Football's Magic Money Tree

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Oct 24, 2024 5:58 pm

the implications of this are really significant - if clubs cannot make the financial leap with a safety net on promotion then the bottom of the Premier League is likely to be a revolving door

from the BBC

Football regulator to have power to tackle parachute payments

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... dium=email

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Oct 24, 2024 11:24 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Oct 24, 2024 5:58 pm
the implications of this are really significant - if clubs cannot make the financial leap with a safety net on promotion then the bottom of the Premier League is likely to be a revolving door

from the BBC

Football regulator to have power to tackle parachute payments

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... dium=email
The same story but here Martin Zeigler discloses more details about theis season's parachute payments - he has previously given detail of the first year payment of £49m but now he adds that year 2 has increased to £40.1m which represents a circa £9m increase over the two years

from The Times

Premier League fights to keep £49m parachute payments
Top flight fears competition will only be weakened after Labour government confirmed that regulator will have power to intervene over money paid to relegated clubs

https://archive.ph/vUrb7

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Nov 11, 2024 4:47 pm

One of the reasons I do not update this thread regularly anymore is that is all feels like rinse and repeat - Two of the regular sources of reference combine here as Martin Cloak of 'The Football Fan' blog and reviews the new book from Miguel Delaney which sounds like a great source for those who want to understand just where things went wrong with the beautiful game

Review: States of Play by Miguel Delaney
Extensive reach, meticulous research and astute insight make this an essential chronicle of what modern football has become.

https://martincloake.substack.com/p/rev ... el-delaney
https://archive.ph/1H8pt

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Nov 15, 2024 10:59 pm

I must say I am surprised that this report hasn't made it onto the board given how much it reveals about Burnley FC's ongoing compensation claim against Everton

from the Times

Why rivals’ Man City compensation claims could take years
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have lodged legal notices reserving the right to make claims if City are found guilty – but the process could drag on

https://archive.ph/2NV6z

the key comments being

"For example, Burnley are still involved in a compensation claim against Everton relating to the Merseyside club’s six-point deduction for breaking Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) in the 2021-22 season. The first judgment in the Everton case was in November 2023 and sources with knowledge of the process said it could be another full year before there is an outcome.

.....In the Everton PSR case, five clubs initially applied for potential compensation — Burnley, Leeds United, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton. When Everton’s points deduction was reduced from ten to six after an appeal, it meant that only Burnley would have avoided relegation had the sanction been applied in the 2021-22 season — when the transgression took place — so the other clubs withdrew their applications.

However, the same commission that imposed a ten-point deduction on Everton is also deciding on the compensation for financial damages connected to the case, with its chairman, David Phillips KC, saying: “I am satisfied that the applicant clubs have potential claims for compensation.”

Everton initially challenged that position given that their ten-point sanction was reduced by a different commission, and there are still many legal arguments in the case, including over the sum Burnley would be entitled to in damages."


I agree with Stefan Borson on this

"Interesting to see confirmation that only Burnley’s case v Everton has survived with other clubs presumably not confident they could make out causation on alleged losses."
https://x.com/slbsn/status/1857128224557277519
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by NewClaret » Fri Nov 15, 2024 11:04 pm

Thank you for posting that CP.

I don’t often click on this thread as don’t have much interest in football finances generally, but glad I did tonight.

I was wondering what had come of our case against Everton and interesting to hear its ongoing behind the scenes. As I’ve always said, I feel we have a good case to at least be considered.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Nov 18, 2024 2:48 pm

A useful look at the owner spends on Premier League football clubs from purchase through, through to loans, share issues and debt conversion. Be aware at times that the information is potentially misleading such as the Manchester United purchase price where around 66% of the some was paid for by loans serviced (and still being serviced almost 20 years later) by the club.

It is noticeable that if this had been last year, ours would be the only club with no owner funding, a situation our club finds itself in for the first time in decades and a point I will not criticise because it is not something I believe is good for the game.

Incidentally if such a table was for financial extraction to benefit the owners either in the support of commercial loans and/or intercompany loans to enable their ownership, then the current Burnley FC ownership group and "Management Fees" would likely sit behind only Manchester United and the Glazer family.

from The Athletic

The Premier League Owners: Who has invested the most?
https://archive.ph/MsGDB
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:10 am

I remember when parts of the media were screaming out about the Premier League stalling on the 777 Partners proposed takeover of Everton, given that the group already had interests in/ownership of 6 other clubs and had been approved by both the Financial Conduct Authority (a government appointed regulator) and the FA in this country, even as disturbing reports about finances and practices of 777 were mounting. It is true that The Premier League did everything within their limited powers to prevent the takeover from happening and the game should be grateful for that, more so fans and employees of Everton.

Josimar Football has been at the forefront of the investigation into/ reporting of 777 Partners and it's prime financier A-Cap from the get-go and continue to report on developments into fallout from the now collapsed 777 Partners Empire

Empire on the run
Was buying football clubs just a way for 777 Partners to hide their true business – money laundering?

https://archive.ph/epaKU

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Nov 19, 2024 10:58 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Nov 18, 2024 2:48 pm
A useful look at the owner spends on Premier League football clubs from purchase through, through to loans, share issues and debt conversion. Be aware at times that the information is potentially misleading such as the Manchester United purchase price where around 66% of the some was paid for by loans serviced (and still being serviced almost 20 years later) by the club.

