SKY SPORTS HAVE unexpectedly pulled out of the running to continue their exclusive coverage of Spanish football with BT Sport close to swooping for the lucrative rights.
It was believed the broadcaster were determined to retain the contract they’d held for almost two decades but widespread reports today say Sky have been forced to count the cost of the £5 billion Premier League deal.
After losing their Champions League coverage to BT for this year, this is another huge setback for Sky Sports who once enjoyed a majority share in the British and Irish market.
The Telegraph say Sky withdrew from the bidding process before BT could even table their bid for live coverage of La Liga and Copa del Rey fixtures in another indication of the power shift.
Sky have seen their European football coverage decimated since the arrival of BT in August 2013 as their newest rival continues to add to an already impressive portfolio.
Not only will BT show 38 live Premier League games this season but they blew Sky out of the water with an unprecedented £897 million deal to exclusively screen both the Champions League and Europa League this term.
Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Lineker and Glenn Hoddle have all been signed-up as part of their punditry team.
It means Sky Sports’ new European football channel, which was launched last year, will now offer live Scottish and Dutch football, in addition to their Premier League coverage.
In comparison, BT will show Germany’s Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Portugal’s Primeira Liga in addition to La Liga.
No official announcement has yet been made but the tendering process has closed. The Spanish season begins on Friday 21 August.