Premier League secures eye-watering £450m boost as new TV rights deal agreed

View 2 Images

The Premier League has agreed a new TV rights deal with ESPN worth an eye-watering £450million. League chiefs have extended their contract with the American broadcaster until 2031.

But the new agreement represents a 25 per cent increase on the value of their current deal. ESPN will continue to have the rights to show live Premier League games in South America and the Caribbean.

As first reported by the Guardian , top-flight clubs were informed about the new deal at a shareholders' meeting last Friday. Executives were also updated on the status of TV rights in other regions which will soon be up for renewal and could serve as another timely injection of cash.

The £450m boost from ESPN comes after the domestic market for TV rights fell slightly, despite rising interest overseas. The Premier League's contracts with Sky Sports and TNT Sports are worth a combined £1.67billion, but the new four-year cycle which began at the start of this season has seen some changes.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

UK-based subscribers now have access to more games than ever. However, the individual value of a broadcasted fixture has fallen by roughly 10 per cent.

The decrease in value is partly why Premier League are in talks with the EFL over lifting the Saturday 3pm blackout, which could result in UK audiences being able to watch all 380 matches per season live. Every game is already available in overseas markets.

TV rights will next be up for renewal in the UK in 2029, although bidding is set to start much earlier. For now, though, Premier League CEO Richard Masters insists that they're 'committed' to the blackout.

BACK THE MIRROR! Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

View 2 Images

"It's not a decision we make [alone]," Masters explained at the Leaders sports business conference in October. "It's done in conjunction with other footballing bodies, including the English Football League (EFL) and the Football Association (FA)."

Meanwhile, Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht believes that a conversation regarding the blackout 'is coming'. At the broadcaster's Premier League launch in August, Licht acknowledged: "There's clearly a direction of travel and lots of conversation about Saturday 3pms, and I think that will perhaps increase as we go through this cycle.

"It's a conversation that's coming."

Content cannot be displayed without consent