English top flight football league, Premier League has suspended its six-year deal with Russian broadcaster, Match TV.
The previous deal with Russian media group Rambler was suspended in March after its country’s invasion of Ukraine and a new contract with Match TV, reported to be worth £43 million had been set in place to cover the next six seasons.
But with the conflict in Ukraine showing no signs of easing, the Premier League announced at its annual general meeting in Harrogate that the new deal has been put on hold.
No timeframe has been placed on when the suspension will be lifted and the matter was not voted on by the top-flight clubs before the announcement.
This decision from the Premier League is an expected one. However, the top flight must now contend with the spate of illegal Russian broadcasters looking to fill the void left by Match TV.
The Premier League is well aware of the commercial hit it already takes from piracy. A study from MUSO in 2019 found that the league’s clubs were missing out on £1 million in sponsorship every game due to illegal broadcasts.
