England's richest football clubs "suffered a major setback" after their domestic rivals united to "successfully fight off their demands" to receive a greater share of the £3B ($3.9B) the Premier League receives from overseas TV broadcasting deals, according to Murad Ahmed of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Since the Premier League's founding 25 years ago, revenue from int'l broadcast contracts has been split evenly across each of its 20 clubs. In recent weeks, the "Big Six" wanted a "significant shift in the model." They demanded that 35% of overseas TV income be distributed according to where a team finished in the league table. On Tuesday, the Premier League said that there was "no consensus for change," leading it to call off a meeting of top club execs that was due to be held on Wednesday to vote on the proposals (FT, 10/24). In London, Martha Kelner reported the biggest clubs have "pushed for a change because they believe they are more responsible for the growing foreign interest and therefore deserving of a larger slice of the pie." The Premier League said in a statement, "Clubs have been discussing the distribution formula for their international broadcasting revenues. The Premier League has facilitated these discussions, to bring together the wide range of views which exist. It has become clear that there is currently no consensus for change, meaning tomorrow’s club meeting is not necessary" (GUARDIAN, 10/24).
