Discovery to enter Premier League rights race – report

Telecommunications company Discovery Communications, the parent company of pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport, will submit a bid for the next cycle of domestic rights to football’s English Premier League, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

Discovery chief executive David Zaslav flew to London yesterday (Wednesday) to meet Premier League officials, the report said, citing sources.

Bids for the three-year cycle from 2016-17 to 2018-19 are due early next month, with Discovery set to face intense competition from pay-television broadcasters Sky and BT Sport, the incumbent rights-holders.

The league has put 168 games per season on the market, divided into five packages of 28 matches and two packages of 14 games. No buyer will be allowed to acquire more than 126 matches.