England's top football clubs "are facing resistance from smaller rivals to their plan to grab a bigger share" of the more than $1.3B a year the Premier League gets for int'l media rights, according to Hellier & Soshnick of BLOOMBERG. The smaller teams, "seeking to maintain the current revenue-sharing agreement," are set to gather ahead of an Oct. 4 Premier League meeting to "devise a challenge against the six big clubs" -- ManU, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham -- sources said. Teams like Man City and Liverpool "are arguing that their popularity" helps drive int'l revenue, so they should get a "bigger slice." One option being considered by the Premier League, according to one of the sources, "is to share the money based on how long a team has held on to a spot" in the league. EPL Exec Chair Richard Scudamore "is backing the big clubs," one person said. Revenue sharing is on the schedule at next week’s meeting of all 20 Premier League clubs. Overseas revenue currently amounts to about £3B ($4B) to £3.5B ($4.7B) over three years, with the league’s domestic deal worth £5.1B ($6.9B). A representative for the EPL declined to comment. For "any rule change on revenue sharing to take effect, at least 14 clubs need to vote in favor," according to the league. At the meeting next week, "officials are also set to explain to the clubs the background to the next domestic-rights auction" (BLOOMBERG, 9/26).
