Man United could land ‘£20m’ windfall after TV plan revealed
Manchester United could net up to £20million if their new TV series about the history of the club proves a success.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, amid Man United announcing plans for a TV series.
Man United are looking at ways of creating extra revenue, with the club’s latest financial accounts showing they are in over £1billion worth of debt.
On the pitch, Champions League football is seen as a necessity for Man United, with the club starting to suffer financially from a lack of on-field success.
Man United have to be ‘brave’ with TV series
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – states Man United can only reach up to £20m for the new series if it is not deemed a flop.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks the series needs to “face the issues” of the club directly and not hold back.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, I think there’ll be, you know, quite rightly they’ve got sort of a base fee, but I think the majority of this will depend on the royalties and the amount of deals, the different countries that take it up.
“And obviously, you know, it could go as high as 15, 20 million, I think, in my opinion, if that was to be the case. But as I just mentioned, if it’s proven to be a bit of a box office flop, and it’s panned because of its lack of reality, it may not get taken up so much because it would just be a work of fiction.
“And that’s the risk they’re having to face. Now, if it does face the issues head on, and apparently Jed Mercurio, who did Line of Duty, is the guy who’s going to do it, and he’s got a good pedigree, he’s got to be careful because his reputation’s on the line as well. And even though apparently he’s a Man United fan, I’m afraid he can’t just gloss over the facts as we all know them, particularly in the last 10 years or so.
“So anyway, that’s their issue, that’s their problem, but I think yes, it potentially, it’s not just the money, it’s being on the screens continually for the brand, for Man United. That’s got the big knock-on effect, and it is a very important piece if they can get it done and if it’s executed, as I say, accurately.
“They’ve got a chance to be brave and to actually create some talking points and if they are as accurate as I hope they will be, this could become a very powerful tool for them going forward. But as I say, if they try and take the easy option, I think it’ll come back to bite them big time.”
Man United to fall behind Premier League rival
Tottenham’s wage bill is being backed to surpass Man United‘s over the next few years amid Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost cutting measures.
Ratcliffe wants to reduce Man United’s wage bill, with their total having fallen from £365m to £313m last season.
Qualification back into the Champions League may change Man United’s approach, with Michael Carrick’s side currently in the Premier League top four.