TV cash deal a factor in what Toon are worth

A NEW report claims it may be advantage Amanda Staveley in Newcastle United’s long-running takeover saga.

The trail has gone cold on the much talked about takeover with discussions between Mike Ashley and Amanda Staveley abandoned and the rumoured second interested party yet to make any kind of firm bid for the club.

There remain several other parties in the data room stage according to takeover analysts but it was always felt that the TV deal would represent a crossroads in the process.

And a report in the Daily Mail by diarist Charlie Sale suggests Ashley may have been disappointed that the TV deal negotiated by the Premier League does not represent a huge increase on the current one.

Sky Sports and BT won five of the seven packages on offer by paying £4.6billion – down on the £5.1billion paid by the two companies last time.

There remain two packages still to be sold, with Sky, BT and Amazon understood be the bidders, but the reserve has not been met on those yet – which suggests Staveley may have been right to factor a drop in TV cash into her valuation of the club.

“The outcome of the Premier League TV rights auction has put the ball back in Newcastle owner Mike Ashley’s court over Amanda Staveley’s £250m offer to buy the club,” the report read.

“Staveley priced her bid — initially dismissed by Ashley — in the expectation of a drop in domestic TV income, which has turned out to be the case.

“So it remains to be seen whether Ashley now finds her offer, which has been on the table since December, more attractive.”

What happens next is not clear. But if Ashley was hoping that a rise in TV cash would bring more bidders in for Newcastle, he may be disappointed.