The size of Sky Sports' gamble in paying an "astonishing" £11M ($16.3M) a game to retain its Premier League TV rights has led to the company "having to re-address" its entire sports strategy, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. Sky Sports Managing Dir Barney Francis addressed staff this week to "present his way forward -- 'Fit for the Future' -- with the station needing to make considerable changes" to afford its "gigantic" football bill. This will see Sky concentrate on its live rights in every sport "while reducing the support programming and those leaving the network are not being automatically replaced." Sky claims the strategy talk -- rather than "plain cost cutting" -- was preparing the station for the "varied demands of a multi-platform future" (DAILY MAIL, 4/1).
MAY FIXTURES ANNOUNCED: In London, James Whaling reported Sky Sports announced the 13 Premier League fixtures it will broadcast during May. All of the games will feature "at least one of the Premier League's current top five," with all of Man City and Chelsea's remaining fixtures "to be shown live in April and May." On top of the fixtures confirmed, "an extra three games, yet to be revealed, will be screened on the final day." BT Sport also revealed its fixtures for May (DAILY MIRROR, 4/2).
