Richard Masters 'pulls out' of broadcast meeting after Man City legal verdict amid crunch talks

Premier League boss Richard Masters has reportedly opted out of a meeting with broadcasting executives to focus on an emergency gathering with all 20 Premier League clubs, amid the ongoing legal dispute with Manchester City.

Masters was scheduled to meet with top brass from Sky Sports and NBC staff at the plush Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland on Wednesday morning, as per the Daily Mail. However, due to the current top-tier legal tussle with City over sponsorship regulations, Masters decided to pull out to prepare for next Thursday's meeting.

Former Premier League chief Richard Scudamore attended the event alongside Sky Sports' director of football Gary Hughes, but it was stressed that Scudamore was not standing in for Masters and his attendance had always been planned.

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Scudamore stepped down from his role with the Premier League in 2018. Masters' non-attendance at this high-profile event with key broadcasters who pump billions into the Premier League's coffers will have been a significant decision.

Sky, the Premier League's primary broadcast partners, have a £6.7billion deal in place along with TNT and the BBC. NBC - which, like Sky, is owned by American behemoth Comcast - also broadcasts the Premier League in America and will continue to do so until 2028, marking a 15-year partnership.

Masters is expected to have been preparing for an emergency meeting with all 20 clubs following the conclusion of City's legal battle. The meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, although no venue has yet been disclosed to the Premier League clubs.

City emerged victorious over the Premier League after a ruling on commercial deals with owner-related organisations, with an independent panel declaring the rules unlawful. However, Masters downplayed any notion of a City triumph, stating that the panel had 'identified a small number of discrete elements...which do not, in current form, comply with competition and public law requirements' and suggested that changes could be 'quickly and effectively remedied.'

"The Premier League welcomes the Tribunal's findings, which endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system," read a Premier League statement. "The Tribunal upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of Manchester City's challenges. Moreover, the Tribunal found that the Rules are necessary in order for the League's financial controls to be effective."

"The decision represents an important and detailed assessment of the APT Rules, which ensure clubs are not able to benefit from commercial deals or reductions in costs that are not at Fair Market Value (FMV) by virtue of relationships with Associated Parties. These Rules were introduced to provide a robust mechanism to safeguard the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance of the League."

"The Tribunal did, however, identify a small number of discrete elements of the Rules which do not, in their current form, comply with competition and public law requirements (more information below). These elements can quickly and effectively be remedied by the League and clubs."

"In the meantime, the Premier League will continue to operate the existing APT system, taking into account the findings made by the Tribunal."

"While the Arbitration process is confidential, the Premier League and the Club have agreed to make public a redacted copy of the decision, withholding only confidential and commercially sensitive information."