Manchester United chief Ed Woodward has admitted his hopes that digital media giants Amazon and Facebook will make moves for Premier League TV rights.

The Old Trafford supremo has told investors he would “welcome the interest”.

The Red Devils have released their full year accounts for 2016-17, announcing record revenues of £581million, while the club’s net debt has been reduced.

It is the second year in succession that United have announced revenues totalling in excess of over half a billion pounds, with Woodward projecting they will make it three in a row with next year’s accounts.

But the club’s executive vice-president is already looking past next year, with particular focus on the upcoming auction for the next set of Premier League TV rights.

Woodward believes United are well placed for profit to continue increasing (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

Asked about growing interest in broadcast rights from the likes of Facebook and Amazon, Woodward responded: "We are expecting increasing interest in TV rights from digital outlets.

"Absolutely I think they will enter the mix. We would welcome that interest."

Woodward, who says United are now “the most influential sports team in China,” added "it is important to engage with fans digitally," and is a big fan of the idea of matches being legally streamed via online platforms.

Woodward has announced record revenues for United (
Image:
GETTY)
Amazon recently purchased ATP tennis rights (
Image:
AFP)

Rights for the three year period from 2019-2022 are up for offer either later this year or in the early months of 2018. Currently, of seven English packages available, Sky own the maximum available with five - having paid £4.17billion in 2015 - with BT Sport owning the remaining two packages.

The duo’s dominance is looking increasingly vulnerable as the world’s biggest digital companies prepare to make moves; Amazon recently have been making public noises about moving in through their Amazon Prime service, declaring their determination to "bring live sports to our Prime members all over the world," while Google chiefs have also discussed moves.

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League (
Image:
REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Last month, Premier League chief Richard Scudamore refused to rule out moving away from traditional broadcasters, stating: "We envisage anybody really being able to come along and bid for those rights.

"We would need distribution criteria and to make sure it was readily available across platforms and everything else but as long as it was widely available and distributed properly we wouldn't rule them out.”

Now Woodward has offered his weight to a potential changing of the guard, potentially ending Sky's 25-year association with the league.

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