British bank set to dump EPL as sponsors

Steve Dede 08:14 - 27 March 2015

British banking and financial servicing firm will not not renew their deal with the EPL when the current contract expires at the end of next season

Premier League sponsors Barclays is set to dump the EPL after the expiration of their £40million-a-year deal at the end of the 2015-16 season.

The bank agreed a £120m three-year deal in 2012 for the present rights - an increase of almost 50 per cent on their previous £82m contract.

According to Daily Mail, Barclays are opting out of a renewal over fears that the cost of the next sponsorship deal will rise with Sky and BT Sport paying a record £5.1billion for TV rights from the start of the 2016 season.

Barclays have sponsored the Premier League since 2001 when they first used the sponsorship to promote their Barclaycard brand.

The popularity of the Premier League abroad is seen as a major factor behind the bank's decision to continue with their sponsorship for almost 15 years.