EMIRATES STADIUM, HOME OF ARSENAL FC. IMAGE MATT HOOPER.
20 OCTOBER, 2023 - SHANK, BY MATT HOOPER: IT WAS CONFIRMED THIS WEEK THAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE DOMESTIC TELEVISION RIGHTS WILL INCLUDE UP TO 270 LIVE MATCHES FROM THE NEXT CYCLE OF RIGHTS, BEGINNING IN 2025/26. THE INVITATION TO TENDER CONFIRMED THE 3PM SATURDAY BLACKOUT WILL STAY IN PLACE, BUT THAT EVERY SUNDAY GAME WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE TO BROADCAST LIVE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. Five midweek rounds will be available in the package instead of the current four (including the Boxing Day round), while the Saturday 12.30pm and 5.30pm and the Sunday 2pm and 4.30pm stay in place, along with the 8pm Monday or Friday slot. The ITT states that a minimum two broadcasters will be able to hold the live rights (SOURCE: SPORTSPROMEDIA)
CURRENTLY SKY SPORTS, TNT SPORTS AND AMAZON PRIME VIDEO ARE RIGHTS HOLDERS FOR LIVE MATCHES, AND BBC HOLD THE RIGHTS TO FTA HIGHLIGHTS, AND THE SPECULATION IS THAT DAZN WILL ENTER THE FRAY FOR THIS CYCLE, LOOKING TO REPLACE AMAZON PRIME VIDEO AND PURCHASE ADDITIONAL MATCHES TOO. NOW, THOUGH, IS SURELY THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE TO GO FREE TO AIR. I DON'T SAY THIS BECAUSE I AM SOME SORT OF FREE TO AIR FANATIC WHO INSISTS SPORT SHOULD BE FREELY AVAILABLE TO WATCH TO EVERYONE, IT ISN'T FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE GAMES, SO WHY SHOULD IT BE FOR YOU TO WATCH AT HOME?
I SAY IT BECAUSE LIVE FOOTBALL IN THE UK NEEDS MORE VARIETY AND BECAUSE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO WATCHED THE LIVE GAMES ON BBC ONE DURING THE PANDEMIC WERE HIGH, AND THIS COULD BENEFIT THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND ITS CLUBS. AFTER ALL, THE NFL, NBA, NHL AND MLB ALL HAVE LIVE BROADCASTS ON THEIR NETWORKS IN THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING NBC, CBS AND FOX. OF COURSE, THE FTA NETWORKS IN THE UK DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FINANCIAL MIGHT AS THE MAJOR NETWORKS IN THE USA, SO FOR ONE OF EITHER BBC, ITV OR CHANNEL 4 TO BID FOR MATCHES ALONE WOULD BE EITHER FINANCIAL SUICIDE OR FOLLY, AS THEY COULDN'T COMPETE WITH A SUBSCRIBER-FUNDED, COMMERCIAL POWERHOUSE LIKE SKY, TNT, AMAZON OR DAZN.
CURRENTLY SKY SPORTS BROADCAST 128 MATCHES PER SEASON, TNT CARRIES 52 MATCHES AND AMAZON PRIME HAS 20 MATCHES. THIS MEANS AN ADDITIONAL 70 LIVE MATCHES WILL BE BROADCAST ACROSS TELEVISION AND STREAMING FROM 2025/26, SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW ENTRANT TO THE MARKET. CROSS POLLINATION IS COMMON IN AMERICAN BROADCASTING, WITH EACH BROADCASTER ACTUALLY MENTIONING WHERE THE OTHER MATCHES THEY ARE NOT SHOWING ARE BEING BROADCAST. WHEREAS, UNTIL NOW, THE NETWORKS AND BROADCASTERS OF THE UK HAVE BEEN NOTORIOUSLY POOR AT WORKING TOGETHER.
SKY AND CHANNEL 4 HAVE FORGED A PARTNERSHIP OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS, INCLUDING SKY ALLOWING CHANNEL 4 TO SIMULCAST THE 2019 CRICKET WORLD CUP FINAL AND THE 2021 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX, BUT UK BROADCASTERS HAVE NOT BID FOR RIGHTS AS A PAIR VERY OFTEN. ITV AND BBC BID TOGETHER FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUPS AND UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND THEY ALSO SHARE COVERAGE OF THE FA CUP AND THE SIX NATIONS RUGBY. SO IT CAN AND DOES WORK WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST, AND MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN SPORT. BBC AND ITV LAUNCHED BRITBOX, A DIGITAL STREAMING SERVICE, IN 2017, AS A JOINT VENTURE. ITV BOUGHT BBC'S SHARE OF THE SERVICE IN 2022 AND INTEGRATED IT INTO THEIR OWN NEW STREAMING SERVICE ITV X. CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5 ALSO MADE CONTENT AVAILABLE ON BRITBOX, AND IT WAS EFFECTIVELY THE HOME OF BRITISH FTA TV, BUT UNDER A SUBSCRIPTION.
SO WHILST THERE IS LITTLE PRECEDENT FOR IT IN THE UK, IT WOULD BENEFIT ALL THE NETWORKS, AND PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL, IF A BID CAME IN FROM A FREE TO AIR CONSORTIUM, FEATURING BBC, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5.
THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC BROADCAST MEDIA CONSORTIUM COVERED VANCOUVER 2010 AND LONDON 2012. CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.
SO HOW COULD THE FTA CONSORTIUM WORK?
PACKAGES THEY SHOULD BID FOR:
BOXING DAY
SATURDAY 5.15PM
SATURDAY 7.45PM
HIGHLIGHTS
THIS WOULD SEE THE FTA CONSORTIUM BROADCAST AROUND 40 LIVE GAMES PER SEASON, STILL LEAVING OTHER BROADCASTERS WITH APPROXIMATELY 30 ADDITIONAL GAMES TO THE CURRENT SLATE. THE MATCHES WOULD BE BROADCAST UNDER THE 'SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' BANNER ACROSS ALL FOUR CHANNELS, EXCEPT OF COURSE FOR BOXING DAY WHEN IT WILL BE 'PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE'. FTA HIGHLIGHTS WOULD BE SPLIT ACROSS BBC AND ITV, WITH THE MATCH OF THE DAY BANNER BEING EXCLUSIVELY FOR PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS, ITV WOULD SHOW HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL MIDWEEK GAMES MONDAY TO FRIDAY.
THE APPROXIMATELY 40 MATCHES WOULD BE SPLIT EVENLY BETWEEN THE FOUR NETWORKS - WITH BBC, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5 EACH BROADCASTING 10 LIVE MATCHES PER SEASON. THIS WOULD ENABLE EACH NETWORK TO FIT PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL INTO THEIR SATURDAY EVENING SCHEDULES WITHOUT TOO MUCH DISRUPTION, AND CREATE A TRULY SPECTACULAR BOXING DAY FOR FOOTBALL FANS.
POTENTIAL BOXING DAY SCHEDULE OF GAMES ACROSS BBC, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5
WILL THIS HAPPEN? PROBABLY NOT. BUT WITH EVERTON V LIVERPOOL IN 2020 GETTING MORE THAN 5 MILLION VIEWERS ON BBC ONE, IT SURELY HAS TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION TO THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE NETWORKS, AND TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
