Why won’t TV rights company pouring millions into English football reveal its owners?

Pitch International, which has bought and sold on overseas rights from the FA and EFL, has an anonymous controlling shareholder

The Football Association unveiled its plans last month for a menu of multimillion-pound investment into grassroots facilities and projects, and wiping out the debt on Wembley, largely from the sale of greatly increased TV deals for FA Cup and England matches. Announcing the international sales last year, the FA’s chief executive, Martin Glenn, said the money would have “a transformational impact” on football across the country.

One of the major buyers in those international deals, reported to have paid £210m from next season to 2023-24 for the exclusive rights to broadcast in the Middle East, North Africa and western Europe, is an agency based in London, Pitch International. Pitch has also bought the English Football League’s international media rights, reported to be £120m over five seasons until 2021-22.

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