FAI set to benefit financially from change to how UEFA handles television rights

[DannyInvincible]

From RTÉ:

The Football Association of Ireland is set to make up to €40m in guaranteed revenue over four years thanks to a change in the way UEFA handles television rights.

UEFA is set to pool television match rights between its 53 members instead of having them negotiate individual deals.

The European governing body have now agreed with all 53 member associations of UEFA to collectively sell the TV rights for qualifying matches.

The move is intended to provide stable finance for constituent organisations. Smaller teams like the Republic of Ireland currently generate much more revenue if they are drawn in the same pool as bigger nations like England, France, Spain or Germany.

The move is also intended to stem the flow of money to football agents involved in TV rights negotiations.

The deal will come into effect after the 2014 World Cup and will apply to qualifying matches for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.

The FAI will also retain the ability to sell TV rights to friendly matches on an individual basis whilst our qualifying games will remain free-to-air, according to John Delaney.

[Scooby Doo]

Brilliant! Now they can pass the savings on to us fans....

[cornflakes]

Pay rise for Delaney

[Noelys Guitar]

They should be cutting their links completely with 'honest' Dinny o"Brien.

[Stuttgart88]

This move is widely seen as UEFA's attempt at restoring the primacy of the international game in Europe. Collective selling works well for the club game. Very interesting move. I like what UEFA has been doing recently.

I've been reading a lot about how collective selling in European football is allowed by the EC, despite being blatantly anti-competitive / abuse of dominant market position, contrary to EU law.

[paul_oshea]

UEFA - the forward thinking regime of the new age 21st century socialist movement.

[Stuttgart88]

You think they should sit idly by while professional football destroys itself? Should banks be left unregulated too?

[Junior]

In fairness, what did regulation do for the banks in recent times?

[paul_oshea]

SFA..but policy and audit internally have made things very rigid within the banks. Definite lines have to be followed, its all very beuaracratic and a pain in the ar$e to be honest....

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness, what did regulation do for the banks in recent times?

That's the point. The same "light touch" regulation that was applied to the banks is followed in many football countries, bar maybe Germany and France. UEFA's response to the inaction on many European national regulators' part is to impose UEFA-wide financial regulation. A good thing in my opinion.