Leeds United will be looking to follow in Aston Villa’s path from last season and earn promotion to the Premier League.
Aston Villa chief executive, Christian Purslow, has seemingly suggested during Villa’s AGM that it’s not fair that a club like Leeds, who he says ‘appear more times’ and ‘get more viewers’ on TV, earn less in TV rights than a club like Norwich City.
Purslow pointed out that Norwich, who earned promotion alongside Villa last May and are now sitting bottom of the Premier League table, will get £100 million through their doors, but Leeds will only get £3 million, yet there is that difference in viewership figures and appearance between both clubs.
Leeds are the biggest club outside of the Premier League, and just like Villa found out during their time in the Championship, both clubs, because of their size, would appear for live broadcast near-on every week.
Yet as Purslow stated during The Villa Trust 2020 AGM, the gap between the Premier League and EFL rights is a ‘monstrous precipice’.
On the gap between the Premier League & EFL TV rights: “It’s a monstrous precipice,” Purslow told Villa’s AGM. “Norwich City get £100 million and Leeds get £3 million – and Leeds appear more times and get more viewers. Who thinks that’s fair?”
During Villa’s three seasons in the Championship, they did have their battles with financial problems, but they saw through it and earned promotion via the playoffs last season.
A club like Leeds, given its size, history and fanbase, is another club that needs to be in the Premier League and would showcase its true self if it were to earn promotion this season.
They are currently sitting in the automatic places, and like the Yorkshire giants witnessed along with Villa last season, having to go through the playoffs brings nothing but pure drama.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
