With the Premier League clubs already enjoying the benefits of their new domestic and global TV deals, the cash from the recent £900m gamble from BT will start to flow in the accounts of England's leading clubs from 2015-6. Everybody is getting richer, but unfortunately the gap between the rich and the really rich will grow larger every year.
The fundamental effect of BT's new deal will be additional wealth for England's top 4, the one's which make it into the Champions League places. The effect will be that there will be 6 teams playing to get into the Champions League spots, whilst the 14 teams play for survival, as teams such as Everton and Newcastle will never get near the top again, as the difference in revenues will be too great.
The main worry is that the new deal will make the Premier League as a whole, less competitive and thus less attractive to viewers to watch. In the past it has been this competitiveness which has made the BPL such as compelling product, but this is likely to be reversed with this news.
However, evidence for this supposed superiority as a result of this deal is being rebuffed by certain people with the claim that many relatively less wealthy clubs such as SV Zulte Waregem, Real Sociedad and Grasshoppers have all qualified for the Champions League despite being in the bottom half of wage-payers in their league. Also, in recent years, the likes of SC Braga, Borussia Dortmund and FC Basel have punched above their weight at elite European competition - further evidence that wealth is not everything in the 'beautiful game'.
The argument cannot be concluded however from the basis of past evidence, it must now be seen if this new implementation has any effect in the future of the power England's top clubs and whether it really does lead to a less competitive league, which for all neutrals of the game, we hope not.
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