"Bournemouth did spend 138.1m, with Bafode Diakite their most expensive signing at 35m. Their 15m fee for Veljko Milosavljevic, a teenage centre back bought with future seasons in mind, highlighted how much the Premier League has grown. (It was only six seasons ago that Manchester United, who were aiming for a title, signed Dan James for a similar fee to compete for a position in the starting eleven. That same season, Newcastle signed Allan Saint-Maximin for a similar amount.)"
"These new players are playing to bigger audiences than ever, in large part because the UK is showing even more games on TV. Sky Sports and TNT Sports share an average seven games per weekend, with a typical gameweek having just three traditional 3pm kickoffs. These Saturday 3pm games are the only ones not allowed to be shown on domestic TV, with the UK the last country in Europe still applying the 3pm blackout."
"This law does not apply to fans abroad in countries like the United States, where football fans regularly watch 3pm kickoffs on channels like NBC. If they travel to the UK, though, they have to use a tool like ExpressVPN to access their subscriptions. The Premier League and EFL are reportedly in talks to end the 3pm blackout. The contracts do not expire until 2029 so any changes would likely take place from the 2029-30 season."
Premier League domestic rights for 2025–29 were worth 6.7 billion. Summer 2025 spending showed varied approaches across clubs: Fulham spent 44.5m, signing Kevin from Shakhtar for 40m; Crystal Palace won the FA Cup, finished 12th, and spent 55.3m mainly on Yeremy Pino; Bournemouth spent 138.1m, signing Bafode Diakite for 35m and Veljko Milosavljevic for 15m as a long-term investment. Comparable fees appeared six seasons earlier for Dan James and Allan Saint-Maximin. UK television now shows more matches, with Sky Sports and TNT sharing about seven games per weekend and the 3pm Saturday blackout reportedly under review ahead of 2029 contract expiries.
Read at www.caughtoffside.com
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