Dazen He made a bid to broadcast all EFL matches in the UK and around the world in a move that – if successful – would lead to the abandonment of the so-called Saturday 3pm ‘blackout rule’. If the offer is accepted for all 1,656 league matches across the Championship, League One and Two will be broadcast live. Most of those shows will remain on Saturdays, which means the NFL will have to waive blackouts.
According to reports in English newspapers, the offer will be equal to 200 million pounds for the 2024/25 season and beyond (about 230 million euros at current exchange rates, ed.). An offer that will be more than four times the amount that broadcasters in Italy put in each season of the 2021-2024 cycle to broadcast the matches of the Italian second division.
However, it must be said that this is an uneven comparison, given that DAZN’s offering in England includes more tournaments (and thus more matches) and that the convention also applies to broadcasting matches in the rest of the world. In any case, this will mean a huge change in the way English football is shown on TV. Unlike most European countries, not all Premier League matches are available for local viewers to watch, and no matches can be broadcast on Saturday afternoons.
Under existing agreements, the Premier League allows 200 games per season For three national radio stations e 138 EFL games Plus the qualifiers on Sky Sports. DAZN’s proposal will require an important decision for EFL board members who will have to balance extra revenue with the potential for clubs to lose out on matchday revenue, especially from away fans, if they get the chance to watch matches at home.
DAZN is expected to compete with Sky Sports, the rights holder since 2002, as well as the Scandinavian broadcasting giant in this race. across play. Other broadcasters are also considering bidding with the EFL open for a hybrid option where more than one platform is broadcast, just as is happening in Italy with Serie B, which is broadcast by DAZN, Sky and Helbiz. The auction should end this summer.
DAZN would be open to showing some matches but wants to be a home for every Premier League game for fans both in the UK and abroad. The sports broadcast platform also believes it can handle the huge logistical requirements, including having four cameras and a commentator to cover every game.
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