FA Cup replays and the stand-alone final weekend to be axed in radical shake-up

FA Cup replays could be scrapped, the early rounds moved to midweeks and the final staged on an ordinary Premier League weekend from the 2024-25 season in the biggest shake-up in the competition’s 152-year history.

Mail Sport has been told the terms of an extraordinary deal which would see the Premier League sell overseas TV rights for the FA Cup for ten years from the 2024-25 season, giving the top-flight clubs control of the entire domestic calendar.

The FA insist that the tender process for overseas rights remains ongoing, but it is understood chief executive Mark Bullingham is minded to accept the Premier League’s offer and their terms, which include:

• The abolition of FA Cup replays.
• The prospect of early rounds of the competition being played midweek.
• The end of a stand-alone weekend for the FA Cup final at the end of the season, with the showpiece occasion being brought forward to clash with a regular weekend of Premier League fixtures every year.
• The FA Cup final will likely be held on the penultimate Saturday of the season, with a full Premier League schedule taking place on the Sunday
• A 10-year deal to sell foreign TV rights for all overseas markets, and the possibility of subsequently selling the domestic rights, which are currently held by BBC and ITV.
• An increased offer payment from the Premier League to the FA to fund grassroots football. 

This would then give English top-flight clubs control of the entire domestic football calendar

The Premier League are pushing for changes to the domestic calendar due to the expansion of the Champions League, which from 2024 will feature 10 matches in the group stage.

It is understood the FA Cup final could move from its traditional slot to coincide with the the penultimate Saturday of the season. A full Premier League schedule would then be held on the Sunday. 

The FA’s willingness to cede control of its biggest competition will spark a backlash from lower division clubs, who rely on FA Cup replays for revenue and have concerns about losing control of their fixture list to the Premier League. 

Sources at several clubs told Mail Sport that the FA were effectively taking a Premier League bribe to gain more money for the grassroots game at a time when EFL clubs have yet to receive a formal offer for the increased funding package that has been demanded by government.

The FA’s controversial move may also lead to an intervention from government to block the new deal amidst concerns that it will erode the governing body’s independence and leave them controlled by the Premier League. Several sources have claimed that the FA are attempting to rush the deal through before the introduction of the government-backed independent regulator, who would have powers to block it.

The terms of the deal would include the Premier League selling the overseas TV rights for the FA Cup for ten years from the 2024-25 season and the possibility of selling domestic rights 

It would also see the end of a stand-alone weekend for the FA Cup final at the end of the season

The FA’s surprise willingness to do a deal with the Premier League is a result of a dramatic decline in the value of FA Cup rights to overseas broadcasters. The current deal which expires at the end of the 2024-25 season in which agencies IMG and Pitch International sell the rights on behalf of the FA brings in around £150million-a-year, but this is now understood to be around £100m. 

The FA had agreed a deal in principle with Swiss agency Infront to sell FA Cup rights in Europe, the Middle East and North America before opening talks with the Premier League, and are now facing the threat of legal action.

The FA declined to comment when contacted by Mail Sport.