The biggest TV deals in the history of Sport

The Premier League recently agreed to a new domestic broadcasting deal worth £6.7 billion ($8.4 billion) that covers the league for four years from the 2025-26 season onwards.

For the Premier League, this figure isn’t substantially more than previous deals, but they are opening the door for overseas money to bolster their income.

This deal is a slight increase on the current package, which is valued at £5 billion ($6.3 billion) over three seasons. The new deal sees an increase of 4% which the Premier League has said will, “provide financial certainty for clubs throughout professional football until at least 2029”.

The Premier League is already the richest football league in the world, but how do other sports leagues around the world compare?

The Spanish league is generally considered the second-best league in the world behind the Premier League and their broadcasting deal reflects that, with their TV rights package valued at $5.29 billion over five years. This deal is set to run out in 2027.

The German Bundesliga is valued similarly to La Liga on a year-to-year basis with their current deal valued at $4.7 billion over four seasons.

Italian football was once the envy of Europe with the league consistently one of the highest spending and wealthiest in football. Their current TV deal showcases the league’s drop off with their yearly payments falling below the $1 billion mark. Their current deal is set to kick in from the end of next season and will be valued at $4.8 billion over five years.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is by far and away the biggest cricket league in the world, dwarfing its competition. That reality is reflected in the TV deal which is worth $6 billion over four years. The wealth involved in this competition is reflective of a changing marketplace in cricket and could well alter the sport forever.

The MLB is the oldest professional league in America and is an incredibly valuable TV property for American and overseas broadcasters. Their current deal stretches over seven years and is valued at over $12 billion, although it is expected that number could increase with streaming packages included.

Another American sports league, the NBA, is near the top of the list with a deal worth over $24 billion over 10 years. The rising popularity of basketball overseas could see this deal be dwarfed when the contract is renewed in 2025.

The NFL is the most valuable sports league in the world and blows its competition out of the water. The current TV package is worth a staggering $113 Billion over ten years, nearly four times as valuable every year as their next-best competition.