Liverpool FC moves against collective deals for English soccer rights

A move by Liverpool FC to look at selling its international TV rights individually could ultimately change the way that English soccer clubs sell rights.

The club, which has historically been very successful, wants to investigate whether it could challenge the current system whereby rights for the Premier League clubs are sold collectively and the revenues shared between the clubs. Liverpool reportedly favour the system employed in Spain and elsewhere, whereby clubs negotiate deals with foreign brokers and broadcasters on an individual basis. Currently, the Premier League sells the rights and generated £1.4 billion (€1.6 billion) from international deals for the 2010-13 period.

Separately, the English Football Association has renewed its TV rights deal with US broadcaster Fox. The company currently holds the US rights and airs the FA Cup and England team games on its Fox Soccer service. It has renewed the current deal, which expires in 2012, through to the 2017-18 season.