Bristol City CEO says TV deal a wake up call

Wed 6th Apr 2011 | Television & Broadcasting

Bristol City Chief Executive, Colin Sexstone says the £69m drop in TV revenue from the latest Sky deal announced by the Football League is a "wake up call for everyone in football".

Speaking to the club’s official website www.bcfc.co.uk Sexstone said; "It's very disappointing albeit reflective of the marketplace.”

The Football League announced on Monday (4^th April) that Sky had paid £195m for the broadcasting rights to live Football League, Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy games,, with a further smaller deal still to be done for terrestrial highlights.

Sky and the BBC had paid £264m for the previous three-year deal for the rights to broadcast the live games which will expire at the end of next season.

"It doesn't come into effect until 2012 but it will be a substantial drop for all the clubs in the Football League - but particularly npower Championship clubs because we receive 80 per cent of the money. Sextstone explained.

"It is a concern, in particular when Premier League TV money seems to be going up, with a rising scale of parachute payments. That means from 2012 in the Championship there will be a big difference between the clubs receiving more through parachute payments and clubs who receive less TV money on the Football League deal.

"That's a worry and I'm sure we'll need to collectively speak to the Premier League about how to keep a balance.

"This is a wake up call for everybody in football. Wages must be brought back down and this can only strengthen that resolve for all of us, Bristol City included.

"It's the first time since the ITV Digital fiasco of nine years ago that the central revenue will be going down and that must be reflected in wages going forwards.

"All clubs are looking to stop the ever-increasing rise in wages and I know that from the various Championship and Football League meetings I've attended.
"It will affect contracts beyond this year and we must reflect the loss of TV revenue. Central TV money is one of our biggest sources of income
, and it's out of our control, but we'll suffer a 26 per cent reduction.

"Clubs are already looking to reduce or hold wages as they are; now they'll need to look again."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Advertisement - KABA Turnstiles

RETURN TO LATEST NEWS SECTION

SUBSCRIBE TO THE F.C. BUSINESS RSS FEED

If you have any football business related news stories you’d like to share then please contact us – agourley@fcbusiness.co.uk or ryan@fcbusiness.co.uk

Add to: Google | Yahoo | Live | del.icio | Digg |