It is thought to be paying an amount similar to the £1.314 billion it pays now. The packages, of 23 matches each, include the first-choice match each week.
A second round of bidding for the two remaining live packages will take place tomorrow morning, with incumbent Setanta and ESPN the leading candidates. BSkyB is also likely to be in the mix, although it will be happy with the packages it has and there is no real need for it to fork out an additional £60-70 million a year on adding a fifth.
One likely scenario might be that ESPN and Setanta could collaborate, if not directly in the auction then shortly afterwards. ESPN buying a stake or all of Setanta would give it the channel it needs in the UK and would give Setanta a much-needed financial boost. ESPN has been touted as a buyer of Setanta for a while and now, with Setanta really under pressure in the heat of the negotiation, would be a perfect time for ESPN to leverage a knockdown price.
Overall, the live rights auction is likely to generate about the same as the £1.706 billion the league receives at the moment. The league has already agreed a deal with public-service broadcaster the BBC for highlights, worth £173 million over the three years – a marginal increase on the present contract. The league is said to remain hopeful of a significant increase on the £650 million it gets from international rights-holders. For more details see the next TV Sports Markets newsletter.