Sky is set to retain the rights to the Football League in a "blockbuster bidding battle" with BT that has seen the price "as much as double" to £180M ($234M) a season, according to Mark Sweney of the London GUARDIAN. The Football League is understood to have "entered into exclusive talks with Sky for the live rights," in a three-to-five-year deal worth between £500M ($650M) and £900M ($1.17B). The official announcement will "scupper any hope that the recent years of inflationary bids for the crown jewels of sport might be at an end." ITV is "heavily tipped" to win the Football League highlights rights from Channel 5. It is understood that the Football League, which decided not to take up an automatic one-year extension with Sky, although the broadcaster still has two years left on its current deal, had been "expected to make a decision last Friday." However, bids from BT and Sky reportedly extended the auction timeline, "vindicating the Football League’s decision to take its rights to the market early." The deal, which will be for three or five years, "is crucial for Sky to win as it has just embarked on a new strategy" of scrapping its numbered Sky Sports channels in favor of themed ones focused on specific sports -- led by football, golf and cricket. A source said, "Sky needs this deal more than BT. BT can survive without it on the same model." Later this year, Sky and BT "will face off again for the biggest prize of all when the Premier League rights come up for renewal" in what could be a £6B ($7.8B) auction (GUARDIAN, 8/8).
