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      Major competition risks disappearing from TV screens as officials confirm ZERO bids for broadcasting rights

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      THE French Professional Football League is at risk of disappearing from TV screens as they received zero bids for broadcasting rights.Officials confirmed on Tuesday, that French football’s TV presence is under threat as no one wants to pay the £693million annual fee to stream Ligue 1 and 2 games.
      The French Professional Football League is at major risk of disappearing from TV screensCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The Professional Football League’s (LFP) longest-standing broadcast partner Canal Plus failed to make an offer for the 2024-29 cycle on Monday.
      This forced Ligue 1 to launch the bid on Tuesday without the French TV giants in the hope they can sell the Ligue 1 broadcast rights.
      Five bundles were on offer, including the two main bundles for the rights to broadcast games live.
      One bundle was worth £459million and included the two biggest matches of the game week plus the fourth-choice fixture.
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      While the second was worth was worth £234 million to stream the rest of the matches that are not shown by other broadcasters.
      However, there were no takers for the current price including Canal Plus, meaning LFP will have to negotiate directly with them and other interested TV services, according to L’Equipe.
      LFP officials said: “After having received multiple qualitative offers and guaranteed financial packages on all of the bundles (1-5).
      “LFP Media reveals that none of the bundles have been attributed today (Tuesday).
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      “As a result, LFP Media is continuing its commercialisation process of the rights to Ligue 1 and postpones the call for candidates for Ligue 2.”
      The call for tenders for Ligue 2 rights, was initially scheduled for Thursday 19th and Friday 20th October.
      Canal Plus has shown top-flight football in France since the pay TV service launched in 1984.
      However, the broadcaster has been in conflict with the LFP since 2020 due to a potential record deal with Spanish company Mediapro.
      The bid process for the LFP also came at a stressful time in French football.
      As the recent departures of football icons Lionel Messi and Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain have hindered LFP’s chance of boosting the price for TV rights.
      And with uncertainty over Kylian Mbappe’s future in the French capital, Ligue 1 will most need to opt for a modest sum of money to seal a deal.
      The relationship between Canal Plus and French football is similar to that between Sky Sports and the Premier League.
      In comparison, to the mega-rich Premier League, they sold their three-year cycle broadcast rights for more than £10billion for the 2022-25 cycle.
      French football has been suffering since the departure of Messi and NeymarCredit: Reuters More

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      Sky Sports presenter Melissa Reddy told ‘Paris is lucky to have you’ as she dazzles on trip to French capital

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      MELISSA REDDY has left fans stunned during a trip to Paris.The Sky Sports presenter has spent the last few days in the city after she cheered on her native South Africa as they beat France 29-28 in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
      Melissa Reddy stunned while on holiday in ParisCredit: Instagram @melissa_reddy
      The presenter posed in a stylish outfit in front of the Eiffel TowerCredit: Instagram @melissa_reddy
      Melissa claimed that ‘Paris suits me’Credit: Instagram @melissa_reddy
      She was in the French capital after watching South Africa progress to the Rugby World Cup semi-finalCredit: Instagram @melissa_reddy
      She was in the stands wearing Springboks gear with fellow reporter and friend Julia Stuart.
      After South Africa’s win, the duo stayed in Paris as Melissa saw the sights of the French capital.
      The 37-year-old posed in front of the Eiffel Tower in a stylish outfit that caught the attention of fans.
      Melissa looked incredible in a brown coat, black knee-high boots and sunglasses.
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      And she was just as glamorous in a white jacket and skirt.
      Melissa declared on Instagram that “Paris suits me” with her 221,000 followers agreeing.
      One said: “Such gorgeous sights. And the landmarks in Paris looked nice too.”
      A second added: “You’re looking absolutely stunning.”
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      Another commented: “Paris is lucky to have you in it.”
      Melissa is no stranger to leaving fans dazzled, recently catching the eye in a low-cut top.
      The journalist also stunned at the beginning of the season’s Premier League as she put on a leggy display on her return to work.
      She will now be hoping South Africa can keep up their winning ways when they take on England on Saturday night.
      Melissa Reddy is no stranger to leaving fans besottedCredit: Instagram
      The Sky Sports presenter previously worked for the Independent and ESPNCredit: instgram @melissa_reddy
      Melissa was at the Stade de France to see South Africa winCredit: Instagram @melissa_reddy
      The beauty followed Manchester United closely during pre-seasonCredit: INSTAGRAM @melissa_reddy More

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      I worked in a pet shop and Sports Direct – now I’m one of the UK’s best commentators working for ITV and Sky Sports

