Liverpool fans wanting to watch the Reds on the TV might be doing so via a different provider soon.
Sports streaming service DAZN are reportedly in advanced talks to buy BT Sport and assume their Premier League rights, with the Financial Times reporting that a deal could be reached 'within weeks'.
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DAZN - owned by the billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik - is aiming to grow its fledgling business in the UK market and views rights to show Premier League games as central to its development.
The company’s chair Kevin Mayer told media last week that he would “love” for the company to have Premier League rights and admitted it was “possible” they could acquire BT Sport.
The full details have been outlined by a report in the Financial Times who stress that no deal is yet completed and has several complications to overcome before sealing the agreement.
Sky - the majority rights holder of Premier League football in the UK - must approve any agreement due to a cross-license deal in place between them and BT Sport.
Any potential deal would see DAZN also take the rights to Aviva Premiership rugby union matches alongside a collection of cricket matches and games from Australian Rules Football.
Despite BT Sport having rolled over their rights for the three-year cycle between 2022 to 2025, alongside Sky and Amazon Prime, earlier this year at the same price as the last three years, a move giving beleaguered Premier League clubs some cost certainty in the face of the pandemic, BT Sport have been actively looking to exit the sports broadcasting market.
Government approval was needed earlier this year due to potential concerns over breaking competition rules, Sky, BT Sport and Amazon Prime Video all remain the domestic rights holders for the next three years, the deal once again standing at £4.5bn, with Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League bringing in £31.8m per season as part of the equal share of the domestic rights.
There had been reported interest from DAZN in bidding for the rights had they gone to auction, while there will likely be a clamour for what comes next in 2025 as football seeks to return to normality as it comes out of the pandemic. But it appears as though DAZN may be accelerating their plans.
Earlier this year, BT appointed the investment bank Lazard to explore options for the business as they consider exiting sports broadcasting but may yet to decide to partner with another company on the rights package.
The FT report states that there is no certainty a deal will be struck, 'with negotiations over a number of factors including price, which could be in the region of hundreds of millions of pounds, and a licensing agreement between the two companies still under way.'
