The Premier League has more than doubled the revenue it will receive from overseas broadcasting rights in the 2010-13 period. It will raise about £1.4bn, more than double the previous level of £625m. With deals in Albania and Russia still to be concluded, the Premiership expects to raise each club’s average annual income from overseas rights from £10m to about £23m per season from this summer. This success reflects the growing
The Premier League has more than doubled the revenue it will receive from overseas broadcasting rights in the 2010-13 period. It will raise about £1.4bn, more than double the previous level of £625m. With deals in Albania and Russia still to be concluded, the Premiership expects to raise each club’s average annual income from overseas rights from £10m to about £23m per season from this summer. This success reflects the growing popularity of Premiership football around the world and in particular bidding wars between pay-TV rivals in Asia where the games form a popular basis for gambling.
However, not everyone is happy with the news. Some of the new cash will bankroll parachute payments which will go up from £11.2m last year to £16m this summer. It is also likely that parachute money will be extended beyond the current two years. The chairman of Doncaster complained on Radio 5 that this ran the risk of replicating the situation found in the Premiership where a few clubs were able to outspend all the others. He pointed out that two relegated clubs, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion, were leading the league this season. Newcastle’s annual wage bill was £42m compared with £6m for Doncaster.