It is noticeable that if this had been last year, ours would be the only club with no owner funding, a situation our club finds itself in for the first time in decades and a point I will not criticise because it is not something I believe is good for the game.

Incidentally if such a table was for financial extraction to benefit the owners either in the support of commercial loans and/or intercompany loans to enable their ownership, then the current Burnley FC ownership group and "Management Fees" would likely sit behind only Manchester United and the Glazer family.

from The Athletic

The Premier League Owners: Who has invested the most?
https://archive.ph/MsGDB
Day 2 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on American owners - I find it interesting that some talk of self sustaining models that they are used too in the US.

Elsewhere today there is a thread on an interview with Mike Garlick in The Times viewtopic.php?f=2&t=78485.
Under Garlick's tenure our club became self sustaining for the first time in almost 50 years (that is around 3 generations) yet he is vilified for not having the funds to inject that would have allowed the club to spend on transfers through Covid. Most conveniently forget that the club was perfectly poised in terms of contracts (including consequent amortisation) and cash for a significant squad refresh in the summer of 2020 and still operate sustainably, before the impacts of Covid and the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the length of lockdowns hit. There was one club in the pyramid that got through that period via it's own resources, and it was then let down (probably predictably given who votes on the rules) by changes in fiscal rules which would have allowed it to come out the other side in a position of relative strength.

The Premier League Owners: Why half of clubs will soon be in American hands
https://archive.ph/4jg50

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Nov 19, 2024 1:49 pm

Martin Cloake uses his The Football Fan blog to give an update and support for the recent protests regarding Premier League ticket pricing. as ever there are some interest points within. Of particular note is the one that recognises that a change is occurring between active spectating (which generates atmosphere) and passive spectating which is essentially about consuming the atmosphere supposedly generated by others. The latter is what happens when sport is sold as entertainment alone. For all that 'legacy' fans are essentially mocked and unwanted (due to their lack of spend on incidentals) in some boardrooms, they remain a key facet of the overall product offering as the media rebates during Covid proved.

More tales from the product frontline
Why the time has come to push harder on ticket pricing, Governance Bill battle lines become clear, and that Spurs brand revamp

https://martincloake.substack.com/p/mor ... -frontline
https://archive.ph/lXEDP

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:35 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Tue Nov 19, 2024 10:58 am
Day 2 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on American owners - I find it interesting that some talk of self sustaining models that they are used too in the US.

Elsewhere today there is a thread on an interview with Mike Garlick in The Times viewtopic.php?f=2&t=78485.
Under Garlick's tenure our club became self sustaining for the first time in almost 50 years (that is around 3 generations) yet he is vilified for not having the funds to inject that would have allowed the club to spend on transfers through Covid. Most conveniently forget that the club was perfectly poised in terms of contracts (including consequent amortisation) and cash for a significant squad refresh in the summer of 2020 and still operate sustainably, before the impacts of Covid and the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the length of lockdowns hit. There was one club in the pyramid that got through that period via it's own resources, and it was then let down (probably predictably given who votes on the rules) by changes in fiscal rules which would have allowed it to come out the other side in a position of relative strength.

The Premier League Owners: Why half of clubs will soon be in American hands
https://archive.ph/4jg50
Day 3 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on the few clubs left under British influence. A story that we are now all familiar with following the sale of our club by Mike Garlick

The Premier League Owners: Five from UK remain – but for how much longer?
https://archive.ph/S94Ol

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:43 am

When looking at the changes in owner profile of Premier League clubs it is impossible not to remember the wrangle over the purchase of Newcastle United by Saudi's PiF, A sale that only concluded after much lobbying by the government and in particular 10 Downing St together with a statement of assurance that the government of Saudi led by MBS held no direct influence over PiF, which at least according to it's articles is true. Though as we know that is not the case, and this latest report shows that it was certainly not the case at the time of the assurance statement and actual takeover.

from the Sporting Intelligence blog by Nick Harris

NEW REPORT: MBS "abusing position via PIF to fund projects that harm his citizens"
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman has effectively taken sole control of his nation's $925 BILLION sovereign wealth fund to gratify himself, HRW say

https://sportingintelligence832.substac ... sition-via
https://archive.ph/5CvKi

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Nov 21, 2024 9:13 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:35 am
Day 3 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on the few clubs left under British influence. A story that we are now all familiar with following the sale of our club by Mike Garlick

The Premier League Owners: Five from UK remain – but for how much longer?
https://archive.ph/S94Ol
Day 4 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on the injection of money from the Gulf States - you will also see why the "untruth" told by the PiF about who controls it, reported above, was significant.

The Premier League Owners: Game-changing money from the Gulf – and what next?
https://archive.ph/IQNX1

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Nov 22, 2024 11:20 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2024 9:13 am
Day 4 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on the injection of money from the Gulf States - you will also see why the "untruth" told by the PiF about who controls it, reported above, was significant.

The Premier League Owners: Game-changing money from the Gulf – and what next?
https://archive.ph/IQNX1
Day 5 of The Athletics week long look at the owners of Premier League clubs - today the focus is on the remaining International cosmopolitan group of owners and investors in the Premier League

The Premier League Owners: China, Thailand, Greece and Serbia – why they want a piece of English football
https://web.archive.org/web/20241122094 ... -football/

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 9:38 am

I have to say that I am really surprised that this story from last Friday has not yet made the mainstream media, they were too busy thinking about Associated Party Transactions

It is worth noting that domestic TV rights are now around three quarters the value of International rights and that gap is only likely to grow - in fact the Premier Leagues International rights alone appear to be greater that every other league (bar la Liga) total media income. Note also the significant growth in commercial sponsorship - there is nuch still to be done there I feel, though it would upset the big clubs.

