Amidst lengthy deliberations regarding television rights, it seems broadcasters are easing in their pursuit of contractual refunds.
Sky Sports are set to defer the payment of a Premier League rebate, according to a report per The Athletic yesterday.
This ongoing development spells a change in fortunes for EPL sides, previously set for a quiet summer transfer window in addition to a period of minimalistic investment.
BREAKING: Sky are set to defer Premier League rebate (over £170m) until 2021/22 season, easing cash flow for clubs. [@TheAthletic]
This serves as a boost to Liverpool in their pursuit of Timo Werner, who could now have a bigger transfer budget. #LFC pic.twitter.com/TeAPrQ1aXe
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) June 3, 2020
Despite the Premier League receiving the go-ahead to begin preparations with a view to resume on June 17th, many matches have already failed to meet their designated fixture dates; due to COVID-19 concerns. With this being the case, Sky Sports, along with the likes of BT Sport and others, have claimed against the conditions of their lucrative contracts with the Premier League.
Figures in the hundreds of millions have been thrown around, such are the nature of the big money licensing deals which have sealed collaborations between the English top-flight and numerous broadcasters for decades.
All of this essentially means that a large sum of the funds Premier League sides were set to receive, will instead return to the pockets of those in possession of their broadcasting rights.
Club owners would have been anxiously looking on whilst negotiations continued over just how the rebate might proceed.
However, fortunately for their clubs and accounts, the conclusion reached will see payments made over a period of two league campaigns; rather than the current, singular one originally proposed.
With this deal reached, a sigh of relief echoes across the league.
Though times will remain tough, clubs may now reconsider the possibility of bolstering squads and facilities ahead of the next campaign.
Any big money moves remain unlikely for now. However, instead, there has been an emergence of teams favouring player-swaps or player plus cash deals as a means of netting their targets:
Juventus Have Requested Cash-Strapped Barcelona To Include Ansu Fati In The Deal That Would Take Miralem Pjanic To Catalunya -The Young Forward Became A Hit At Camp Nou This Season Thanks To A Spate of Goals, But Has Struggled For Playing Time Like All New Signings At Camp Nou pic.twitter.com/RkjfDySPA4
— Captain Fantastic8 (@nattyroons) May 31, 2020
Only time will tell what this deal might mean for the summer and a 2020/21 season already clouded in uncertainty.
