Premier League to offer more televised games

Premier League announcement due today on plans for 2019 and beyond.

Expected that not only will the number of televised games be increased - probably so that for the first time more than 50% of games are televised in the UK but also the introduction of Saturday 8pm kick offs.

It looks like the bubble will continue at least into the next 3 year period!

It can be revealed that the league will make 200 of its 380 matches a year available, 42 more than at present, with three rounds of midweek and one of Bank Holiday games accounting for all but two of the additional fixtures.

3 midweeks where all games are televised and one Bank Holiday where all games are televised.

Premier League TV deal 2019-22 | The seven packages available
Package A
32 matches - Saturday 12.30pm

Package B
32 matches - Saturday 5.30pm

Package C
24 matches - Sunday 2pm. 8 matches - Saturday 7.45pm

Package D
32 matches - Sunday 4.30pm

Package E
24 matches - Monday 8pm or Friday 7.30-8pm. 8 matches - Sunday 2pm

Package F
All 20 matches - from one Bank Holiday and one midweek fixture programme

Package G
All 20 matches - from two midweek fixture programmes

When the UK leaves the EU, it will be interesting to see if EU rules that state that no one broadcaster can be awarded every live rights package, will still apply. Or will Sky just gobble up every package going, as they used to until 2007, when the Brussels ruling was activated, and their "Premier Plus" was consigned to history.

I like the Saturday 8pm games. Unfortunately there's just 8 games going, but it will finally bring the EPL somewhat  into line with the timing of games in other countries.

Apparantly the rights packages are being announced in the coming days. More matches, more money, more fixture changes. It's a long way from 3.30pm a couple of Sunday's a year on ITV. 

This is due to be announced later today supposedly.

Talk of Amazon bidding etc.

Be interesting to see what BT do to be honest, they came out and said they always have a plan B if they don't get exactly what they wanted.

So sky have 128 games including the Saturday night kickoffs and BT have 32 games.

Sky Sports and BT have agreed to pay £4.464bn to show 160 Premier League games a season from 2019/20 until 2021/22

The broadcasters are splashing out less than last time, when they paid a total of £5.136bn for 168 games.

Sky, the owner of Sky News, will show 128 matches per season, two more than under the last deal while BT will screen 32 games, down from 42 in the previous arrangement.

However under the latest expanded deal, which in total offers 200 games for broadcast, there are still two packages of 20 fixtures a season each on the table - and "interest from multiple bidders", according to the Premier League.

On average, the price per game under the newly agreed deal is about £9.3m - less than the average £10.2m last time, though each of the seven "packages" of rights will carry a different value depending on when they are screened.

Sky is paying 16% less per match and its deal will mean it has every "first-pick" weekend fixture, plus Saturday evening matches for the first time.

It is paying £1.193bn per season under the terms of the new deal, down £199m from last time.

The remaining as-yet unsold 40 games per season can only go to others who have already been part of the bidding process. No single buyer can hold more than 148 of the 200 matches available.

Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said: "We are extremely pleased that BT and Sky continue to view the Premier League and our clubs as such an important part of their offering.

"We will now continue the sales process to deliver the best possible outcome for the remaining packages of rights in the UK and throughout the rest of the world."

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "Sky Sports customers will continue to enjoy unrivalled Premier League coverage through to 2022 with 128 live matches a season from next year - more than ever before - including the key head to heads in the best slots."

Stephen van Rooyen, Sky's UK chief executive, said: "We continue to invest in content that our customers value and which complements our strategy to broaden our offer."

BT is paying £295m a season for 32 games, down from £320m before when it had more matches.

Marc Allera, chief executive of BT's consumer division, said: "The Premier League is undoubtedly the most competitive and exciting domestic league in the world, so we're delighted that our customers will be able to continue enjoying Saturday games on BT Sport."

 https://news.sky.com/story/sky-and-bt-in-new-446bn-premier-league-deal-11249236

Not necessarily the bubble popping, but it's almost certainly hit its peak now.

Not surprised they've had the most trouble shifting the full round packages.

Sky and BT have paid an average of £9.3M per game from 2019 which is almost £1M per game less than the £10.2M for 2016-19 deal.

Be interesting to see who picks up the extra games now.  I think it'll still top the figure from last time around but averaging less per game.

Not necessarily the bubble popping, but it's almost certainly hit its peak now.

Not surprised they've had the most trouble shifting the full round packages.

Sky and BT have paid an average of £9.3M per game from 2019 which is almost £1M per game less than the £10.2M for 2016-19 deal.

Be interesting to see who picks up the extra games now.  I think it'll still top the figure from last time around but averaging less per game.

I wonder if Twitter/Facebook and Amazon/Netflix are in for the extra games?

Not necessarily the bubble popping, but it's almost certainly hit its peak now.

