Ukrainian Premier League set for collective rights model

The Ukrainian Premier League, the top division of football in the country, appears poised to switch to a collective broadcast rights model following a vote of its member clubs.

The centralisation of commercial television rights for their future sale on the domestic and international markets was one of the key items on the agenda of a meeting held yesterday (Tuesday).

The UPL said clubs supported the general strategy, which aims to improve the overall value of the Premier League product. After voting, 10 of the 12 member clubs agreed to transfer their commercial rights for international broadcasts, while seven opted to move their domestic rights to a collective system.

The UPL said in a statement: “The key issue today in the league’s development strategy is the monetisation of commercial rights in order to ensure the continued financial growth of the Ukrainian football top division.”

The UPL is in the midst of instigating major reforms and the 2016-17 Premier League season is set to see the competition cut from 14 to 12 teams.