Premier League facing £1bn hit in revenue due to coronavirus crisis


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The English Premier League faces an estimated £1 billion pound ($Dh4.66bn) loss in revenue due to the coronavirus crisis, says financial services firm Deloitte.

Suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic, the league has had three months of no action on the pitch that will weigh heavily on revenues for the 2019/2020 financial year.

The league is scheduled to restart on June 17 with games to be broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport and Amazon Prime.

Fans of its 20 clubs won’t be permitted to attend games because of health and safety concerns, as has been the case in Germany.

Around £500 million of the lost revenue will be the result of rebates to broadcasters, a reduction in ticket sales due to games being played behind closed doors and reduced commercial contracts, according to Deloitte. Another £500m will be deferred to the following financial year.

Dan Jones, of Deloitte, expects "significant revenue reduction and operating losses" in European football.

He said: “The success of each league’s return, and the strength of each one’s relationships with broadcasters and commercial partners, will have a potentially significant and lasting impact on the financial strength of clubs and leagues."

Manchester United said last month that the pandemic had already cost them £28m – but they expect the final figure to be far higher.

With revenue of £5.2bn in 2018/2019, the Premier League is by far Europe’s richest football competition.

It is in the process of deciding whether to approve a £300m pound takeover of Newcastle United, one of the country's best-supported teams, by a consortium being led by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

Despite a projected rapid recovery in finances, the Covid-19 pandemic could force U.K. clubs to reassess cost controls and focus on long-term stability, according to Jones.

“The decisions taken now will determine if the 2019/20 season is seen in future as the end of a golden age or the start of a better, stronger new era,” he said.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m

6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m

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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience

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The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
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February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
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Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

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