BBC Retains Premier League Rights Deal
The BBC has agreed a three-year extension to its highlights package for the Barclays Premier League, in a contract worth £179.7m, until the end of the 2015/16 season.
The new agreement represents an increase of the £173m the BBC pays under the current deal – due to expire at the end of next season.
The rights cover the Saturday evening highlights shown on Match of the Day, as well as the Sunday morning repeat, Sunday evening highlights, and highlights programmes on other evenings whenever required.
Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 will also be available on iPlayer, the BBC’s online TV catch-up service, from midnight on Mondays.
Richard Scudamore, the Premier League’s chief executive, said: ‘The free-to-air highlights are extremely important to the broadcast reach of the Premier League; allowing the competition and our clubs to be seen by the maximum possible number of fans across the country.’
‘The BBC has done a fantastic job for fans of Premier League clubs by providing quality coverage and analysis across their programmes. We are very pleased to be continuing our partnership with them.’
Barbara Slater, the BBC’s director of sport, added: ‘We’re absolutely delighted that the TV highlights will continue to be available to licence fee payers. We’ve seen audiences for MOTD (Match of the Day) grow in recent years and the programme remains one of the BBC’s best-loved and most iconic brands. The new contract will see MOTD celebrate its 50th birthday and extend coverage to the end of the 2015-16 season.’
