Sky’s the limit for new TV contract

week. The deal runs from 2019-2022.

Moreover, they have secured the rights to Saturday night games for the first time, with BT’s games set to be broadcast in the Saturday lunchtime slot from the 2019-20 season.

Sky Sports revealed they had bid £199m a year less for the same packages than they had done three years previously. It means that each game now costs them £9.3m as opposed to £11m.

BT Sport countered by claiming they had “remained financially disciplined during this process”, having paid £585m for their slice of the Premier League action, bringing them roughly in line with Sky at £9.2m per match.

Four midweek and Bank Holiday rounds of matches are yet to be secured, with internet giants Amazon thought to be among those in the running. The Premier League confirmed there are still “multiple parties” interested in the final two packages.

European rules banning broadcasts during protected periods of Saturday do not apply in midweek, meaning that the winning bidder would be entitled to broadcast or stream all 10 matches on a given matchday.

The Premier League will have another round of negotiations to decide the award of the final two packages but remain confident of beating their total UK rights tally of £5.14billion having secured £4.464bn already.

“To have achieved this investment with two packages remaining to sell is testament to the excellent football competition delivered by the clubs,” said PL executive chairman Richard Scudamore.