Premier League TV and commercial revenue up 17% to UK£12.25bn for next cycle
English soccer's top flight also ends long-running IMG production partnership to bring media operations in-house.

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/pre ... mber-2024/
https://archive.ph/dO2lR

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 9:46 am

As the Premier Leagues media earnings have rocketed and even held steady while everyone else's reduced, there has long been a suspicion here that there is a ' Premier League transfer tax; placed on acquisitions from Europe - this study from CIES Football Observatory essentially confirms it to be the case.

Transfer system and the Premier League
https://football-observatory.com/Weekly ... dium=email

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 9:49 am

Nick Harris uses his Sporting Intelligence blog to dissect the stories covered in my last two posts

rise and rise of the Premier League
At a point in time when many football leagues are seeing rights deals shrinking, England's premium football export is thriving, which in turn is funding mass spending

https://sportingintelligence832.substac ... e-to-drive
https://archive.ph/UMNR3

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 11:22 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Nov 27, 2024 9:38 am
I have to say that I am really surprised that this story from last Friday has not yet made the mainstream media, they were too busy thinking about Associated Party Transactions

It is worth noting that domestic TV rights are now around three quarters the value of International rights and that gap is only likely to grow - in fact the Premier Leagues International rights alone appear to be greater that every other league (bar la Liga) total media income. Note also the significant growth in commercial sponsorship - there is nuch still to be done there I feel, though it would upset the big clubs.

Premier League TV and commercial revenue up 17% to UK£12.25bn for next cycle
English soccer's top flight also ends long-running IMG production partnership to bring media operations in-house.

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/pre ... mber-2024/
https://archive.ph/dO2lR
The other thing to note about this next cycle of international rights for the Premier League is that for the first time The Premier League is bring the production of those broadcast in house - which opens up a range of long term opportunities (and i imagine a quite significant upfront investment). But what are the implications for Broadcasters and Streamers

from The Athletic

What the Premier League taking production in-house means for streaming, apps and broadcasters
https://archive.ph/yMToF

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 1:43 pm

for all the news about the increase in central revenues for the Premier League the issue mentioned at the top of the page is only likely to become more prominent (and Rick Parry/EFL will be crying out even more loudly) - The impending Independent Football Regulator will have powers of redistribution for some of the monies. Though there is still no mention of a Betting Levy (which benefits Horse Racing) for football, though it provides the betting industry with much more significant income.

It is no coincidence that most of the big clubs are re-focusing their attentions on revenues that they can retain, which is being reflected in Matchday ticket pricing and in ground expansion - a point noted by the Financial Times recently

Premier League clubs target stadium upgrades to boost revenues
Top football division clubs look to increase capacity by at least 14% over the next decade

https://archive.ph/Xnayu

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Nov 27, 2024 10:51 pm

and as if to prove a point Manchester United have announced mid-season match ticket price rises and the end of concessions for match tickets - this is the full American by Glazer stooge Ineos Jim, it is highly unlikely the Glazers would have tried such a manoeuvre

note everyone has to be a member to have a chance of acquiring a match ticket in the first place

from The Independent

Manchester United fans plan protest over ‘offensive’ ticket price hike
Fans will join with Everton supporters outside Old Trafford as part of the ‘Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign’

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 54827.html
https://archive.ph/N1b3g

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by IanMcL » Thu Nov 28, 2024 12:25 pm

Support at that other team the fans set up may get a big boost, to allow the tourists in at very old and dilapidated Old Trafford.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Big Vinny K » Thu Nov 28, 2024 12:46 pm

IanMcL wrote:
Thu Nov 28, 2024 12:25 pm
Support at that other team the fans set up may get a big boost, to allow the tourists in at very old and dilapidated Old Trafford.
I doubt it.
FC United’s crowds have been going down in recent years. Hardly any wonder given their results and where they sit now in the football pyramid.

I agree Old Trafford is in a poor state now. But all you need to do is look at their corporate hospitality facilities and prices to see where their priorities lie. They get almost as many people using their corporate hospitality on a match day as we get in our whole ground watching Burnley. Their revenue from hospitality was not too dissimilar to our revenue from Premier League last season….and dwarfs our parachute payments now.

And as much as I don’t like how “ordinary” supporters are treated at United or most other premier clubs all you have to do is look at how our own prices have increased under the new owners for both match day and hospitality whilst seeing very little or no investment in our own ageing stands and concourses to see where we are going as a club too.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by jrgbfc » Thu Nov 28, 2024 1:23 pm

Putting prices up halfway through the season really is taking the ****.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Nov 28, 2024 11:51 pm

It has been an interesting week for Leicester - The sacking of the manager is rumoured to be as a result (in part) of financial considerations.

the outcome of this story about their shirt sponsor is unlikely to make things any better

it started with this piece in Josimar Football on Monday

Fox News
BC.GAME has been declared bankrupt after five gamblers who were owed more than 2 million dollars took them to court, but the crypto casino operator remains Leicester’s shirt sponsor.

https://archive.ph/BXHdo

naturally the story doesn't and won't end there - today Josimar Football followed it up with this - which begs the question when is European Football going to start doing due diligence on it's sponsors