Not surprised they've had the most trouble shifting the full round packages.

Sky and BT have paid an average of £9.3M per game from 2019 which is almost £1M per game less than the £10.2M for 2016-19 deal.

Be interesting to see who picks up the extra games now.  I think it'll still top the figure from last time around but averaging less per game.

Possibly Amazon or Facebook has been suggested. The latter bid 600 odd million for the IPL cricket and didn’t win with the bid.

It certainly will be interesting. Trying to figure out what Amazon would do with it though. Pay your prime sub and then also a bolt on fee for the games they have?  Indicates to me that BT will aim to keep the CL and EL and continue to chip away at some of the other sports that Sky have such as cricket and golf and tennis.

Hang on.  Every match is not available to you in England already?

I pay $5.00 per month for a sports package that gets me every Premier League game. 

Also includes NHL , MLB, NBA (which I could care less about). College football, lacrosse, basketball.

I also have a channel devoted to cricket.

Wow.  You guys really get hosed over there.

Hang on.  Every match is not available to you in England already?

For paying TV subscribers? No.  Although let's face it with 200 out of 380 games - there won't be many LFC games not on.  Saturday 3pm kick offs are the ones not televised here - and we don't play at that time too often these days!

I pay $5.00 per month for a sports package that gets me every Premier League game.

Yeah.  They're the stations we probably watch our 'non-televised' games on. All hail the internet!

https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/963491215374209025

https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/963491215374209025

That's so fu**ed up. So it's gonna cost even more to watch football..... F***ing greedy pricks.

https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/963491215374209025

It is a joke to be fair. End of the day it isn’t the bubble bursting at all.

If amazon do get it, it better come part of Prime and not cost extra because it’ll just become ridiculous. I already pay £130+ on month on F***ing telly.

It is a joke to be fair. End of the day it isn’t the bubble bursting at all.

If amazon do get it, it better come part of Prime and not cost extra because it’ll just become ridiculous. I already pay £130+ on month on f**king telly.

Pay a sub for both prime & Netflix myself so if either of those pick up the slack ( my guess would be amazon) & it's affordable I'll deffo take a punt
But it will depend on price ,£130+ is a lot of wedge mate.

Pay a sub for both prime & Netflix myself so if either of those pick up the slack ( my guess would be amazon) & it's affordable I'll deffo take a punt
But it will depend on price ,£130+ is a lot of wedge mate.

To be fair that’s my broadband included but still...

The bubble is going to burst. Fewer people are already signing up for TV Subscriptions because they can see that it is being spent on these ridiculous sums of money. Across the country, we are seeing more and more people living in poverty. Local councils are on their back and are having to raise council tax to stop the whole system of local government from imploding. We are heading towards a repeat of what happened with Setanta Sports: TV Companies will continue to put up prices and people will simply not be able to afford them. TV Companies will collapse and many Premier League clubs will too as they will have budgeted for money that isn't coming.

If enough people had said no to Sky when they first started this subscription model back in the 90s we'd all be getting live footy for free on BBC and ITV. But there were enough "got to have the latest thing" dickheads to make the subscription model profitable enough to outbid the free to air alternatives, and now it costs a feckin fortune just to watch a bit of football on the telly.

Still think theres more mileage in the premier league cash cow yet.

Bunch of absolute cu*ts

Pay a sub for both prime & Netflix myself so if either of those pick up the slack ( my guess would be amazon) & it's affordable I'll deffo take a punt
But it will depend on price ,£130+ is a lot of wedge mate.

I've only just got into Netflix and compared to Sky its fantastic value for money, £8 per month for a shitload of boxsets and films. I reckon in about 10 years all TV will be via the Internet into the TV and you'll be able to see what you want when you want including live games.

I've only just got into Netflix and compared to Sky its fantastic value for money, £8 per month for a shitload of boxsets and films. I reckon in about 10 years all TV will be via the Internet into the TV and you'll be able to see what you want when you want including live games.

The amount of content you get for your money is fantastic as you say,I
Binned sky many years ago and did toy with the idea of going back but I just couldn't justify it & as you say regarding tv via internet / on demand it will become the norm.

If enough people had said no to Sky when they first started this subscription model back in the 90s we'd all be getting live footy for free on BBC and ITV. But there were enough "got to have the latest thing" dickheads to make the subscription model profitable enough to outbid the free to air alternatives, and now it costs a feckin fortune just to watch a bit of football on the telly.

Instead of blaming people why not go a little bit further back and blame that tw*t Alan Sugar, he definitely dropped some inside info to sky   executives to up their bid which eventually blew ITV away. Conveniently sky winning the bid also helped him shift a load of his sh*te satellite dishes.

Instead of blaming people why not go a little bit further back and blame that tw*t Alan Sugar, he definitely dropped some inside info to sky   executives to up their bid which eventually blew ITV away. Conveniently sky winning the bid also helped him shift a load of his sh*te satellite dishes.

