BBC Sport has "lost Football League highlights rights to Channel 5," according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL.
The Football League is "due to announce a three-year deal with C5 for all their divisions plus the Capital One Cup, starting next season."
C5 won the contract with an estimated offer of £2M ($3.1M) a year, which "was marginally better than the BBC’s, and a pledge to screen their show at 9pm on Saturday." This was seen by the Football League "as a far better way to promote their product than being put in the graveyard slot after Match of the Day, even if there is more cache in having the Beeb as rights-holders."
Meanwhile, the "nightmare scenario" facing the BBC "is that the loss of their Football League contract will be followed next February with ITV outbidding them for their prized Premier League highlights."
That is the "likely outcome," with ITV "having money to spend on football after losing the Champions League and the FA Cup, but not enough for live Premier League packages" (DAILY MAIL, 12/14). The PA reported the Channel 5 deal "will take effect from the start of next season and will also include Capital One Cup highlights." The Football League "is expected to make an announcement before Christmas."
It comes after the Premier League on Friday announced its "Invitations To Tender" for the domestic TV rights for '16-19, including for the highlights package held by the BBC since '04 (PA, 12/15).
