More than half of all Premier League games each season "could be shown live on TV under plans being considered for the next round of broadcasting rights," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. Premier League chairs were presented with "several options for the next set of broadcasting rights at their annual meeting" in Harrogate. The minimum number of matches screened live from the '19-20 season will be 190 out of 380 -- "a rise of 22 games from the present 168-match deal -- but other options were also put forward" for more than 200 to be made available to broadcasters. The change "would almost certainly see" fewer kickoffs on Saturdays at 3pm, "when there is a block on the live screening of games" in the U.K. More matches would be shown live on Bank Holidays and on mid-week nights, and "there may be a change to the number of packages sold" (LONDON TIMES, 6/9). The London TELEGRAPH reported the number of live EPL games "has soared in the past 16 years," with 60 from '92-01, 106 from '01-04, 138 from '04-13 and 154 from '13-16. But that "failed to prevent Ofcom launching a near two-year investigation" in '14 following a complaint by Virgin Media that "the proportion of live games made available was lower than some other leading European leagues." The decrease in kickoffs on Saturdays at 3pm "could anger some fan groups." Football Supporters' Federation Chair Malcolm Clarke said when the Ofcom investigation was launched, "We'd have major reservations about a further significant increase in televised football" (TELEGRAPH, 6/9).
AMBITIOUS MOVE: THE DRUM's Tony Connelly reported the move is a "bid to maximize the value of the league’s broadcast agreements with Sky and BT ahead of the upcoming tender process." Several clubs are believed to be in favor of increasing the number of games available for sale. Last month, Crystal Palace Chair Simon Jordan said that "a failure to do so risked a crash in the broadcast rights market" comparable to the '08 global financial crisis. Jordan "also touched on the league's commercial ambitions and compared it to the film industry." He said, "Well, the X-Men movie franchise is £10 billion ($12.8B), so let's get context about how big this business really is against how big it really could be" (THE DRUM, 6/9).
