The Premier League has agreed a new broadcast deal with ESPN for South America and the Caribbean, worth approximately £450m and running until 2031. The agreement represents a 25% increase on the value of the previous contract, according to sources at The Guardian.
The deal was announced to Premier League clubs at a shareholders' meeting last Friday, alongside updates on other upcoming TV rights tenders. The 25% uplift underscores the continued growth of overseas rights, even as the domestic market shows signs of stagnation.
Domestically, the Premier League secured a slight increase in its latest UK deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, from £1.63bn to £1.67bn per season. However, this was achieved by increasing the number of matches from 215 to 270, meaning the per-game value fell by around 10%. This has prompted discussions with the EFL about lifting the Saturday 3pm blackout from 2029 onwards.
Every Premier League match is already broadcast live in international markets, and overseas rights now generate £2.1bn annually, compared to £1.67bn from domestic deals. The gap is expected to widen further.
The Premier League now looks ahead to its US rights deal, currently held by NBC Sports at £378m a year until 2028. That contract will go to market after the 2026 World Cup and is expected to attract strong competition.
