LONDON: The Premier League’s inflationary bubble burst Tuesday when the $6b sale of British television rights saw a slump in revenue from broadcasters.
The past two auctions both produced 70 percent jumps in the value of rights, fueling spiraling wages and transfer fees and cementing the competition’s status as the world’s richest league. But a second round of bidding for the 2019-2022 rights left two of the seven packages unsold as Sky emerged the big winner, and BT’s number of games was reduced.
The sale of 160 games has raised £4.464b ($6.2b), compared with £5.14b for 168 fixtures from 2016 to 2019. The league will be looking to the sale of overseas rights to provide an upsurge in revenue for its 20 teams.
While remaining the biggest broadcaster of most games in Britain with four packages, Sky boasted how it was now paying 16 percent less per fixture in its £3.579b, three-year deal to show 128 games per season. That equates to savings of almost £600m for the European pay TV giant while showing an additional two games a year.
But while Sky’s price per game drops from £11m to £9.3m, BT had to agree to pay £9.2m — up from £7.6m — for one package of 32 games. The broadcaster, which was launched in 2012 by Britain’s former telephone monopoly, has lost 10 games.
The Premier League increased the number of games available for live broadcasting in Britain to 200, with only overseas channels able to air all 380 fixtures a year live in a bid to maintain high numbers of fans at stadiums.
The Premier League said “multiple bidders” remain interested in the two remaining packages that allow broadcasters to show every game on four match nights. It is the first time entire rounds of fixtures can be aired live domestically, and there is intrigue over whether companies like Amazon, Netflix or Facebook will use them as a chance to gain a foothold in the Premier League.
“To have achieved this investment with two packages of live rights remaining to sell is an outcome that is testament to the excellent football competition delivered by the clubs,” Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore said. “It provides them with certainty and will underpin their continued efforts to put on the most compelling football, invest sustainably in all areas, and use their popularity and reach to have a positive impact on the sport and beyond.”
The 2019-2022 Chinese rights have already been sold to online video streaming service PPTV for $700m in the league’s biggest-ever global deal. In 2015, the American rights were sold through 2022 to NBC in a six-year deal worth $1b.
The auction comes amid uncertainty at Sky with regulators in Britain assessing the attempt by Rupert Murdochs’s 21st Century Fox to buy the 61 percent of the broadcaster it does not already own. Walt Disney Co. has also bid $52.4b to take over the majority of Fox in a deal that Disney hopes would lead to full ownership of Sky.
Sky big winner as English Premier League UK television rights sold for $6 billion
Sky big winner as English Premier League UK television rights sold for $6 billion
Saudi Arabia open to financing up to 75% of certain industrial projects, says minister
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is open to providing up to 75 percent of financing for certain industrial projects, a minister has revealed in a bid to incentivize foreign investment and private sector players.
During his discussion with several Qatari investors on the sidelines of the 52nd meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council Industrial Cooperation Committee in Doha, Bandar Alkhorayef, the Kingdom’s minister of industry and mineral resources, highlighted the vast opportunities that Saudi Arabia’s untapped mining potential provides to global investors.
According to a release on X, he reaffirmed that in addition to the incentives provided by the industrial and mineral wealth system and the multiple sources of financing, the prepared infrastructure in more than 36 industrial cities around the Kingdom offers a sum of qualitative capabilities such as the production of prefabricated factories and long-term rentals.
SAR sees 9% annual growth in cargo transported
RIYADH: The volume of minerals and goods transported by Saudi Arabia Railways reached 6.34 million tonnes during the first quarter of 2024, an annual increase of 9 percent.
According to its quarterly report, SAR stated that over 2.7 million passengers utilized its services, marking a 23 percent growth compared to same period last year.
Passenger rides also increased by 3 percent, reaching a total of 8,252 trips across the East Train, North Train, and Haramain Express train networks.
Saudi financial sector expands ambitions, eyes foreign investment surge: report
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia aims to enhance its stock exchange appeal to foreign investors, targeting 17 percent ownership of free float shares by 2024, a new report has revealed.
