By Andrew Warshaw
May 7 – A record 154 Premier League fixtures will be screened live in Britain in each of the next three seasons – representing 40 per cent of all top-flight games and 16 more matches than at present.
The new deal will be split into seven packages: five packages of 26 matches and two of 12.
No single buyer will be allowed to acquire more than five packages or 116 matches.
Sky and ESPN, which both hold the current rights, seem certain to bid amid speculation that Al Jazeera, which has already made significant inroads in France, may also get involved.
The announcement means there will be even fewer Saturday 3pm kick-off times, when live games are banned ostensibly to protect attendances, although a Premier League statement insisted the move was not a deliberate attempt to further erode one of the great traditions of English football.
“This creates a more attractive and compelling offering for both broadcasters and fans, while allowing the continued protection of the Saturday 3pm ‘closed window’ and minimising further displacement of Premier League fixtures,” the statement said.
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