The Premier League have come up with a new advertising strategy in a bid to bolster revenue, but Manchester City do not appear to be on board.
Money plays a key role in the modern game of football and it is a key reason the Premier League is considered the best top flight in Europe.
It is therefore unsurprising that a new plan has been introduced which will see the league’s executives sell 60 per cent of pitch-side advertising on a centralised basis. As well as this, the number of existing top-tier partners would increase from seven to 10.
Currently, the Premier League is permitted five minutes of ad space on the boards during a match, three of which go to the broadcaster if the fixture is televised. However, the new move would see the league take further control by negotiating deals on behalf of its clubs.
The change could reportedly generate an additional £750m in revenue each year, but there are no firm plans as of yet to proceed with such a revamp, as revealed by Sky Sports.
Manchester City have concerns about the Premier League’s plan
According to the Daily Mail, this proposal has been met with a frosty reception by the so called ‘big six’, which includes Manchester City.
The English giants have ‘serious reservations’ about the potential changes, which could create conflicts with existing sponsors.
A common view among elite clubs is that they invest heavily in their commercial departments and feel the level of expertise involved is beyond that found within the Premier League. However, City have not officially commented on the situation.
Smaller clubs could benefit from the proposal
While Man City do not appear keen on the Premier League’s latest advertising decision, it may go down well with teams who have less global appeal.
After all, they will be benefitting from big commercial deals that likely would not have been secured on their own merits.
This could ultimately end up becoming a situation similar to when the European Super League was announced, where the big six go to war with the rest of the league. Only time will tell which teams will emerge triumphant.
