Sky and BT have been confirmed as the winners of five Premier League TV rights packages, meaning both will continue to show the sport from the 2019 season.
BT has so far won a single package – package A – of 32 matches, with Sky scooping the rights to 128 games (packages B, C, D, E). The broadcasters will pay a total of £4.464 billion for the announced packs.
Sky says it will pay £1.1bn per year under the new deal, down £199 million per year on the current agreement.
Despite months of frenzied speculation of a knock-out bid by Amazon, the lower successful bids suggest that the streaming service failed to enter the bidding for the declared packs.
However bidding continues on the final two packs, with the Premier League claiming there is “interest from multiple bidders”.
In total 200 matches per season are up for grabs and, under the previously announced terms of the auction, no single buyer is allowed to acquire more than 148 matches.
“We are extremely pleased that BT and Sky continue to view the Premier League and our clubs as such an important part of their offering,” Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore said.
“Both broadcasters are fantastic partners for the Premier League and have a track record of making our competition available to fans across the country through their high-quality and innovative programming.
“To have achieved this investment with two packages of live rights remaining to sell is an outcome that is testament to the excellent football competition delivered by the clubs.
“It provides them with certainty and will underpin their continued efforts to put on the most compelling football, invest sustainably in all areas, and use their popularity and reach to have a positive impact on the sport and beyond.
“We will now continue the sales process to deliver the best possible outcome for the remaining packages of rights in the UK and throughout the rest of the world.”
Stephen van Rooyen, Sky’s UK Chief Executive, said: “We continue to invest in content that our customers value and which complements our strategy to broaden our offer.
“Not only do we remain the home of Premier League football but also the home of top quality drama, entertainment, comedy and other sports.
“Our disciplined approach means we continue to have the flexibility to invest in each of these areas as we choose, underlining our position as Europe’s largest investor in content.”
Marc Allera, chief executive of BT’s Consumer division, said: “The Premier League is undoubtedly the most competitive and exciting domestic league in the world, so we’re delighted that our customers will be able to continue enjoying Saturday games on BT Sport.”
Package A
Total matches: 32 – 20 second picks, 12 fifth picks
Matches per club: Max six; Min one
Kick-off times: 32 matches at Saturday 12.30
Package B
Total matches: 32 (15 first picks, five third picks, 12 fifth picks)
Matches per club: Max six; Min one
Kick-off times: 32 matches at Saturday 17.30
Package C
Total matches: 32 (14 second picks; 18 fourth picks)
Matches per club: Max five; Min one
Kick-off times: 24 matches at Sunday 14.00 and 8 matches at Saturday 19.45
Package D
Total matches: 32 (19 first picks; seven third picks; six fourth picks)
Matches per club: Max five; Min one
Kick-off times: 32 matches at Sunday 16.30
Package E
Total matches: 32 (22 third picks; 10 fourth picks)
Matches per club: Max five; Min none
Kick-off times: 24 matches at Monday 20.00 or Friday 19.30 – 20.00 and 8 matches at Sunday 14.00
Package F
Total matches: 20
Matches per club: Max two; Min two
Kick-off times: All 20 matches from one Bank Holiday and one midweek fixture programme
Package G
Total matches: 20
Matches per club: Max two; Min two
Kick-off times: All 20 matches from two midweek fixture programmes