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      BECOMING a football commentator is no easy feat, as Seb Hutchinson can attest.Fans may recognise Hutchinson’s voice when they tune in to watch ITV or Sky Sports.
      Seb Hutchinson is one of the UK’s best commentators
      He has worked for Sky Sports and ITV
      The 39-year-old worked across both the men’s and women’s World Cups and was the lead commentator on the latter.
      His portfolio also features work on the Rugby World Cup and Olympic Games, as well as a total of FOUR World Cups.
      He also features across Sky’s Premier League, League Cup and Women’s Super League coverage, with his voice work being heard over Manchester United’s dramatic 2-1 win over Brentford.
      But Hutchinson, who hails from east London, has now revealed the inspirational story it took him to get there.
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      Speaking to The Athletic as part of their series on UK Black History Month, Hutchinson revealed how he got started in the industry and the daring leaps he had to make in order to fulfil his dream.
      He said: “I was a producer for ITV. Then I said, ‘I need to focus on my commentary.’ It was always ticking away at the back of my mind.
      “Being a producer was great, but I needed to follow my childhood dream. I went freelance; which was a massive risk, but I was young, had no responsibility, so I was able to do it.
      “Some people felt I was making a silly decision but I didn’t feel that way. I was confident in my ability to get work.”
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      Hutchinson had been telling friends and family about the dream he held of becoming a sports commentator since he was 10 years old, but admitted he received little help from career advisers in school.
      Even Hutchinson’s footballing father Ray – who starred in Leyton Orient’s academy before an injury-ravaged career saw him become a coach – was unable to provide much assistance.
      However, the splitting up of his parents pushed him even harder to achieve this dream.
      Prior to heading to Staffordshire University – where he graduated from in 2009 – for a sports journalism course, Hutchinson had held down jobs at a pet store, at Sports Direct and as a security guard.
      He said: “When my parents split up, that pushed me even more. I did a sports journalism course at Staffordshire University and that helped me get closer to the industry.
      “From that, I sent out 20 letters asking people for a job, but only three got back to me — a club TV channel, ITV and BBC Sport regional.
      “The people who rejected me would often say, ‘We don’t have this position available’.
      “You could look at that in two ways: one, they’re lying to me, or they actually don’t have that position available. But I started to adopt the mindset that they’re just not ready for me.”
      Hutchinson revealed to The Voice in 2021 he has drawn inspiration from stars he watched and listened to such as Frank Bruno, Linford Christie, Harry Carpenter, Brian Moore and David Coleman.
      Being a producer was great, but I needed to follow my childhood dream. I went freelance; which was a massive risk. But I was confident in my ability to get work.Seb HutchinsonThe Athletic
      Despite now throwing his weight around with the big boys of commentary, Hutchinson remains diligent in his pre-match preparation, arriving at the stadium three hours early.
      He said to The Athletic: “Voice is the one of most important things. My style might not be for everyone but the way I look at it is, it’s not about accent, it’s about delivery.
      “When my family and close friends heard me on TV for the first time, they said, ‘I knew you’d do it’. I looked up to Brian Moore, because he kept it simple but had emotion in his voice. That’s how I try to be.
      “The last game I did was Manchester United against Brentford. You’re coming towards the end of a game like that and you have to think about the bigger picture. 
      “Scott McTominay scoring twice would’ve felt big for Manchester United.
      “People talk about ‘Fergie Time’ but that day was (when United honoured) the passing of Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife, so I thought, ‘It’s not the right moment to talk about Sir Alex.’ You have to be sensitive to certain things.”
      In a similar vein to Alex Scott for women’s representation, Hutchinson can be considered somewhat of a trailblazer in the sports journalism industry as one of few the black commentators in the UK.
      But Hutchinson admits it was never his explicit intention to be one, and was rather just focused on making his dream a reality.
      He added: “I never looked at it as trying to be the first Black commentator. I look at the England team and the players in the Premier League and a good majority are Black.
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      “My mind goes back to university days, when there were hardly any Black people, but I felt comfortable and I didn’t feel out of place.
      “I guess my mindset comes from my parents, because they always made me believe in myself. They didn’t stop me from pursuing my dreams.” More

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      Sky Sports News fans in hysterics at shocking blunder on live TV as fans joke ‘someone wanted to get out before 7pm’

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      FANS were left in stitches over Sky Sports News’ shocking blunder on live TV.The channel experienced some technical difficulties on Sunday evening.
      Sky Sports News failed to add a headline to their title screenCredit: Sky Sports News
      The problem persisted as the broadcaster previewed Wales’ match against CroatiaCredit: Sky Sports News
      It was a big day for live sport with France taking on South Africa in the Rugby World Cup – a match they lost narrowly.
      Wales also faced Croatia needing a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 alive.
      But Sky Sports News had a nightmare when they focused on fans gathering outside the Cardiff City Stadium ahead of kick-off, as they failed to add the required headline on the title screen.
      Instead it read: “Premier League. Add headline.”
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      When the clip of supporters arriving played the problem persisted with the subheading also reading: “Add headline.”
      Viewers found the mishap hilarious and began poking fun at the broadcaster.

