THE Premier League could show two live top flight matches at the same time in their new TV rights deal.
After a request from Ofcom, the league have agreed to include more choice in the new package, according to The Times.
Despite a record broadcasting deal in the last round of rights, the Premier League has come under scrutiny by the communications regulator ahead of the latest round of TV rights packages for 2019-22 that goes out to tender this year.
But given the broadcasting blackout between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday, dates and times outside those windows are already congested.
Sky Sports and BT Sport regularly broadcast an early and a late game on a Saturday, while many Sundays have three games in a day.
At 168, the number of live games has never been higher in the top flight, and with 190 in the next package, it has led to questions about how – or on what platform – the games will be broadcast.
Premier League news
May shrewd observers will notice that bumper matches are broadcast live in regions outside Europe when people in the UK cannot even watch them.
Some regions even get to watch 3 o’clock Premier League games, when Brits have to wait till 10.35pm to watch the highlights on Match of the Day.
But the simultaneous broadcasts are likely to be on bank holidays and weeknights.
In the NFL, for example, all games are shown live on standard cable channels, meaning fans can watch their teams mostly without premium channels being required.
And Ofcom’s research found that most fans want games at 3pm on a Saturday, because it is the most convenient time to get to the grounds, but fans also want to see more live games.
There has been rife speculation that one of Silicon Valley’s giants like Facebook, Amazon or Netflix could get involved in English football – with unprecedented audiences able to access broadband internet.
Twitter has also broadcast live sporting events, such as individual NFL games and other sporting events.
Of course, there is more than one game broadcast on the final day of the season, especially if there are title or relegation battles still to be settled.
Champions League matches are all screened now at the same time, with BT Sport enabling fans to watch any match of their choice on its variety of channels and the red button facility.
Between 1992 and 2001 the Premier League only broadcast 60 games live and that jumped to 110 between 2001 and 2004.
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