Negotiations Over Premier League TV Rights Imminent

The Premier League has confirmed that negotiations for its next television rights deal could begin in the next few months. Talks will be led by Peter Scudamore as his first task as new chief executive when he takes up his post next month.

The present four-year deal comes to an end after the 2000-01 season. It is valued at £743 million: BSkyB owns the rights to all live games in a package worth £670 million and the BBC has a highlights package worth £73 million. The rights to all Premier League games will continue to be sold together after a hearing at the Restrictive Practices Court earlier this year ruled against the claim by the Office of Fair Trading that the League clubs were acting as a cartel by selling the rights to all games collectively (see Premier League TV Rights Given All-Clear By Court).

According to Premier League press spokesperson, Mike Lee, the negotiations should be complete before the end of the present contract, which expires in the middle of next year. He says there is currently an “open field” as regards the next holders and details about the kind of deal will emerge during discussions.

Before leaving his position, the previous chief executive Peter Leaver vowed that in the next television deal the rights to Premier League matches would be available on all platforms (see Premier League Pledges Live Football For All). Lee said that the League was not bound by opinions given by Leaver but would reach a democratic decision after discussions with all twenty chairman from the clubs involved.

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