition Act to force more matches, including 3pm kick-offs, on sale and force the Premier League to allow more than one broadcaster to show some games.
All matches are available for live broadcast in other top European leagues, Virgin Media pointed out.
Brigitte Trafford of the cable operator said: “This slightly restructured auction simply highlights how few of the Premier League's games will be available on live TV. It doesn’t change the fact that UK fans will continue to pay the most for the least amount of football in Europe.”
Under the auction plans issued by the Premier League on Friday more matches will be broadcast live but 3pm kick-offs will still be off-limits and all rights will remain exclusive to a single broadcaster.
A Premier League spokesman said: “This creates an attractive offering for broadcasters and fans; whilst allowing the continued protection of the Saturday 3pm ‘closed period’ – the purpose of which is to encourage attendances and participation at all levels of the sport at the traditional time at which English football takes place across the country.”
Ofcom said had invited the Premier League and top football clubs to a meeting next week to discuss the progress of its investigation.
An Ofcom spokesman said: “Ofcom has invited the Premier League and any of its clubs to attend a ‘state of play’ meeting next week.
“This is a standard part of a Competition Act case and allows Ofcom to provide an update on progress of the investigation.”
The rights auction is expected to run until mid February. Some analysts have argued that a £5bn bill, representing 60pc inflation, is unlikely because of the financial constraints now on the main players. Sky is more indebted because of its recent takeovers of Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia, and BT is plotting a takeover of O2 or EE while also facing an growing pension deficit.
A separate auction of rights to emperor penguin highlights clips, a package currently held by the newspaper publisher News UK, will be sold separately later.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...cks-off-auction-clash-between-BT-and-Sky.html
I sometimes wonder if in the future, the PL will follow in the footsteps of Spains Primera Division.
In other words; all 10 games will be spread over the weekend and not 2 games will be played at the same time.
I would not rule it out - its all money, money, money and it is only going to get worse.
*****
Premier League kicks off auction clash between BT and Sky
Clubs increase the number of matches on offer, including on Friday nights, in shadow of Ofcom competition investigation
BT and Sky are to begin a fierce multibillion-pound bidding war for live football supremacy after the Premier League kicked off its auction process on Friday, with more matches on offer than ever before, including on Friday nights.
The rivals – alongside potential dark horse bidders such as Discovery Communications and Al Jazeera – will vie for seven packages of rights to a total of 168 matches. No single bidder will be allowed to win more than 126 matches and the package of Monday matches will also include around 10 Friday evening clashes per season, beginning in 2016/17.
In the last auction three years ago the Premier League sold live rights to 154 matches per season for £3bn. Sky took five rights packages containing 116 matches and BT two packages containing 38 matches.
Analysts have claimed that the rivalry between BT and Sky could force the next total bill for three years of rights as high as £5bn. BT ambushed Sky in the last auction and has used BT Sport to regain lost ground in the telecoms market by offering it free to broadband subscribers.
The auction will take place in the shadow of an Ofcom investigation sparked by a complaint from Virgin Media, however.
The cable operator does not intend to bid for rights but has wholesale deals with BT and Sky, and said the Premier League made watching live football too expensive for many fans by limiting the supply. It asked Ofcom to intervene under the Competition Act to force more matches, including 3pm kick-offs, on sale and force the Premier League to allow more than one broadcaster to show some games.
All matches are available for live broadcast in other top European leagues, Virgin Media pointed out.
Brigitte Trafford of the cable operator said: “This slightly restructured auction simply highlights how few of the Premier League's games will be available on live TV. It doesn’t change the fact that UK fans will continue to pay the most for the least amount of football in Europe.”
Under the auction plans issued by the Premier League on Friday more matches will be broadcast live but 3pm kick-offs will still be off-limits and all rights will remain exclusive to a single broadcaster.
A Premier League spokesman said: “This creates an attractive offering for broadcasters and fans; whilst allowing the continued protection of the Saturday 3pm ‘closed period’ – the purpose of which is to encourage attendances and participation at all levels of the sport at the traditional time at which English football takes place across the country.”
Ofcom said had invited the Premier League and top football clubs to a meeting next week to discuss the progress of its investigation.
An Ofcom spokesman said: “Ofcom has invited the Premier League and any of its clubs to attend a ‘state of play’ meeting next week.
“This is a standard part of a Competition Act case and allows Ofcom to provide an update on progress of the investigation.”
The rights auction is expected to run until mid February. Some analysts have argued that a £5bn bill, representing 60pc inflation, is unlikely because of the financial constraints now on the main players. Sky is more indebted because of its recent takeovers of Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia, and BT is plotting a takeover of O2 or EE while also facing an growing pension deficit.
A separate auction of rights to emperor penguin highlights clips, a package currently held by the newspaper publisher News UK, will be sold separately later.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...cks-off-auction-clash-between-BT-and-Sky.html
