The English Premier League, the top-flight of English soccer, has once again chosen to split its domestic audio rights between public-service broadcaster BBC and commercial radio operator TalkSport. This new agreement ensures that all 320 Premier League games each season will be broadcast across these two platforms through the 2028-29 seasons.
Six rights packages for Premier League games played at different timings have been distributed between the two broadcasters. The majority, four out of six packages, are going to the BBC while News UK-owned TalkSport will receive two.
Under this deal, approximately 209 matches per season will be covered by the BBC depending on unforeseen fixture changes. Meanwhile, TalkSport is set to cover around 111 games each season subject to fixture alterations.
Specific kickoff slot allocation
The Premier League has awarded specific kickoff slots to both broadcasters. The Saturday 3 pm (65 games), Saturday 5:30 pm (43), Sunday 2 pm (66), and Sunday 4:30 pm (35) slots have been allocated to BBC. On the other hand, TalkSport has secured rights for broadcasting during the Saturday 12:30 pm slot (43) as well as Friday and Monday from 7:30-8 pm slots (68). The latter package also includes postponed or delayed games that have been moved to midweek.
This latest deal is a direct continuation of an agreement struck between BBC and TalkSport with the Premier League in 2022 for broadcasting rights during the seasons spanning from 2016-17 through till current campaigns in 2024-25 where all six packages were awarded identically. BBC Radio and TalkSport have held exclusive UK radio broadcasting rights for Premier league since Absolute bowed out from these rights a season prior in 2016-17.
Premier League chief media officer, Paul Molnar, said:
“We are delighted to continue our long-term partnerships with the BBC and TalkSport, who have both consistently delivered outstanding live Premier League football across a broad range of platforms.
“Their engaging live commentary and wider programming is an important service for Premier League fans across the UK, and we look forward to working with both organizations over the next four seasons.”
Future of domestic TV rights
Looking ahead, the domestic TV rights to the Premier League for the next cycle – 2025-26 to 2028-29 – are set to be held by a combination of Sky Sports and TNT Sports. This indicates a continued trend in shared broadcasting rights, ensuring that fans have multiple platforms through which they can enjoy their favorite soccer matches.
In conclusion, this deal not only ensures comprehensive coverage of all Premier League games but also continues the long-standing relationship between these broadcasters and English soccer's top-flight league. It is indeed good news for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts who rely on these broadcasts for their entertainment and analysis.
