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The regulator would introduce a licensing system for clubs, increase scrutiny of directors and owners, and aim to equalise funding.

By Patrick Mitchell, Katie Henshall, and Stewart Robinson

The UK government has published a White Paper which outlines its plans to establish a new statutory independent regulator (the Regulator) for English men’s elite football. The White Paper follows the previously published “Fan-Led Review of Football Governance”, led by Tracey Crouch CBE MP, and the government’s response to the proposed European Super League.

The White Paper raises a number of questions for football’s key stakeholders, including fans, clubs, the Premier League, the Football Association (FA), the English Football League (EFL), and others with interests (financial or otherwise) in and around the sport.

By Tom Evans

English Premier League football clubs may start to look more attractive for investment following the League’s £5.14 billion live broadcasting deal with Sky and BT. The deal, for three years from the 2016-17 season, marks a 70% increase on the last deal, worth £3 billion.

As with previous deals, the expectation is that a significant portion of the broadcasting rights revenue will be shared with clubs, a portion for participation and another portion dependent on where a club finishes in the League. In addition, the existence of “parachute payments” for clubs relegated from the League is expected to continue, with the potential for those payments to be more generous as a result of the increased broadcasting revenue.

As a result, with a number of Premier League teams rumored to be on the market, PE houses may start to run their slide rules (or HP12Cs) over certain teams. PE sponsors may feel that they can deliver greater success to these teams through their financial rigor and commercial discipline.