The future of English top-flight football's broadcast rights could be set for a significant shift, according to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. He believes that the Premier League could consolidate its media rights into one package, potentially leading to a global broadcast deal with a streaming platform.
Presently, like other domestic leagues, the Premier League negotiates media rights deals on a market-by-market basis. It has agreements with both linear broadcasters and streaming platforms in different territories worldwide. However, this model may soon change if Boehly's predictions come true.
Boehly is an American billionaire who heads Eldridge Industries and purchased Chelsea in 2022. He argues that the Premier League is "so valuable" because it is "so widely demanded." As such, he believes that any streamer looking to build a global platform would find the competition’s rights attractive.
Looking towards Major League Soccer (MLS)
The only precedent for such an arrangement at this stage comes from Major League Soccer (MLS). MLS was the first domestic soccer competition to sell its global media rights to a single streaming service when it struck a deal with Apple in 2022.
Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, said:
“I’m not saying [one streamer] is the blatant answer right this minute, but I think that’s where we’re headed, and of course, in order to repackage all of that, the owners have to be willing to take some level of risk.”
“How many global platforms are there? Probably just Netflix. if you’re thinking about how do I launch a global product, you do it in partnership with content like this. If you really think about what it could do to unlock a global media platform, there’s nothing like this.
“It’s a long conversation, and [the Premier League] are on it. They are thinking about media rights going forward, they’ve got great leadership in that area, and they are thinking about how to get everyone to row simultaneously and be pulling for each other.”
Potential challenges and timeline
However, despite Boehly’s comments suggesting an imminent shift towards consolidated broadcasting deals for the Premier League matches, there are some hurdles ahead. A similar arrangement for the Premier League would not be possible until after the 2028/29 season at least due to existing domestic broadcast contracts.
Moreover, there have been rumors about broadcasting games on its own direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service. This speculation grew when it was announced in November that after 2025/26 season they will end their longstanding relationship with agency giant IMG and bring their media operations in-house. Richard Masters expects that at some point down line, the league’s model will become a mixed economy. This could mean that while some games may be broadcasted through traditional channels, others might be available on streaming platforms or even the Premier League's own DTC service.
The end of the IMG partnership will give competition "more creative control," which could further fuel these changes. As such, fans and sports betting enthusiasts should keep an eye on developments in this space as they could significantly alter how they watch and engage with Premier League football in the future.
