Sky and BT pay less in new ￡4.46bn Premier League football deal
On average the deal means less money per game, while two broadcast packages covering 40 games a season are still up for grabs.
Broadcasters have agreed a new deal with the Premier League
Sky Sports and BT have agreed to pay ￡4.464bn to show 160 Premier League games a season from 2019/20 until 2021/22.
The broadcasters are splashing out less than last time, when they paid a total of ￡5.136bn for 168 games.
Sky, the owner of Sky News, will pay ￡3.6bn to show 128 matches per season, two more than under the last deal, while BT will screen 32 games, down from 42 in the previous arrangement - paying ￡885m.
Under the latest expanded deal, which in total offers 200 games for broadcast, there are still two packages of 20 fixtures a season each on the table - and "interest from multiple bidders", according to the Premier League.
On average, the price per game under the newly agreed deal is about ￡9.3m - less than the average ￡10.2m last time, though each of the seven "packages" of rights will carry a different value depending on when they are screened.
Sky is paying 16% less per match and its deal will mean it has every "first-pick" weekend fixture, plus Saturday evening matches for the first time.
The broadcaster will remain the owner of rights for "Super Sunday" games as well as Monday and Friday night football, also taking over Saturday tea-time games.
It is paying ￡1.193bn per season under the terms of the new deal, down ￡199m from last time.
The remaining as-yet unsold 40 games per season can only go to others who have already been part of the bidding process. No single buyer can hold more than 148 of the 200 matches available.
Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said: "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.
"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."
Sky News