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Sky Sports, BT Sport retain live Premier League rights

Sky Sports and BT Sport win the rights to show live Premier League games from 2016 to 2019.

Sky Sports and BT Sport have retained the rights to show live Premier League games in the UK from 2016 to the end of the 2018-19 season.

The total cost of the deal, which comprises 168 matches per season, has risen from £3bn to £5.136bn, an increase of 70% on the previous three-year contract.

Sky will broadcast 126 fixtures, while rivals BT will show the remaining 42 games. The former paid £4.18bn - £11m per game - for its share of the rights, compared to BT's £960m, or £7.6m per game.

A second round of bidding took place earlier this week after last Friday's opening round failed to produce any outright winners.

The games on offer were divided into seven packages, with Sky picking up five and BT the remaining two. Of the 14 extra games per season available, Sky claimed 10 to BT's four.

Sky retained the rights to show games on Sundays, Monday nights and bank holidays, as well as securing the new Friday night slot, where up to 10 games a season will be played. The broadcaster has swapped the rights for the Saturday late kickoff for the Saturday early kickoff.

BT, meanwhile, will show the Saturday night game in addition to midweek encounters throughout the season.

US broadcaster Discovery and the Al Jazeera-backed beIN Sports had both reportedly been interested in securing the lucrative TV rights.

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