License revoked
Declared bankrupt by a court in Curaçao, Leicester City FC sponsor BC.GAME is about to lose its licence. Josimar has discovered that the operator is running one of the largest illegal betting networks in continental Europe.

https://archive.ph/EJoSX

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by bfcjg » Fri Nov 29, 2024 7:17 am

Leicester is the byword for dodgy.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:05 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Dec 04, 2023 10:33 pm
It has been some time since I lasted posted about Morecambe - but this is something you don't very often in football - Morecambe's board has stated they have no confidence in the club's owners, From the BBC

Morecambe board 'have no confidence' in owners overseeing sale of club
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67616703
The sorry and long running saga of the sale of Morecambe FC has still quite a way to go I feel, though the owners must be pleased with an away draw to Chelsea in the FA Cup

Martin Calladine of the Ugly Game, blog has been closest to this tale from the beginning and brings an update (in two parts) that carries little cheer

Meet the new boss…
The bidder who has spent months attempting to buy Morecambe is Kuljeet Singh Momi, a former business associate of Sarbjot Johal, the 22-year-old entrepreneur whose high-profile bid for the club last year was seemingly unable to pass the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test. Singh Momi and Johal have been co-owners or co-directors of eight companies in the last two years, raising questions about the independence of the new bid.

https://theuglygame.wordpress.com/2024/ ... #more-3595

Meet the new boss (pt.2)
Kuljeet Singh Momi is the prospective new owner of Morecambe. But while he has wide business interests and has founded or been a director of over a dozen companies in the UK, there’s limited publicly available evidence that he is rich, let alone “football rich.”

https://theuglygame.wordpress.com/2024/ ... #more-3652
https://archive.ph/awD5H
https://archive.ph/14nle

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:08 pm

It is inevitable - as we have long known that Saudi Arabia will soon be confirmed as the host nation for the 2034 World Cup - it has been arranged that way by FIFA President Gianni Infantino but too make sure there is not too much dissent the ere will be no vote just a single acclamation for the hosts of the 2030 Centenary World Cup and the 2034 World Cup.

that will not stop the investigative media undertaking their research though - take this from the Danish group - Play the Game

Saudi Arabia’s grip on world sport
Play the Game presents a new report and dataset which uncover the extensive scale and intricate networks behind Saudi Arabia’s sports strategy. Mapping 1,412 key positions across 209 Saudi entities and documenting 910 sponsorships in sports globally, this research provides unparalleled insights into one of the most influential players in international sports today.

https://www.playthegame.org/projects/sa ... rld-sport/
https://archive.ph/msDd1

The actual report is here - https://www.playthegame.org/media/rxflx ... -sport.pdf

and the supporting data set is here - https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/vie ... BROWSELINK

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Dec 03, 2024 3:02 pm

Nick de Marco KC and scourge of the football authorities has been surprisingly amenable to interviews of late there was the special pod for Price of Football a couple of weeks back and now he has spoken in detail to the BBC - though I think the tile is wide of the mark

Why 'The Godfather' of PSR wants clubs to spend more money
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 89xl21j9no

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Dec 03, 2024 11:57 pm

Josimar Football continue their investigations into illegal gambling in Asia , often publicised by sponsorship of European football teams, where it appears that a major European Gaming Technology provider is illegally complicit in facilitating access in illegal jurisdictions and which is part owned by state investment fund whose rules forbid investments in such practices - it is not just football that lacks concern about where the revenue comes from.

Once again our club and it's links with current and past sponsors is mentioned

Making a fortune from illegal gambling
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund has made several hundred million dollars on shares in the Swedish gambling technology provider Evolution. The company provides casino games to Asian markets where betting is illegal and linked to operators involved in human trafficking, money laundering and cyber slavery compounds.

https://josimarfootball.com/2024/12/02/ ... -gambling/
https://archive.ph/bOaKx

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:15 pm

This does not come as a surprise - I will say it again, Everton got lucky that the Premier League used everything in their limited armour to prevent the takeover by 777 Partners and consequently the clutches of A-CAP
From Josimar Football

Double Indemnity
A-CAP has always maintained that it was financially able to withstand the demise of 777 Partners. A new ruling by Utah regulators shows it is not the case, something which will alarm all of the football clubs it now controls and has failed to find buyers for.

https://archive.ph/krBL1

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Dec 05, 2024 1:36 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:08 pm
It is inevitable - as we have long known that Saudi Arabia will soon be confirmed as the host nation for the 2034 World Cup - it has been arranged that way by FIFA President Gianni Infantino but too make sure there is not too much dissent the ere will be no vote just a single acclamation for the hosts of the 2030 Centenary World Cup and the 2034 World Cup.

that will not stop the investigative media undertaking their research though - take this from the Danish group - Play the Game

Saudi Arabia’s grip on world sport
Play the Game presents a new report and dataset which uncover the extensive scale and intricate networks behind Saudi Arabia’s sports strategy. Mapping 1,412 key positions across 209 Saudi entities and documenting 910 sponsorships in sports globally, this research provides unparalleled insights into one of the most influential players in international sports today.

