BT chief: We don't need Premier League rights

Gavin Patterson says firm has ‘Plan B’ if price for live football coverage goes beyond top bid

BT does not need exclusive Premier League games and has a “Plan B” if the company misses out in the upcoming £6bn TV rights auction, the chief executive has said.

BT and Sky are due to lodge their bids next week for the three-year cycle of Premier League live TV rights beginning in 2019-20. Analysts expect 15-23% inflation on the £5.14bn paid last time; £960m by BT for 42 live matches a season, and £4.18bn by Sky for 126 games. Digital rivals, such as Amazon or Facebook, could also enter the bidding for one of the less attractive packages of games.

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