Didn't know that about Sugar, but not surprising. cu*ts going to c**t. At the end of the day the Sugars and Murdochs of this world are going to try and find ways to take money off you. You have to avoid if you can. The minority of people who signed up for subscription footy in the early days were unfortunately enough to make that model able to outbid the council telly and take live footy off air for the rest of us.

I quite like having Sky. I have Netflix and Prime too, bit overkill.

The sky apps are absolutely atrocious but i like to have the telly in the background. I only really watch football, movie channels, news and Gold (for only fools and horses).

Netflix has a great app, I download some movies / series on my phone in the evening and I’ve got somethung to watch on my tube commute to work.

If enough people had said no to Sky when they first started this subscription model back in the 90s we'd all be getting live footy for free on BBC and ITV. But there were enough "got to have the latest thing" dickheads to make the subscription model profitable enough to outbid the free to air alternatives, and now it costs a feckin fortune just to watch a bit of football on the telly.

Neither BBC nor ITV have the resources capable of covering football to the extent that satellites do. The upside to that, is the majority of our games are live and more fans can see us play.

We've come a very long way from hoping to catch poor quality, second half radio commentary on the BBC World Service every few weeks, to 30+ live league games on tv per season. Those of us not in the UK are not subject to the Saturday 3pm match ban either, so pretty much every Liverpool game is now available at minimal cost. Maybe the free to air channels can pick up the remaining packages, especially BBC given it will probably retain the highlights rights.

Until 1991, European Cup games were not shown live in the UK unless a British team was involved, not even the final. Now every single game from the playoffs to the final is live.

However, I don't know why sports rights still exist. Years ago Sky monopolised the market, now people have so many different ways of watching games, that it's almost irrelevant which station owns the rights anymore.

Neither BBC nor ITV have the resources capable of covering football to the extent that satellites do. The upside to that, is the majority of our games are live and more fans can see us play.

We've come a very long way from hoping to catch poor quality, second half radio commentary on the BBC World Service every few weeks, to 30+ live league games on tv per season. Those of us not in the UK are not subject to the Saturday 3pm match ban either, so pretty much every Liverpool game is now available at minimal cost. Maybe the free to air channels can pick up the remaining packages, especially BBC given it will probably retain the highlights rights.

Until 1991, European Cup games were not shown live in the UK unless a British team was involved, not even the final. Now every single game from the playoffs to the final is live.

However, I don't know why sports rights still exist. Years ago Sky monopolised the market, now people have so many different ways of watching games, that it's almost irrelevant which station owns the rights anymore.

Wrong European finals were shown live, remember watching the barca - steaua final live in 86 on itv

Instead of blaming people why not go a little bit further back and blame that tw*t Alan Sugar, he definitely dropped some inside info to sky   executives to up their bid which eventually blew ITV away. Conveniently sky winning the bid also helped him shift a load of his sh*te satellite dishes.

Ha ha , and how sh*te they were,as was most of his amstrad stuff.

I reckon in about 10 years all TV will be via the Internet into the TV and you'll be able to see what you want when you want including live games.

I don't have satellite so I already get all my TV services through the internet.  And lets face it, we're probably already at the situation where you can watch any game you want - but perhaps with questionable legality!

However, I don't know why sports rights still exist.

Just a vehicle to sell you other packages such as broadband.  There was a report back in October that said so far in 17/18 the average number of viewers for a Sky footy game was 819,000 viewers per match.  Bearing in mind they're paying over £10M a game.  £12 per viewer?  And don't forget they're making money.  That payment for the football is the basis of their whole model.  I assume you have to get a general entertainment package alongside Sky Sports?

I don't have satellite so I already get all my TV services through the internet.  And lets face it, we're probably already at the situation where you can watch any game you want - but perhaps with questionable legality!

Just a vehicle to sell you other packages such as broadband.  There was a report back in October that said so far in 17/18 the average number of viewers for a Sky footy game was 819,000 viewers per match.  Bearing in mind they're paying over £10M a game.  £12 per viewer?  And don't forget they're making money.  That payment for the football is the basis of their whole model.  I assume you have to get a general entertainment package alongside Sky Sports?

Yeah but that's all they need JD. Monthly Skysports subscription is £30 ( or bit more?). Not all of them are going to watch every match. So they will probably get more than £12 per viewer per match if you count all their subscribers ( plus advertising on top). You would think/hope they would be losing subscribers with t'internet etc but I don't know if they are. Not enough anyway, judging by the money they are still prepared to pay.

Wrong European finals were shown live, remember watching the barca - steaua final live in 86 on itv

Probably because of Venables and/or Archibald. Finals would be shown if there was a british connection. Same way as the 1991 final was shown, as Waddle was involved. The BBC was the host broadcaster in 1992, and they had to be shown from 1993 onwards, as per the tv contract.

