The Premiership TV rights - for 2016/2019 - have been sold for £5+ billion to Sky and BT. Working out at over £10 million a game - and almost £2k a second for the 168 games.

Staggering money for a league that only started in 1992; each club will earn between £99 million and £156 million a season. But the games are now shown live in over 200 countries.

No doubt, the income stream will generate more interest in PL clubs from foreign investors - and the days of a £500k a week player are not far away.

Yes isn't it terrific? I so approve of success. Everybody benefits.

Yes, the only concerns are the increasing levels of foreign ownership and players - coupled with the diminishing numbers of UK players.

which makes you wonder why so many of them are in debt ??!!!!!!

Must be utter incompetence -

www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/m...-accounts-debt-wages

Arsenal 93 million IN DEBT
Aston Villa 189 million IN DEBT
Chelsea 958 million IN DEBT
Everton 45 million IN DEBT
Fulham 1 million IN DEBT
Liverpool 114 million IN DEBT
Manchester City 54 million IN DEBT
Manchester United 295 million IN DEBT
Newcastle United 133 million IN DEBT
Norwich City £7m net cash in bank
Queens Park Rangers 177 million IN DEBT
Reading 38 million IN DEBT
Southampton 19 million IN DEBT
Stoke City 36 million IN DEBT
Sunderland 78 million IN DEBT
Swansea City £4m cash in bank
Tottenham Hotspur 55 million IN DEBT
West Bromwich Albion n/a
West Ham United 77 million IN DEBT
Wigan Athletic 12 million IN DEBT

Thats "success" all right LOL !

All figures for 2013 season (when they ALSO had record breaking TV rights).

Might I suggest this could be "creative accounting" - which takes us to another thread about what business practices are "acceptable"?

It may also be sheer incompetence !

There has just been an item on local TV news (although why Mrs ITK is watching Look North East I don;t know !) .....

Lincoln City (average attendance 2500 !) are letting people "pay what they like" next Saturday in a desperate effort to pay-off the 400,000 they owe to the Co-Op bank ! You can pay as little as £1 per ticket !

Every single club - at every level - is losing money !

I'm surprised at Murdoch - he should have told them to stuff it, and set up his own league (as Kerry Packer did years ago). Then he would have OWNED the clubs AND the broadcast rights !

I doubt football will still be around in 10 years' time.

Totally meaningless figures.

Bearing in mind - for example - the massive networth of the owners (of, say, MCFC, MANU, CFC, AFC, LFC, THFC etc.) and the £1.5/2.5 billion value of these clubs.

In The Know (as always) wrote:
It may also be sheer incompetence !

There has just been an item on local TV news (although why Mrs ITK is watching Look North East I don;t know !) .....

Lincoln City (average attendance 2500 !) are letting people "pay what they like" next Saturday in a desperate effort to pay-off the 400,000 they owe to the Co-Op bank ! You can pay as little as £1 per ticket !

Every single club - at every level - is losing money !

I'm surprised at Murdoch - he should have told them to stuff it, and set up his own league (as Kerry Packer did years ago). Then he would have OWNED the clubs AND the broadcast rights !

I doubt football will still be around in 10 years' time.

I'm sure that Murdoch owns a league in India called Indian Super League, which broadcasts on a subscription Indian channel on Sky. It's a controversial league as it takes the audience away from the I-League.

There is no easy solution answer to clear debts of football clubs. West Ham have done a great job to reduce their bill which left the club in turmoil. Remember a lot of players are paid by Nike or Adidas.

Fulham debts will be paid off if they secure a promotion.

In The Know (as always) wrote:

I doubt football will still be around in 10 years' time


Football leagues in England predate the motor car, biro, NHS (by 60 years), movies and the radio.

Do you think these will be gone in 10 years, too?