The Premier League has suspended a six-year, £43m broadcasting deal with Russian station Match TV as a consequence of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Clubs were informed of the decision at their annual meeting in Harrogate this morning.
Match TV is owned by Gazprom Media, a subsidiary of Gazprombank, and was ordered to have been established by a decree from Putin in June 2009. The network also has a deal with the Football Association to broadcast club games and UEFA to show the Champions League.
A deal that saw games shown by Russian media group Rambler was suspended in March.. At the time, a new deal with Match TV to kick in from the start of next season had already been agreed. No timeframe has been placed on the suspension being lifted and the clubs did not vote on the matter.
The decision comes after Manchester City ’s Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko urged sporting organisations to “stop the sale of rights to broadcasts of international sporting competitions to Russian media” on his Instagram account.
Football across western Europe has taken a firm stand against the war, displaying the Ukraine flag and broadcasting messages for peace before games.
The most significant consequence of the war has seen the ownership of Chelsea change hands after oligarch Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government and the club was forced to operate under a special licence that barred all investment.
Last week a deal, worth an initial £2.5bn with an additional £1.75bn promised in investment, to sell the club to a consortium led by American Todd Boehly was completed.
When the invasion of Ukraine began in late February Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, told the Financial Times’ Business of Football summit: “In regards to our international broadcast contracts in Russia, clearly, they are under review.
"And in many respects, I would like the Russian people to see the strength of feeling in the Premier League and in English football. But we are looking at them very closely in terms of suspension or termination, given the current circumstances.”