      One fan said: “Somebody wanted to get out before seven.”
      Another added: “Sky Sports News having a normal one.”
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      Sky Sports News also suffered a big blunder earlier this month after presenter Vicky Gomerall incorrectly announced Jarrod Bowen had signed a contract extension with Manchester United, rather than West Ham.
      She later apologised for the slip-up but the broadcaster’s social media team had already shared the clip on their channels. More

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      Sky Sports legend reveals how she beat online trolls and the one piece of abuse that ‘really p****d her off’

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      BIANCA WESTWOOD has opened up about the abuse she has faced as a female football reporter.The Sky Sports legend spent 22 years on Soccer Saturday before leaving at the end of last season.
      Bianca Westwood has opened up about the abuse she suffered during his careerCredit: Rex
      The reporter quit Sky Sports after 22 yearsCredit: INSTAGRAM @biancawestwood
      Westwood was a trailblazer for women in football, being the only non-male reporter on screens in 2012 after initially working behind-the-scenes.
      The 49-year-old became a fans’ favourite but has had to battle a barrage of abuse and criticism over the years.
      Westwood has lifted the lid on the difficulties she faced as she worked her way up.
      The West Ham fan revealed she was initially not given a chance to present on Sky Sports as they already had Clare Tomlinson on screen and “one woman was enough.”
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      Westwood eventually got an opportunity but nothing prepared her for the hate she would receive, telling The Mirror: “I obviously knew the game inside and out.
      “I’d been watching it since I was six-years-old but then for some reason there was this backlash online to having a female match reporter.
      “This was just when Twitter was starting to take off – I was really unprepared for that, I was unprepared for that focus and for the vitriol, quite honestly.
      “It was really brutal, it was really harsh, and it was constant. So it kind of set me back quite a bit because I would start overthinking it and I wanted everything to be word-perfect.
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      “Chris Kamara made a career basically out of missing who got sent off, which was hilarious and brilliant and funny, but if I made a slight error then it was like being thrown to the wolves.
      “What really used to annoy me wasn’t people telling me I was ugly or I must have been sleeping with the producer or I was old or I wore too much make-up or not enough, none of that really bothered me.
      “It was when men were saying: ‘You know nothing about football’.
      “That used to really p*** me off because it was like ‘I’ve been watching this probably since before you were born’.”
      Westwood helped pave the way for the likes of Michelle Owen, who is now going around the grounds for Soccer Saturday.
      After leaving Sky, she has since landed a job as a presenter on talkSPORT and host of Jeff Stelling’s live UK tour in 2024. More

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      Former Sky Sports Soccer Saturday favourite now enjoying ‘dream job’ two months after shock exit

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      FORMER Soccer Saturday reporter Bianca Westwood is set to join Jeff Stelling in her “dream job” – just two months after her shock exit. Sky Sports favourite Westwood was among a host of long-serving stars who said farewell to the broadcaster at the end of last season following a raft of budget cuts.
      Bianca Westwood is set to start her ‘dream job’Credit: Rex
      Westwood will join Soccer Saturday legend Jeff Stelling in her new roleCredit: Getty
      Westwood has been enjoying glamour trips to Bali, Malta and BarcelonaCredit: INSTAGRAM @biancawestwood
      Westwood has also been busy content creating on her InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM @biancawestwood
      Westwood, 51, spent 22 years at Sky Sports and was a regular on Soccer Saturday broadcasts for more than a decade.
      Iconic host Stelling was one of the biggest names to leave Sky in the summer.
      The pair had a great on-air relationship, with viewers enjoying their banter as they took in the latest football scores.
      And they could be reunited after Bianca told The Mirror she has landed a new role.
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      Describing it as her “dream job”, Westwood revealed she will host Stelling’s live UK tour in 2024.
      She said: “Jeff texted me in the spring or the summer and said he was doing these shows.
      “He does them with the old panel as well, with Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson and stuff like that, and they came up with the idea of ‘actually Jeff’s got a lot to say as well’.
      “He’s actually a very good raconteur – we did one show just to see what it was like, and he went down like you wouldn’t believe with the audience. They absolutely loved him.
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      “I think if he had a different host he wouldn’t be able to have that risque or harsh banter with someone he didn’t know as well.
      “So I can really stick the boot in, which I’m really looking forward to. I can really wind him up and get paid for it, which is my dream job.”
      For the first time in two decades, Westwood has her Saturdays to herself, and she’s still working out how to use her free time.
      She has made the most of free weekends with some glamorous trips to Bali, Barcelona and Malta.
      She has also been busy content creating with fashion brands Zara, River Island and H&M.
      Westwood began her broadcasting career in the background as an editorial assistant and did occasional pieces to camera, including on the ‘Take it Like a Fan’ segments.
      But her move into a regular on-camera role on Soccer Saturday in 2012 was a rarity for a woman at the time.
      Her remarkable work in the industry has paid off and she will now tour with Stelling and special guests, including Paul Merson next year. More

