Premier League set for TV revolution with EVERY GAME available for streaming under £4billion new deal
There is the real possibility that Premier League matches could be played throughout the week to maximise the money-making potential
Every Premier League game could be shown live on television inside the next five years as football embraces the biggest broadcasting revolution since 1992.
*** and BT Sport may be currently preparing their bids for the next television deal which kicks in for the 2016-17 season.
But the expected £4billion showdown will be peanuts if television and telecoms companies are given the go-ahead to take full advantage of streaming technology when that agreement expires in 2019.
Sunday Mirror Sport understands that there is a growing desire to give fans the opportunity to watch every single game live from the comfort of their own homes.
Viewing platforms will be linked to broadband packages - making satellite dishes obsolete.
It means companies like Google and Apple will be well placed to challenge *** and BT Sport for the right to provide services.
And it also opens up the possibility of Premier League matches being played throughout the week to maximise the money-making potential.
Plans are still at an early stage, but the technology is already up and running, with growing numbers of supporters taking advantage of illegal streams via overseas providers.
The feeling is that the clubs themselves should be cashing in on those illicit viewers.
A telecoms source said: "There is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop fans in England watching live Premier League games via internet streams from abroad.
"At the moment, the clubs aren't earning a single penny from these viewers.
"There is a growing belief that the Premier League should look to cash in."
The huge financial potential of live streaming has to be balanced with the desire to ensure that attendances inside Premier League stadia remain high.
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Cashing in: The Premier League will get another huge payday in the new deal
And one of the possibilities being examined is to incorporate a 'black-out zone' within an agreed radius of grounds.
However, the financial projections of allowing live streaming of all games are so lucrative that gate receipts would become an insignificant part of clubs' revenue streams.
There is even a belief that clubs would be able to significantly reduce ticket prices to reward the fans who go through the turnstiles every week.
The bidding process for the next television deal, from the 2016-17 season, has already begun.
There will be 168 matches shown live, with up to 10 being shown on Friday nights.
It is estimated that the domestic deal alone will smash through the £4billion barrier - or about £7million per game.
But even those figures are seen to represent just a fraction of Premier League football's true financial potential.
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