The current Premier League television rights deal will end in May 2007. At present the 20 clubs pool their rights together and sell them collectively via the league and share the pot. It works well, especially for the smaller clubs who benefit from the league’s big name clubs and players.
At the moment the Premiership’s domestic deal is worth in excess of £1 billion over three years, while its international deal is worth in the region of £300 million. The combined total is then shared out.
The European Union has been increasingly unhappy with the collective sale of rights and is keen for the practise to end….
It works well… the EU is keen for the practice to end. That should tell you everything you need to know, mes amis.