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      Premier League matches could be shown on new channel as battle for £300m live TV rights hots up

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      PREMIER LEAGUE matches could soon be shown on a new channel as the auctions for live rights looks set to hot up.Top-flight chiefs are allegedly looking at offering an “expanded fifth package of games” to broadcasters.
      A new channel is looking to purchase the rights to screen Premier League matchesCredit: Getty
      They will include “several complete midweek rounds” plus Sunday clashes involving teams featuring in the Europa League.
      And the Daily Mail claims that streaming service DAZN “are expected to target the Premier League matches currently owned by Amazon Prime” in the bidding process.
      Amazon pay around £90m for 60 live matches in three seasons over the festive period currently.
      But it emerged in the summer that all Sunday games will be screened for the very first time for the start of the 2025/26 campaign which has led “to greater interest from broadcasters”.
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      This new update says that “Amazon were effectively given their first set of live rights at a discount by the Premier League six years ago in order to draw them into the market”.
       They also got fortunate when the 2019 to 2022 domestic TV deal was extended on the same terms due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing them to keep screening games on the cheaper rate.
      Now the Premier League are “looking for a significant increase from the current £5billion three-year domestic deal” in the next rights auction due to the number of matches available increasing to 270 from 2000.
      The cheapest package available is set to be for around £300m-a-year – which has allegedly led to doubts over whether Amazon will want to fork out that much.
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      But DAZN “are understood to view the expanded Amazon pack as more attainable than the primetime Saturday and Sunday packages” – with Sky Sports and TNT Sports set to retain them.
      Ukrainian-born British businessman Len Blavatnik launched DAZN in 2016.
      They have grown massively over recent years and expanded into a number of sports.

      Now this report claims that they “are ready to make a serious bid for the Premier League’s UK rights” for the very first time. 
      DAZN currently broadcast our top-flight matches to viewers in Spain and the Women’s Champions League in this country.
      And they also shown boxing, baseball and basketball as part of their ever-expanding portfolio. More

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      Gary Neville accused of having ‘agenda’ with brutal put down of Arsenal star during live Sky Sports commentary

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      GARY NEVILLE has been accused of having an “agenda” against David Raya following his criticism of the goalkeeper.Raya started life as Arsenal’s apparent No1 well after replacing Aaron Ramsdale but has had some Gunners fans on edge as of late.
      David Raya has seemingly displaced Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No.1Credit: GETTY
      Gary Neville branded Raya “nervous” and “jittery” during the Gunners’ 1-0 win over Manchester CityCredit: SKY SPORTS
      Former Wolves midfielder Karl Henry has accused Neville of having an “agenda” against RayaCredit: TWITTER
      His deflected clearance off Julian Alvarez in the first half of Sunday’s match with Manchester City prompted Neville to brand him a “nervous wreck” and “jittery”.
      He said: “I can spot a keeper a mile off that’s a nervous wreck and there’s one right in front of you.
      “The mistake in midweek, he’s carried into this game. He’s not sharp enough and he’s very lucky.”
      Neville’s commentary didn’t sit well with former Wolves midfielder Karl Henry, who questioned the motives behind his criticism of the Spaniard.
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      He wrote on X: “Has Gary Neville got it in for Raya? Or is he just doing his best to get Ramsdale back in?
      “When a commentator has an agenda, they influence millions of fans worldwide. It’s really poor.”
      Henry also took umbrage with Neville’s criticism of Raya after his opposite number Ederson was playing diagonal passes, a number of which he also played.
      He continued: “Ederson. Hits a diag and he’s saying Raya is rocky whilst Ederson is hitting 50-yard diags.
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      Karl Henry reckons Gary Neville’s comments were a borderline “assassination” of David RayaCredit: REX
      “Raya hit two better diags and he doesn’t say a thing.”
      Henry, 40, also likened Neville’s criticism to a public “assassination” of his abilities.
      He added: “I’m no Arsenal fan and rate both Ramsdale and Raya highly. But Neville’s assassination of Raya is poor and unfair.
      “Hope he realises how damaging to the player it can be and stops.”
      Raya ended up keeping a clean sheet as Arsenal ran out 1-0 winners at the Emirates.
      A deflected 84th-minute strike from Gabriel Martinelli sealed the three points for the Gunners and fired them joint top of the table with bitter rivals Tottenham. More