According to the 2023 Financial Sector Development Program document, the Saudi Capital Market Authority plans to boost assets under management to 29.4 percent of gross domestic product by 2024 by increasing the investment environment and attracting more investors.
The report, published annually, highlights the achievements in the financial sector, particularly the Kingdom’s ongoing progress in competitiveness indicators related to the capital market, as stated by Mohammed Al-Jadaan, minister of finance and chairman of the FSDP.
Commenting on the development of the financial sector, Al-Jadaan emphasized the importance of innovation and investment in talent and technology.
“We have placed innovation and investment in both talent and technology at the top of our priorities, because we recognize the importance of building a dynamic financial environment that allows companies — especially startups — to flourish and succeed,” the minister stated.
In line with its commitment to facilitating financing in the capital market, the CMA also plans to accelerate the pace of listings by welcoming 24 new companies in 2024.
Moreover, there will be a focus on supporting the development of new and promising sectors, with a target of having micro and small enterprises account for 45 percent of total listings.
Another area of emphasis is the deepening of the sukuk and debt instruments market, with the goal of increasing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 22.1 percent by the end of 2024. These measures aim to provide diverse financing options for companies and further stimulate economic growth.
“The capital market ecosystem continued its efforts to contribute to developing the financial sector and achieving the Saudi Vision 2030,” stated Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, chairman of the CMA.
“By approving rules for foreign investment in securities and streamlining regulatory procedures, we have witnessed a significant increase in foreign investments in the capital market, reaching SR401 billion ($106.9 billion),” El-Kuwaiz added.
The Saudi Central Bank also reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to international standards and best practices to enhance the strength and stability of the financial sector.
Initiatives such as developing digital solutions for supervising the financial sector and enabling local and international FinTechs demonstrate the Kingdom’s dedication to embracing technological advancements.
Furthermore, the Financial Academy unveiled its new strategy for 2024-2026, focusing on enhancing human capabilities in the financial sector through training programs and professional certifications.
The academy aims to increase the number of trainees and improve the quality of its services to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
The 2023 FSDP report highlighted significant progress across sectors like fintech and digital banking.
The Kingdom saw a surge in fintech companies, surpassing 2023 targets with 216 in operation and launching two digital banks.
Saudi Arabia claimed the top spot in the Corporate Boards Index among G20 nations and secured second place in various indices. Foreign companies relocated headquarters to the Kingdom, deepening the capital market.
Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P Global Ratings revised Saudi Arabia’s outlook to “Positive” and affirmed its “A1” and “A+” credit ratings, citing fiscal policy development, economic reforms, and structural improvements.
Saudi Arabia led venture investments in the Middle East & North Africa, securing 52 percent of total investments in 2023, and allocated SR10 billion to support small and medium enterprises across economic activities and regions in the first half of the year.
ACWA Power signs $1.51bn senior debt financing agreement for Qassim 1 Power Plant
RIYADH: Saudi utility firm ACWA Power has signed a senior debt financing agreement for the Qassim 1 Combined Cycle Power Plant for SR5.69 billion ($1.51 billion).
The deal, signed through Qudra One for Electricity Co., will extend for 28 years, according to ACWA Power’s statement to Tadawul.
International and local commercial lenders, including Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of China, and Riyad Bank, as well as Saudi National Bank, Alinma Bank, Saudi Investment Bank, and Saudi Awwal Bank, financed the senior debt.
Abu Dhabi’s ADQ lists debut $2.5bn bonds on London Stock Exchange
The smallest of three Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds ADQ has listed a dual tranche $2.5 billion bond on the London Stock Exchange, the fund said in a statement.
The fund sold a $1.25 billion five-year portion at 80 basis points over US Treasuries and another $1.25 billion 10-year tranche at 90 bps over the same benchmark, fixed income news service IFR reported.
Citigroup, Credit Agricole, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC and Standard Chartered were joint global coordinators and active bookrunners on the bond issuance deal.
The proceeds from the debt sale, which was oversubscribed more than 4.4 times, will diversify ADQ’s funding mix, enhance financial resilience and contribute growth capital.