https://www.playthegame.org/projects/sa ... rld-sport/
https://archive.ph/msDd1

The actual report is here - https://www.playthegame.org/media/rxflx ... -sport.pdf

and the supporting data set is here - https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/vie ... BROWSELINK
When the story broke yesterday that the loss making DAZN was to live stream globally for free every game of next summer's club world cup in a $1 billion deal. My first though was how could they managed this (even with paid subscriptions). Butit diddn'y take very long to put together a theory or teo

from The Telegraph

DAZN’s $1bn Club World Cup deal – as Saudi’s invest $1bn in DAZN
Selling rights to streaming platform that has made losses of billions of pounds will raise questions about how such a deal will be funded

https://archive.ph/tsjHN

naturally the PiF has denied any such investment plan, though they could just as easily pay DAXN for the service as an indirect gesture of goodwill to FIFA. Either way, there seems little obvious reason for the funds to be coming directly from DAZN or from any other source than the Saudi's as Sam Wallace explains in today's Telegraph

Someone is paying DAZN’s $1bn bill... it could not be Saudi Arabia, could it?
Broadcast rights news illustrates how kingdom’s grip on global game is growing ever stronger

https://archive.ph/XmNDI

What I will say is that a long term and significant investment from PiF in DAZN, even a takeover, would make sense given the kingdom's wider sports media broadcast ambitions given the inhouse expertise/capability and the overlap with the type of content DAZN offers in areas like boxing and the events the kingdom enjoys organising.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Dec 05, 2024 1:47 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Dec 05, 2024 1:36 pm
When the story broke yesterday that the loss making DAZN was to live stream globally for free every game of next summer's club world cup in a $1 billion deal. My first though was how could they managed this (even with paid subscriptions). Butit diddn'y take very long to put together a theory or teo

from The Telegraph

DAZN’s $1bn Club World Cup deal – as Saudi’s invest $1bn in DAZN
Selling rights to streaming platform that has made losses of billions of pounds will raise questions about how such a deal will be funded

https://archive.ph/tsjHN

naturally the PiF has denied any such investment plan, though they could just as easily pay DAXN for the service as an indirect gesture of goodwill to FIFA. Either way, there seems little obvious reason for the funds to be coming directly from DAZN or from any other source than the Saudi's as Sam Wallace explains in today's Telegraph

Someone is paying DAZN’s $1bn bill... it could not be Saudi Arabia, could it?
Broadcast rights news illustrates how kingdom’s grip on global game is growing ever stronger

https://archive.ph/XmNDI

What I will say is that a long term and significant investment from PiF in DAZN, even a takeover, would make sense given the kingdom's wider sports media broadcast ambitions given the inhouse expertise/capability and the overlap with the type of content DAZN offers in areas like boxing and the events the kingdom enjoys organising.
If you are not convinced by this theorising try adding this to the mix,. It outlines how close DAZN and Saudi have become and how Fox Sports valued the media rights for the event (even after FIFA squeezed Lionel Messi/Inter Miami into it) at $10m - by Tariq Panja in The New York Times

FIFA Secures $1 Billion Broadcast Deal for Its Club World Cup
An agreement with the London-based streaming company DAZN came just a day before the draw for the inaugural event and after other networks balked at FIFA’s demands.

https://archive.ph/jH6A0

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Dec 17, 2024 1:29 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon May 27, 2024 9:09 pm
I am far from certain that this changes anything

from The BBC

Spanish court rules in favour of Super League creators
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 55dqlv5nno

Whatever The Times says - after all it was the clubs via the ECA that somehow persuaded UEFA to go through with the changes for next seasons European club competitions and the joint commercial venture even as ESL was collapsing due to fan and government pressure in England.

Court ruling on European Super League gives more power to clubs
Decision could mean European clubs flexing muscles more on Uefa’s Champions League or Fifa’s new Club World Cup in terms of organisation or financial distribution

https://archive.ph/GPyI3
It was never going to go away - not when there is potentially so much money involved - but the new name is really taking the P***. There is still no guarantee that it will get off the ground

from The Athletic

European Super League relaunches as ‘Unify League’: What’s different – and will it work this time?
https://archive.ph/K0qxQ

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Apr 10, 2025 3:29 pm

It has perhaps become the key differentiator in regard to escaping the Championship and having a greater chance of a sustained presence in the Premier League - just how good and possibly more importantly "creative" are your legal and financial teams/advisors

today we learn how Bournemouth joined the list of those that have manipulated the inadequacies of the rule book to gain an advantage that appears to be against the spirit of the rules - note that the notion of adhering to the spirit of rule/law is widely regarded as laughable now

from The Athletic

Explained: How Bournemouth avoided a PSR breach and what it means for other clubs
https://archive.ph/WfzOZ

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Claretnick » Thu Apr 10, 2025 5:38 pm

Wow Bournemouth's transfer spend of £260m over 2 seasons is mind boggling when you consider the limited attendances they get with their small stadium.
It's no wonder we struggle competing in the PL and they currently unconfirmed promoted clubs are already relegated next season in the eyes of the football media.
Will the madness ever end?

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:09 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Apr 15, 2024 10:15 am
FIFA are indeed considering changes to their statues re league games out of the leagues national domain, but as The Financial Times points out - there are other hurdles that may be a bit more complex, particularly for Premier League clubs

League matches in America? Not so fast
https://archive.ph/95k0c

Financialt Times - Broadcast fees.png

Chart showing that domestic TV revenues for football’s big five leagues have peaked, but overseas rights are propelling the Premier League further ahead

The end of a dispute going back six years has reignited the possibility that Europe’s big football leagues could one day play official matches in America, in what could be a transformative commercial goal for the sport.

