Despite speculation that technology giants such as Microsoft , Google or Facebook could compete for Premier League football rights , five of the seven licences have been awarded to incumbents ITV and Sky . Chris Weston , director of sports marketing at We Are Social Sport , suggested the technology giants did not compete because of operational issues , not financial . For instance , Facebook 's Watch probably is n't the best place to experiment with live streaming . The Premier League rights - the jewels in the crown of the rights world - have perhaps just come around too quickly for the platforms to capitalise on. Nevertheless , Weston predicts there will soon be a shift in how sport is watched and how viewing rights are negotiated .
Despite speculation that technology giants such as Microsoft , Google or Facebook could compete for Premier League football rights , five of the seven licences have been awarded to incumbents ITV and Sky . Chris Weston , director of sports marketing at We Are Social Sport , suggested the technology giants did not compete because of operational issues , not financial . For instance , Facebook 's Watch probably is n't the best place to experiment with live streaming . Nevertheless , Weston predicts there will soon be a shift in how sport is watched and how viewing rights are negotiated .