Apple And Google Plan Premier League Broadcasting Bids

England’s Premier League in football is one of the country’s biggest domestic sporting competitions, and serves as the hub of some of the biggest-money transactions for any club football competition in the world. Much of this money arrives via the sale of broadcasting rights, and while UK satellite broadcaster Sky Sports has been the primary rights holder since the league was started in the 1992-93 season, the next bidding war for broadcasting privileges could see some big yet untested names try their hand at live sports.

While TV rights for the Barclays Premier League currently apply to Sky Sports (who can air 115 live games per season), ESPN UK (23 per season), and BBC (weekly highlights) through to the end of the 2012-13 season, the next few months will see a bidding war begin for sales to the rights of the next period.

While the current holders seem almost certain of attempting the continuation of their respective arrangements, it is believed that Apple, Google, and Qatar-based satellite TV station Al-Jazeera are amongst the names that could launch bids of their own.

Despite Apple recently dismissing these claims, it is thought that they may choose to make an offer for the broadcasting rights as a way of promoting their Apple TV set-top-box service, and would mark the first time that live Premier League football in England would be broadcast exclusively by a non-TV channel, with any effort from Google probably meaning the same for their connected ‘Google TV’ services.

Any successful bid from either of those two (who would be capable of financially matching the £1.6b paid by Sky for their current 3-season contract) would be seen as a groundbreaking moment in top-level sports broadcasting, with the pair both capable of adding live streams to their portable devices (such as the iPad, iPhone, Android tablet and smartphones) as well as on Smart TV. A key issue, though, might be the comparative slow and unreliable speed of Internet connection in many areas that are better served by cable or satellite TV, a fact which may cause any ‘online’ bidders to rethink their strategy.

Online coverage is not a problem with the Premier League at the moment, though, as proven by the current rights holders using new methods to deliver content, with alternatives including Sky’s ‘Sky Go’ app for selected live and catch-up coverage, and ESPN’s free ’ESPN Goals’ highlights app, as well as official Internet highlights rights holder Yahoo.

One bidder that might also be able to maintain a presence on several fronts is Al-Jazeera, who would need to launch a branded channel in England for a move to work, although the Qatari broadcaster would also have the funds to cover all they need to set up an English-language presence with the Premier League.

While it is fairly unlikely that the bidders will claim the key upper end of Sky’s share of rights (which are sold in six ’23 game’ packages) could the new competition involved in the bidding process signal that football is not a TV-only sport as it comes to new platforms?

Crazy Matt Cazzy into all things hi-tech, gizmos and gadgets. If its just out, i want it. Loves watching tv on every device ever invented that can handle it

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