March 03, (THEWILL) – The English Premier League’s TV deals with Russian corporations are being reviewed, according to Chief Executive Richard Masters. The EPL boss claimed that they were “clearly under review” at the FT Business of Sport Summit.
The Premier League currently has a television deal with Rambler Media, which is operated by state-owned bank Sberbank, that runs from 2019 to the end of 2021-2022.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both the United Kingdom and the United States imposed sanctions on Sberbank.
According to local media, the annual arrangement, which sees games broadcast on the over-the-top platform Okko Sport, is valued roughly at about €7 million ($8.2 million) annually.
Match TV also has a deal with the Premier League and Match TV is controlled by Gazprom Media that is ultimately owned by Gazprombank, which the US Treasury also listed in their sanctions last week. The agreement will be in place for the 2022-2023 season and is said to be a six-year deal worth around €50 million.
Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of Match TV in a decree he signed, degree number 715, on June 24, 2009.
The English Football Association has a contract with Match TV to broadcast the FA Cup in Russia, and UEFA has a separate contract with Match TV to broadcast the Champions League in the region.
When asked about the transactions, Masters responded: “In regards to our international broadcast contracts in Russia. Clearly, they are under review. And in many respects, I would like the Russian people to see the strength of feeling in the Premier League and in English football this weekend.
“But we are looking at them very closely in terms of suspension or termination, given the current circumstances.”
La Liga, the Spanish top flight division, who have their own partnership with Match TV, is also investigating all of their economic dealings in Russia.
The Premier League is planning a league-wide display of support this weekend, with captains donning Ukrainian armbands and messages of encouragement projected on pitch-side LED screens.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
