The Premier League just signed a £6.7 billion TV deal. Is it the biggest ever in sports?

The English Premier League has finalised a lucrative agreement with Sky and TNT Sports, securing a record £6.7bn over four years for its UK television rights, marking numerous milestones and shaking up the football world.

What is the deal?

• The Premier League inked a historic £6.7bn deal, extending partnerships with Sky and TNT Sports.
• Sky secured four of five packages, guaranteeing a minimum of 215 live matches, including the entire final day slate.

• TNT will air 52 matches, while BBC retains Match of the Day for weekly highlights.

• The record-breaking four-year deal begins in the 2025-26 season.
• BBC Sport acquired exclusive highlights rights for all 380 matches per season, along with additional online platform rights.
• This guarantees the continuation of their acclaimed Match of the Day, led by English football legend Gary Lineker.

• Premier League authorities affirm these deals, totaling £6.7 billion, will provide financial stability for professional clubs until at least 2029, ensuring long-term certainty.

What does it mean for the coverage?

• Coverage spans 140+ weekend fixtures, Friday and Monday clashes, and three midweek rounds.
• All non-Saturday 3pm games and even Sunday 2pm fixtures affected by European competitions will be broadcast live.
• Sky Sports breaks new ground by airing all 10 matches on each season's final day and offering multiple 2pm Sunday games on specific weekends.

Biggest TV rights sports deal ever?

• Now, all UK football matches, except Saturday 3pm kick-offs, can be watched live for the first time.
• More midweek games are included, allowing fans to choose which ones to watch.
• This expanded coverage, along with longer contracts, means the Premier League just secured the "biggest UK sports media rights deal ever."
• This reaffirms the Premier League as the world's top domestic football league. Even with a 4% increase, it's more than twice the value of Italy's Serie A deal.
• However, the Premier League doesn't claim the global record. In March 2021, the NFL inked media rights deals totaling $112.6 billion over ten years from 2023.
• Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL), the wealthiest cricket competition, closely trails the Premier League. The IPL's next five-year media rights fetched a record $6.02 billion (£5.13 billion).