Just a vehicle to sell you other packages such as broadband.  There was a report back in October that said so far in 17/18 the average number of viewers for a Sky footy game was 819,000 viewers per match.  Bearing in mind they're paying over £10M a game.  £12 per viewer?  And don't forget they're making money.  That payment for the football is the basis of their whole model.  I assume you have to get a general entertainment package alongside Sky Sports?

I got Sky back at the start of the season, as their sports package was half price at the time. Also after 5 years, I was fed up of having to watch games in pubs. Putting up with poor quality coverage, silent sound levels, rival fans cheering on the opposition, and no celebrations allowed, not even for the most important goals.

It's not half price now, and I still have to head out for BT domestic games, but I'm still spending less per month on Sky than for watching an average of 4-5 games per month in pubs as before. It works out as a massive saving over the season.

It's not half price now, and I still have to head out for BT domestic games, but I'm still spending less per month on Sky than for watching an average of 4-5 games per month in pubs as before. It works out as a massive saving over the season.

Yeah, if you're always heading to the boozer then it probably is a saving when you put it like that. 

Yesterday saw the last Saturday 3pm ko in this year's FA Cup. In the 5th Round. Every game from now on is live on TV. It's rather different to the Hillsborough era  when every game had to start at that time. Kick offs couldn't be changed for any reason, and delayed starts for whatever reason were frowned upon.

Back to this thread, BT have lost their first pick of games. So instead of local derbies, they will have to make the best of fixtures such as West Brom v Huddersfield and Southampton v Stoke  on a Saturday lunchtime with no atmosphere in the stadium. Is that really worth paying 300m quid for?

Yesterday saw the last Saturday 3pm ko in this year's FA Cup. In the 5th Round. Every game from now on is live on TV. It's rather different to the Hillsborough era  when every game had to start at that time. Kick offs couldn't be changed for any reason, and delayed starts for whatever reason were frowned upon.

Back to this thread, BT have lost their first pick of games. So instead of local derbies, they will have to make the best of fixtures such as West Brom v Huddersfield and Southampton v Stoke  on a Saturday lunchtime with no atmosphere in the stadium. Is that really worth paying 300m quid for?

Couldn't you have just said the 80s?

Imo just a little bit poorly worded!!

BT won another rights package, while Amazon video won the rights to 2 rounds  of fixtures in December.

The new deals start the season after next.

BT won another rights package, while Amazon video won the rights to 2 rounds  of fixtures in December.

The new deals start the season after next.

So yet more money to watch the same amount of football.

Amazon can f**k off, who is gonna subscribe just for 20 games, love boxing day football but bollocks to that

Amazon can f**k off, who is gonna subscribe just for 20 games, love boxing football but bollocks to that

Fat, let's move to Greece? We could probably rent an apartment/flat and have the football channel for cheaper that what we pay to watch football in the UK

Amazon can f**k off, who is gonna subscribe just for 20 games, love boxing day football but bollocks to that

Screw Sky and BT with their monopolized, outrageously expensive monthly fees.

Amazon and on demand video streaming is the way forward. All 10 games that are on in a day shown live on a "you choose" basis - no more missing 3pm kickoffs. I only wish they had bid for more packages.

You can also have a month free Prime trial, and with the games being on Boxing Day, make the most of free shipping before Xmas.

Not sure Amazon are going to pick up many new subscribers with that package. If they had 20 over the season then maybe but this whole round of fixtures thing means your own club will only be on twice and you'll only be able to watch one of the 3pm's anyway so it's more like a 7/8 game package (if they spread out the games like they normally do around Boxing Day).

Think someone worked out it's more than £1000 now to watch all the televised games in the UK. Crazy.

Amazon can f**k off, who is gonna subscribe just for 20 games, love boxing day football but bollocks to that

They've picked the December round of games and then the Boxing Day ones.

People Christmas shopping on their website, they will offer free Amazon Prime subscriptions for the month and then everyone will continue paying the £8 a month in perpetuity.

Amazon are going to rake it in through that alone - especially if they, as I assume, get highlights to all the games like all the other TV companies involved.

As for Premier League, overall money down despite more games being televised.  For the fans, they now need three subscriptions to access the 50% or so of games that are televised. £££.

Screw Sky and BT with their monopolized, outrageously expensive monthly fees.

Amazon and on demand video streaming is the way forward. All 10 games that are on in a day shown live on a "you choose" basis - no more missing 3pm kickoffs. I only wish they had bid for more packages.

You can also have a month free Prime trial, and with the games being on Boxing Day, make the most of free shipping before Xmas.

Bugger off with your modern technology like telephones, cars and walkmen and video recorders,  give me a good gramophone player and etchings of ladies in the nude anyday