MORE BLOWS FOR GLAZER

Sponsors are already reeling under the avalanche of cancelled subscriptions and boycotts. Vodafone have lost thousands upon thousands of customers with their rivals only too happy to offer cheaper deals to United fans, and MUTV are not far behind. Glazer has now been hit on two separate fronts in regard of TV revenue.

From the Sun:

Malcolm Glazer has suffered a blow as a breakaway TV deal was scotched by the European Commission.

Television revenue is one of the key money-making factors behind the US tycoon's takeover of Manchester United. But Glazer has been told he will get no help from Brussels if he tries to break up the Premier League's collective selling agreement.

EC competition spokesman Jonathan Todd said: "They might try to do that but there is no way we could become involved.

"We do not have a problem with the principle of collective selling and think there are very valid reasons for it. We do not think there is any problem with it under EC competition law."

The news could increase pressure to hike ticket and merchandise prices for already disgruntled United fans.

United could make more money selling rights to their games separately because of their global appeal but Glazer has little chance of convincing the league to allow them to do it on his own.

From the Guardian:

Malcolm Glazer was yesterday faced with the news that over the past season United have dropped to fourth in the Premiership club table of earnings from TV income and prize money.

Chelsea (£50.8m), Arsenal (£48.7m) and Liverpool (£47.4m) earned more than United (£44.4m), who have paid the price for a poor Champions League campaign and in finishing third in the Premiership for a second year. United's take was £13m or 25% down on the previous season.

It is the first time since the launch of the Premiership that the club has not finished in the top two in the TV and prize money earnings league.