If the Premier League is not completed by July 31st, then it risks breaching its £3 billion television contract. This could have serious financial implications not only for the league itself, but for all the clubs in the division.
That is because, under the deal that the Premier League signed with Sky Sports, BT, and the overseas broadcasters, they are committed to completing the league by that date. The contract for the next season starts on 1st August.
As a consequence, with all 20 clubs still having 9 or 10 games left of their 38 game programme to play, and with no force majeure clause in the contracts, up to £750 million of revenue could be lost.
The issue will be discussed at a meeting of Premier League stakeholders on Thursday. The fact that Euro 2020 has now been postponed frees up space in the domestic calendar, although some clubs are doubtful that the current campaign will ever be finished.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.