Fifa said this week that it would consider “changes” to policies that prevent leagues and clubs playing league games outside of their home territories.

The statement followed an agreement to resolve a legal battle with Relevent Sports. The US promoter, which is owned by billionaire Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and led by chief executive Daniel Sillman, had challenged the world governing body over its ban.

North America has become more important to European football since Fifa stood in the way of Relevent’s attempts to host a La Liga clash between FC Barcelona and Girona in Miami in 2019. Meanwhile, Fifa is ramping up preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place in Canada, Mexico and the US.

In turn, America has warmed to football. Lionel Messi wows crowds with his performances for Inter Miami while US investors have poured capital into European football teams.

More importantly, the Premier League and La Liga are making more money than ever in North America thanks to lucrative broadcasting deals.

Somehow, top English and Spanish clubs have signed multibillion dollar media rights deals without playing any games of serious consequence in the region.

Now the question is what could be achieved if the best English and Spanish clubs could play the occasional official match across the pond.

But don’t expect a quick answer. There’s a difference between Fifa changing its stance and the reality of convincing fans and politicians of the merits of going abroad.

La Liga is familiar with the debate. Players and the Spanish football federation raised concerns last time round. Meanwhile, Premier League chief Richard Masters last summer played down the prospect of playing competitive matches in the US.

In any case, the English top flight has learned about both sides of UK government power in the years since Relevent launched its case against Fifa.

The league welcomed the government’s objections to the breakaway European Super League. More recently, however, Masters has warned that UK plans to introduce an independent football regulator could undermine the competition’s global dominance.

Against that backdrop, it would take a brave league to tell fans that clubs can head off to America instead of holding matches in front of their home crowds.

For Relevent, these circumstances mean that winning over Fifa is just the first step to the ultimate dream.
This now all seems done and dusted and as with yesterday's story it has more to do with financiers and legal teams than with the spirit of Football's competition rules. Don't be surprised to see La Liga games there next season (and possibly also in the middle east) and it is certain that Champions League games (most probably the final - will be played there before the decade is out

from The Guardian

Relevent, US Soccer settlement clears way for European league games in US
Relevent owns commercial rights for Uefa competitions

Fifa, a former defendant, studying changes to policy

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ames-in-us
https://archive.ph/wYs0n

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Apr 13, 2025 3:22 pm

In the same vein as my recent posts - it is worth noting that the spirit and regulation of sporting competition in modern football is not worth the paper it is written on if the offenders have the wealth to effectively treat it as cost of progress

you may have notiecd the hoo-haa over Chelsea's latest financial accounts

Stefan Borson had this to say in his excellent blog - which for the moment is free to access

EXPLAINED: How Chelsea finally killed PSR
Murder on the Bridge floor

https://archive.ph/BGjkp

The Athletic also explained why placing the use of a holding company essentially protects Chelsea from the rules

Chelsea’s holding company’s £1bn-plus ‘debt’ – and why it’s unlikely to cause problems
https://archive.ph/PNcnm

Then of course we have the inconsistencies of rules (and indeed punishments) across competitions - here Stefan Borson illustrates how it was a simple calculation of cost benefit (no doubt, along with the ability to employ better legal representation) that probably encouraged both Chelsea and Aston Villa to not be concerned with UEFA's financial regulations enforced as a result of participating in their competitions.

EXPLAINED: The UEFA tariffs that Villa and Chelsea are happy to pay
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more

https://archive.ph/yLT75

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Apr 16, 2025 11:35 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Jul 12, 2024 3:48 pm
It is a classic example of a Football authority not understanding the need to maintain a strong partnership with its premier domestic pay-tv operator, exacerbated in France by the fact that Canal+ is the only viable gateway to pay tv customers, the Mediapro farce of 2020 has also demonstrated to Canal+ that it doesn't even have to buy the rights, as any rights holder is compelled to enter a license agreement with them to access pay-tv subscribers.

Of course after that last debacle the French clubs too moneys from CVC partners to hel cover their losses - that requires them to pay CVC around 13% of future TV revenues for decades. Now the challenge is how are the clubs going to make up their losses, which are likely to be similar to those of last time.

Struggle to find TV deal leaves French football clubs fearing bankruptcy
League president Vincent Labrune predicted broadcast revenues of €1bn a season but reality has proved different

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ar ... al-ligue-1
https://archive.ph/UhEKe

I have long noted that the Premier League does everything it possibly can to work with its primary broadcast partners Sky/Comcast, Viaplay (formerly Nent) and beIN Sport to maintain its income streams, as the latest edition of Unofficial Partner's 'the bundle' podcast notes.

This podcast also notes that the Premier League is much more calculated in when it sells it rights internationally - currently Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga are tendering for North American deals 18 months after megadeals for NFL and the Premier League, 12 months after mega deals for Baseball and NHL and weeks after the NBA managed to treble its deal - you wonder what money those broadcasters have left.

UP403 The Bundle: The Sports Media and Streaming Market
https://www.unofficialpartner.com/podca ... ing-market

the blurb

Welcome to The Bundle, our deep dive in to the sports media rights economy with regular co-hosts Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke.

