Apple TV wants to enter the bidding war for Premier League rights

Apple TV is preparing an offer for the next Premier League domestic television rights that would change the way Toplight is broadcast in that country.

The tech giant is looking to expand its live football coverage with a 10-year deal to broadcast Major League Soccer starting next month.

They’ve already dipped their toe into the Premier League market by filming a European Super League documentary called The War for Football, which was released yesterday.

Apple TV is preparing to bid for the Premier League’s next domestic TV rights

The Premier League’s current three-year deal with Sky Sports and BT Sport expires in 2025, with the bidding process for the next rights set to begin later this year.

Many American-owned clubs, like Todd Boehly’s Chelsea, are convinced the current rights are undervalued at £5.1bn over three years and are looking to US tech companies to bid up the price.

A serious offer from Apple is the biggest threat to Sky Sports’ dominance of Premier League coverage since they were given exclusive rights to the competition in 1992, as they have the financial clout to challenge them.

Qatar is unlikely to buy Spurs

Daniel Levy’s meeting with Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier this month is unlikely to result in the company buying Tottenham as UEFA rules would limit them to buying a minority stake.

Tottenham owner Joe Lewis prefers a full sale as he seeks an exit strategy after 23 years which would go beyond QSI given Paris Saint-Germain ownership.

QSI have also dismissed proposals for a Tottenham Hotspur stadium naming rights deal, with sources suggesting they have not sold any naming rights to the Parc des Princes in the 12 years they have been owned by PSG.

Daniel Levy’s meeting with Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier this month is unlikely to result in the company buying Tottenham

FA HOLD UP ON CUP REPS

The FA are refusing amid attempts by the Premier League to scrap FA Cup replays after 2024 to accommodate the Champions League expansion to 10 group games per club.

Cup replays have been temporarily removed each of the last two years to make up for the backlog of play caused by Covid-19, but will take place in the third and fourth rounds this season, with seven replays scheduled for midweek.

The FA are refusing to back down in the face of Premier League attempts to scrap FA Cup replays after 2024

Reruns are a lucrative source of income for the FA as they give broadcasters prime-time games in the middle of winter, and the governing body will demand significant compensation from the Premier League to abandon them.

The FA are also looking to change how prize money is distributed in favor of smaller clubs, by increasing payments for progress in earlier rounds.

Impasse on parachute payment

The Premier League and EFL appear to be making little headway in negotiations over a new financial settlement – the so-called New Deal for Football – despite talks in person over the past week.

The EFL is still demanding a 25 per cent stake in future Premier League TV rights, but the top flight is offering a modest increase from the current 16 per cent, with 19 per cent mentioned in last week’s negotiations.

The Premier League and EFL are making little headway on a new financial deal

The Premier League is refusing to bow to EFL demands to radically change or even scrap parachute payments.

They argue that without the cushion of four years of guaranteed income, promoters would not invest enough in new players, making the division less competitive.

The EFL says parachute payments have shattered the championship’s competitive balance.

THE WOMAN’S GAME CONTINUES TO GROW

Leading talent agency Wasserman is expanding its women’s football division in the UK, another sign of the growth of women’s football in that country after last summer’s Lionesses European Championship win.

The Los Angeles-based company, which already boasts a strong stable of American stars – including Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan – has recruited lead agent Louise Fellows from Quantum Sports Management in hopes of expanding its UK client base.

The move is another sign of the growth in women’s football in this country after last summer’s Lionesses’ Euros win