Players Won’t Get TV Cash – Woodward

Premier League clubs are determined to ensure the new £5.1bn domestic TV deal does not go straight into the players’ pockets, according to Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
.
Ex-Spurs owner Lord Sugar compared the new deal with prune juice, saying it will “go in one end and out the other”.
.
But Woodward has indicated a desire among clubs to avoid that scenario.
.
“The general mood in the Premier League is that clubs are determined not to be continually loss-making,” he said.
.
United’s staff costs, which include player wages, were £48.7m in the six months to 31 December, 2014, a decrease of £2.9m (5.6%). It represents 50.5% of total revenue.
.
Sky and BT Sport have agreed to a massive 70% rise
on their present contracts in the new three-year deal, which takes effect from the 2016-17 campaign.
.
The Premier League has also secured £204m from
the BBC for the Match of the Day highlights
programme over the same period.
.
However, Woodward has cautioned against an
expectation that similar increases can be anticipated
when the overseas rights – currently worth £2.23bn
– are sold later this year.
.
“We have seen a big uplift in domestic rights,” he
said.
.
“But I don’t think you should use that as a guide for
200 countries around the world. In terms of the UK market there were some specific reasons why that has happened.”
.
Woodward was speaking in a conference call with
investors after United had announced a 12.2%
reduction in revenue from £221.4m to £194.4m for
the six months to 31 December, 2014.