That television rights change that Liverpool proposed? The one where clubs would sell TV rights separately that would only benefit the big clubs? Well, two of the really big clubs don't endorse it. Manchester United and Chelsea, two teams that would unquestionably benefit from Premier League clubs selling their television rights individually instead of as a package with the league, have come out to explicitly state that they are not in support of changing the current television rights structure.
Manchester United, Chelsea Don’t Endorse Liverpool TV Rights Breakaway Plan
Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre stated yesterday that he would like to see clubs allowed to negotiate international television deals separately, much like Real Madrid and Barcelona are able to do with their television rights in La Liga. Were this to happen, it would be a big financial boost for Liverpool and other big clubs like Chelsea and United, while smaller clubs would suffer.
A Chelsea spokesperson had this to say about the proposal:
“We are supportive of the Premier League on this and want to continue with the way they sell collectively.”
While Manchester United chairman David Gill chimed in with some thoughts of his own:
“[T]he collective selling of the television rights has clearly been a success and it has made things more competitive.”
For those worried that Ayre's vision might become a reality in the near future, worry no more. Liverpool was going to need the support of their fellow "old big four" clubs and Manchester City to have any chance of gaining any leverage on this. If Chelsea and Manchester United have no interest, this proposal is more or less dead in the water.
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