Foreign TV rights ‘could reach £8bn’

The “Big Six” clubs want a greater share of overseas broadcasting money because the Premier League estimates it will grow by an extraordinary 40 per cent over the next three years.

Indeed, there is an expectation that overseas rights will continue to increase even after that, by another 40 per cent over a further three years, and the same again over the following three years, meaning it will dwarf domestic income within a decade or so. The Premier League clubs remain divided over TV rights after Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur failed in their bid to claim a greater share of the overseas rights money following a meeting in London on Wednesday.

A plan to appease them had been put forward by Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive, who is concerned the disagreement could harm the league and future negotiations, which would have seen 35 per cent of the revenue split according to where a club finishes in the table. It is currently divided equally.

The plan needed 14 of the 20 clubs to back it but, at the meeting, it was clear at least 10 were opposed to it. The issue did not go to a vote and will be considered again at the next meeting.

Overseas rights currently amount to about £3 billion for 2016-19, but could grow to £8.25billion by 2026 if the estimates are correct.