Today’s list of topics include trying to decipher FIFA’s media strategy around FIFA+ and the Club World Cup, we dip in to the French market and the challenges being faced by the country’s leading football league, Ligue1, there’s a bit on YouTube and whether the sports industry’s view of it is shifting, and finally we compare the rhetoric around the value of women’s club football with the reality of the media rights market for properties such as the WSL and FIFA and UEFA properties.
Again an example of how the game is increasingly reliant on off the field matters

French Football shows that it has learned nothing at all in the art of the deal re TV rights - not forgetting that those households that actually have the wealth for sports subscriptions are much more inclined to rugby which has grown hugely in France. No doubt the rest of Europe and particularly The Premier League will see this as an opportunity in the summer transfer window

from The Athletic

Ligue 1 faces financial crisis as talks between clubs and DAZN over TV deal break down
https://archive.ph/u4lLx

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by ecc » Wed Apr 16, 2025 11:57 am

Not sure it's mentioned in the article but there was a clause in the DAZN/LFP contract concerning DAZN achieving its objective of 1.5m subscribers. Should it not do so by December 2025 either party can walk away from the contract. They currently have 500,000 subscribers. They are never going to get a million people suscribing.

More or less every season we know who is going to win the title before a ball is kicked.

Very few French-based players not at PSG get in the national team.

It's a pretty depressing situation and has led to most people bothered about watching L1 doing so through illegal streaming.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Apr 20, 2025 9:34 pm

With Leicester's relegation from the Premier League confirmed this afternoon, it will be interesting to see how well their legal teams deal with an anticipated investigation from the EFL into their adherence to the financial rules. Also as to whether the Premier League the Premier League will pursue their own investigations/charges (the following appears to suggest that they may not). Certainly it will not be possible to use the last couple of loopholes that allowed them to get away with what should have been clear breaches as the both the EFL and now the Premier League have closed them.

I count three consecutive promotions to the Premier League that took advantage of inadequacies in the rules - will they have to work harder for a fourth, though I hope there are none left

from The Athletic

Premier League amends PSR rules amid Leicester City dispute
https://archive.ph/64Qrn

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:02 pm

ecc wrote:
Wed Apr 16, 2025 11:57 am
Not sure it's mentioned in the article but there was a clause in the DAZN/LFP contract concerning DAZN achieving its objective of 1.5m subscribers. Should it not do so by December 2025 either party can walk away from the contract. They currently have 500,000 subscribers. They are never going to get a million people suscribing.

More or less every season we know who is going to win the title before a ball is kicked.

Very few French-based players not at PSG get in the national team.

It's a pretty depressing situation and has led to most people bothered about watching L1 doing so through illegal streaming.
Things in Ligue 1 are very desperate as Philippe Auclair outlines here - the thing is this was all so predictable, I posted about this when the Mediapro deal was announced 4 years ago. On a wider perspective, the increase in the use of illegal streams further underlines the need for the price of broadcast deals to come down to provide a price point the greater majority of people are prepared/able to pay

Ligue 1’s two-faced truth: European success is masking financial ruin
French clubs are enjoying best continental season in decades but catastrophic crisis could engulf entire league

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... n-analysis
https://archive.ph/YBLrv

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Socrates » Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:32 pm

Can anybody translate this please :-

https://alternativecreditinvestor.com/2 ... s-venture/

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Apr 24, 2025 2:30 pm

Socrates wrote:
Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:32 pm
Can anybody translate this please :-

https://alternativecreditinvestor.com/2 ... s-venture/
On the face of it - this will have absolutely nothing to do with our football club and possibly just be America only focussed

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Apr 29, 2025 12:57 pm

He is very well known to this thread -

As this article outlines, this is a country where he is probably least known (or cared about. The multiplicity of his roles has long been a problem for me but is only just starting to be properly questioned - at least in this country.

Imagine how British law - which as we have recently seen in the Associated Party Transactions hearing found the Premier League guilty of 'Two-Hatting' (and no that is not a euphemism) - would view the roles of a man who controls one of the continents most dominant clubs (PSG), certainly the most dominant club in the domestic league where he also controls the only broadcaster that league has which pays what it says it will (beIN sport). In Europe he also controls the major club pressure group (the ECA) which now co-controls the media/commercia rights, competition control and organisation for UEFA club competitions (UC3)where beIN sport are a major broadcast partner, Not forgetting he also sits on (and is a vey influential member of) UEFA Executive Council - the body that sets the overall rules for the game and overseas adherence by clubs/associations as well as the media and commercial activities for UEFA international competitions - again where beIN sport are major broadcast partners and Quatari sponsorships owned/controlled by QSI (where he sits on the executive board).

This role is likely to spread into FIFA now they have sought to get themselves deeply involved in club football, no matter how much Gianni Infantino will try and resist, remember Infantino has lived in Qatar for years, benefitted from four years of a free private jet from Qatari Airlines, where beIN sport is a major broadcast partner of FIFA and QSI owned/controlled companies have recently been significant FIFA commercial partners .
In essence it points to a lot that is wrong with modern football

The Guardian with a piece on Nasser al Kheliafi

Nasser al-Khelaifi: powerful, divisive and fuelling PSG’s European dream
Club’s president has a deep sphere of football influence and travels to Arsenal desperate for Champions League vision to be realised
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ue-arsenal
https://archive.ph/t67Kz

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Apr 29, 2025 3:24 pm

Yesterday Leeds United announced intentions to increase the capacity of Elland Road by almost 19,000, this followed the announcement of agreements on a wider development of the area around the ground with Leeds City council last week. this follows recent announcements by Wrexham, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Manchester United of Stadium developments/replacements all with wider developments partnering with developers and local government. The weekend also so the inevitable calls from some on this board for Turf Moor to be developed (along with it's approach and environs),

today the Guardian posts a useful reminder of the very clear and simple fact that these types of development almost never produce the regeneration and more particularly growth to towns and cities that are promised

