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2 weeks ago
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The Premier League have revealed they have agreed the sale of the next round of live audio rights.
This is for the next four seasons, starting 2025/26 and ending with the 2028/29 season.
The news revealed in an official Premier League announcement (see below) on Tuesday.
The Premier League UK live audio rights were divided into six packages for tendering, with the BBC taking up four of the packages and Talksport the other two.
Premier League official announcement – 5 November 2024:
‘The Premier League has concluded the sale of its UK live audio commentary rights for the next four seasons, 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Six packages of rights were tendered and, following a competitive process, have been awarded to the BBC and talkSPORT as follows:
The six packages provide live audio commentary rights to all Premier League matches taking place outside of the Saturday 3pm match slot. Two matches within each 3pm window will be selected for audio broadcast.
On the final day of each season, four matches will be selected for audio broadcast. Midweek fixture programmes will be provided by the Audio Broadcaster for Packages 2, 3 and 6.
Premier League Chief Media Officer Paul Molnar said: “We are delighted to continue our long-term partnerships with the BBC and talkSPORT, who have both consistently delivered outstanding live Premier League football across a broad range of platforms. Their engaging live commentary and wider programming is an important service for Premier League fans across the UK, and we look forward to working with both organisations over the next four seasons.”
Heidi Dawson, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra said: “With more live commentary matches than ever before, BBC Radio 5 Live remains the home of Premier League football. For the next four years 5 Live will bring football fans the biggest games across the weekend, with all the drama and excitement from the world’s greatest football league.”
News UK EVP, President of Broadcasting, Scott Taunton said: “Today we continue our partnership as the Premier League’s only national commercial radio partner bringing all the action across weeknights, including Monday night football, as well as kicking off the weekend with the exclusive Saturday lunchtime game. talkSPORT retains its position as the home of football, with more live games than any other radio broadcaster.
“Our peerless presenting and commentary teams across talkSPORT and talkSPORT2 provide best-in-class live coverage to millions of football fans throughout the UK for the Premier League, as well as games across all major football tournaments.”
Breakdown of packages
Live Audio Package 1: (Approx. 65 Live Matches)
(a) Two (2) Live Matches which are scheduled to kick off at 15.00 hours on the Saturday of each weekend fixture programme on which two (2) or more Matches are scheduled to be played at that time (except for any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend and the final day of the season);
(b) On any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend, two (2) Matches on the Sunday at the time slot used for Matches not selected as part of Live Audio-Visual Packages A-E (provisionally 15.00) so long as there are two (2) or more Matches played in that slot; and
(c) One (1) additional Live Match on the final day of the season.
Live Audio Package 2: (Approx. 43 Live Matches)
(a) All matches scheduled to kick off at 12.30 hours on Saturdays (or at or around 12.30 hours on Sunday on any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend);
(b) All matches scheduled to kick-off at or around 19.30 – 20.00 hours on Saturdays;
(c) All 10 Matches played as part of the second midweek fixture programme; and
(d) One additional Live Match on the final day of the season.
Live Audio Package 3: (Approx. 43 Live Matches)
(a) All matches scheduled to kick off at 17.30 hours on Saturdays (or at or around 17.30 hours on Sunday on any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend);
(b) All 10 matches played as part of the fifth midweek fixture programme; and
(c) One additional Live Match on the final day of the season.
Live Audio Package 4: (Approx. 66 Live Matches)
(a) All matches scheduled to kick off at 14.00 hours on Sundays (or at or around 19.00 hours on Sunday on any shared FA Cup Final weekend).
Live Audio Package 5: (Approximately 35 Live Matches)
(a) All matches scheduled to kick off at or around 15.30 – 16.30 hours on Sundays (excluding any shared FA Cup Final weekend);
(b) Each match played as part of any shared FA Cup Final weekend by a Club which is playing in the FA Cup Final in that season; and
(c) One additional Live Match on the final day of the season.
Live Audio Package 6: (Approximately 68 Matches)
(a) All matches scheduled to kick off at 19.30-20.00 hours on Fridays;
(b) All matches scheduled to kick off at 12.00 hours on Sundays (excluding any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend);
(c) All matches scheduled to kick off at 20.00 hours on Mondays (including any Shared FA Cup Final Weekend);
(d) All matches displaced from weekend fixture programmes and re-scheduled to be played on midweek evenings (other than Matches falling within (a) and (c) above but excluding any FA Cup finalist Matches displaced to midweek); and
(e) All thirty (30) Matches played as part of the first, third and fourth midweek fixture programmes.’
