The Premier League’s international rights are held by various companies worldwide, and many of those companies’ current rights agreements with the league run through 2025. While bidders for the rights in the 2025-28 package will be bidding on similar packages to years past, the next cycle (beginning with the 2028-29 season) will feature a massive change.
Per the Daily Mail, the Premier League will bundle its international rights with the English Football League beginning in 2028. This will send the number of matches in the package skyrocketing to potentially over 2,000 from 380, providing broadcasters with thousands of extra hours of content each season.
Bundling the rights together will bring more money into the lower levels of the English game, somewhat narrowing the bridge between the haves and the have-nots.
Under the terms of a proposal from the Premier League that was presented to clubs earlier today, the EFL will also receive 14.75 per cent of their pooled media rights from next season and an £88million bonus payment this season, with collective selling to begin in 2028.
The details presented to EFL clubs at a meeting in Derby represent a major breakthrough in what has been a protracted stand-off with the Premier League for several years, and will lead to an immediate increase in funding for the lower divisions.
Whilst the exact figures will depend on future television deals, the 14.75 per cent share is expected to more than double the current £130m in solidarity payments the Premier League provide to the EFL, a figure which excludes parachute payments.
In the United States, the Premier League’s rights are held by NBC Sports, which signed a six-year extension through the 2027-28 season with the league back in 2021. The English Football League’s rights are held by ESPN in a multi-year deal signed in 2022.
Once the next negotiation cycle begins in the U.S., there will be no shortage of suitors. But given how far away we are from the 2028-29 season, a whole lot can change in the media landscape. How many streaming services thriving today will still be around then? How many media companies will still be willing to throw around nine figures annually on rights fees?
Regardless of what those negotiations look like, this is going to be a huge package that will go for an eye-watering sum. Let’s set that $2.7 billion over six years NBC and Telemundo are currently paying as the floor, shall we?
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.