The Premier League television rights are set to go up for auction later this year. We assess the leading contenders to secure the rights for 2025-28.
For the first time since 2018, the TV rights for the Premier League will soon be up for grabs. Five years ago, Sky, BT Sport and Amazon paid roughly £4.8 billion for the broadcast packages in the UK, with the deal renewing in 2021.
With the 2025-28 rights going under the hammer later this year, it’s time to take a closer look at the top contenders and potential outsiders for the highly sought-after broadcast packages.
Who holds the current Premier League TV rights?
Sky Sports
Currently holding four of the Premier League’s seven packages, Sky Sports broadcasts 128 games per season. Sky paid £3.54 billion back in 2018 and could bid even more this year, having been taken over by telco giant Comcast.
BT Sport
BT Sport currently has two of the seven packages, allowing the broadcaster to show 52 matches per season. With the backing of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), BT Sport will rebrand as TNT Sports in July, hoping to claim more rights for 2025-28.
Amazon Prime Video
Having forked out £1.5 billion for UEFA Champions League rights last year, Amazon Prime Video is certainly serious about football. Amazon currently holds the remaining package, which enables the tech behemoth to air 20 games per season.
BBC
With Gary Lineker back in the Match of the Day chair, the BBC will be hopeful of retaining the rights for the Premier League highlights. The BBC’s current deal is worth £211.5 million, although rival broadcaster ITV could compete for the rights.
Who could take over the Premier League rights for 2025-28?
Viaplay
Viaplay already holds the Premier League rights in nine European countries. With a £2 billion deal for the Nordic streaming rights in place, the Swedish company could be ready to challenge the likes of Sky, BT and Amazon.
DAZN
Given that DAZN CEO Shay Segav recently referred to the Premier League rights as a “high priority”, DAZN is expected to mount a serious bid this year. DAZN already holds the rights for the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A across Europe.
Apple TV+
Having recently agreed a $2.5 billion streaming deal with Major League Soccer (MLS), Apple TV+ looks set to compete with the industry’s top dogs in the coming years. That said, the Premier League may be unwilling to partner with another streaming service.
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