The stadium myth: new grounds won’t rescue your club – or your city
From the Premier League to MLS and the NFL, huge stadiums with gargantuan costs are a symptom of elite sport’s unrealistic promises

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... verton-nfl
https://archive.ph/FusQQ

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri May 02, 2025 4:10 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:15 pm
This does not come as a surprise - I will say it again, Everton got lucky that the Premier League used everything in their limited armour to prevent the takeover by 777 Partners and consequently the clutches of A-CAP
From Josimar Football

Double Indemnity
A-CAP has always maintained that it was financially able to withstand the demise of 777 Partners. A new ruling by Utah regulators shows it is not the case, something which will alarm all of the football clubs it now controls and has failed to find buyers for.

https://archive.ph/krBL1
for those who may be wondering what has been happening with this story about 777 Partners/A-CAP - the investigative journalists at Josimar Football are still following the story and it is unravelling in to a right old mess of seemingly huge financial criminality and very unfortunate consequences for thousands of people. This is a catch-up on my absence from this thread

Down by law
The demise of 777 Partners is now threatening to affect thousands of insurance policyholders in the USA whose money ended up funding the company’s risky bets on debt-ridden, loss-making football clubs and failing budget airlines.

https://archive.ph/7U42F

Crime and punishment
A-CAP has suspended the sale of Standard de Liège, a criminal investigation has opened at Genoa, and the future of all the clubs in the crumbling 777 Partners empire could soon be in the hands of US regulators.

https://archive.ph/dccNs

U.S. Steal
Whatever happened to 777 Partners? The company still exists, though their website has gone dark, they are losing court cases, and a former employee has testified under oath accusing them of “stealing” 350 million dollars. Now, one of their creditors wants to tell their story.

https://archive.ph/mrmap

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri May 02, 2025 4:16 pm

Again to re-iterate just how the Premier League (despite their reputation) have a better track record than most associations/leagues with their Owners and Directors Tests. The troubles at Reading could yet lead to their expulsion from the EFL as a result of the actions (more accurately inactions) of Dai Yongge, it has emerged this week that the Premier League blocked him 8 years ago - unlike the EFL (which to be fair was under the control of a much less professional set of executives than the likes of Trevor Birch and Rick Parry at the time).

from The Times

Premier League declared Reading owner Dai Yongge unfit eight years ago
Questions have emerged over how the Chinese businessman was allowed to buy financially troubled club in 2017 after he was blocked from acquiring Hull City, then in the top flight

https://archive.ph/rX0sB

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sat May 03, 2025 7:25 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Apr 16, 2025 11:35 am
Again an example of how the game is increasingly reliant on off the field matters

French Football shows that it has learned nothing at all in the art of the deal re TV rights - not forgetting that those households that actually have the wealth for sports subscriptions are much more inclined to rugby which has grown hugely in France. No doubt the rest of Europe and particularly The Premier League will see this as an opportunity in the summer transfer window

from The Athletic

Ligue 1 faces financial crisis as talks between clubs and DAZN over TV deal break down
https://archive.ph/u4lLx
The French Ligue may be happy about this for now, but the reality is that is likely to agree a new deal on even less money than before - as for DAZN £100m may turn out to be a cheap way to walk away. For the Logue it could be a very long road back to stability, however that may look,

from the Financial Times

French football league settles rights dispute with DAZN
Agreement allows Ligue 1 to explore deals with other broadcasters or potentially show games itself

https://archive.ph/Tb3t9

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue May 06, 2025 10:11 am

Sport the Saudi way is not really sport, it is about domination with the odds very heavily weighed in your favour - though in truth there are a few European, and South American clubs who would like to operate like this

from The Guardian

Saudi domination of Asian Champions League a concern after Al-Ahli triumph
Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino starred in tournament but unbalanced format reflects political power in continent

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... li-triumph
https://archive.ph/FeuS5

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue May 06, 2025 5:07 pm

Once again Burnley return to the Premier League next season, it is also the beginning of a new domestic TV cycle, this one covering 4 years and offing a minor increase in value. for that the Premier League has had to make even more games available to live broadcast - with all non Saturday 3pm games now being shown live. the effect will be similar to this seasons Championship the big teams will rarely see a traditional Saturday kick off time.

here Stefan Borson gives all the intricate detail

Borson goes onto look at the over abundance of live football broadcasts involving domestic teams - and raises the point most fans are concerned about, just how are they going to manage getting to away matches

EXPLAINED: The new Premier League broadcast deal
The Saturday 3pm game is almost dead

https://stefanborson.substack.com/p/exp ... ier-league
https://archive.ph/oBVS9

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sat May 10, 2025 11:23 am

Jonathan Liew with a modern parable of how the world went wrong - note he is incorrect about leveraged buyouts now being banned, Hicks and Gillette at Liverpool - yes, Glazers at Manchester United and ALK at Burnley would still get approved under the current rules though the impending independent regulator may impact that down the line

from the Guardian

Two decades of the Glazers: a debt of morals at United with football paying the bill
Fans protested against the leveraged takeover but were offered little support and the toxicity has had a lasting impact

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ter-united
https://archive.ph/oe3Ie

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