Facebook, Google and Netflix will not submit bids on the next round of Premier League TV rights.

It had been thought that the trio of tech companies could bid on the package.

The bidding process, which covers 200 games a season between 2019 and 2022, is such a closely guarded process that most broadcasters are expected to submit their offers by hand.

Three years ago many were aghast at the £5.1bn Sky and BT paid for the rights, which represented a 70% increase on the previous contract. 

In 2015, Sky spent £4.1 billion on 126 games a season last time around, with main rival BT picking up the remaining 42 games for £960 million.