Richard Masters Withdraws from Broadcast Event to Focus on Emergency Meeting
Premier League chief Richard Masters has reportedly opted out of attending a broadcasting event to focus on an emergency meeting with all 20 Premier League clubs concerning the ongoing legal issues with Manchester City.
According to reports, Masters was scheduled to meet broadcasting executives from Sky Sports and NBC at the upscale Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland but chose to withdraw due to the pressing situation with City regarding sponsorship regulations.
Former Premier League chief Richard Scudamore attended the event along with Sky Sports director of football Gary Hughes.
It has been clarified that Scudamore was not a substitute for Masters, as he had always planned to attend. Scudamore served as the Premier League chief for nearly two decades before stepping down in 2018.
Masters’ absence from this high-profile gathering, which included key broadcasters contributing billions to the Premier League, is linked to a significant decision regarding the legal battle.
Sky, as the Premier League’s main broadcasting partner, holds a £6.7 billion deal alongside TNT and the BBC, while NBC, owned by Comcast, will continue to broadcast the Premier League in the United States until 2028, marking a 15-year partnership.
Instead of attending the event, Masters was preparing for the emergency meeting following the conclusion of City’s legal dispute, which is set to take place next Thursday. The venue for the meeting has yet to be announced to the Premier League clubs.
Manchester City has claimed a legal victory regarding its commercial agreements related to its owners, with an independent panel ruling that certain rules were unlawful. This ruling came after the panel stated that some of the regulations did not comply with legal standards.
Masters has downplayed the idea of a City victory, stating that the panel identified only “a small number of discrete elements” that fail to meet competition and public law requirements, which could be “quickly and effectively remedied.”
A statement from the Premier League noted that the Tribunal’s findings supported the overall objectives and framework of the APT (Approved Player Trading) system, affirming its necessity for maintaining financial controls.
The statement emphasized that the Tribunal upheld the need for the APT system to prevent clubs from benefiting from commercial deals that are not at Fair Market Value (FMV) due to relationships with associated parties. These rules aim to ensure the financial stability, integrity, and competitive balance of the League.
However, the Tribunal identified a few specific elements of the rules that currently do not comply with legal standards, which the League and clubs can address swiftly.
The Premier League will continue to implement the existing APT system while considering the Tribunal’s findings. While the arbitration process remains confidential, both the Premier League and the club have agreed to release a redacted version of the decision, omitting only sensitive information.
