Covid-19/Premier League: "A £1bn loss at least if we fail to complete season 2019-20" (R. Masters)

"We face a £1bn loss, at least, if we fail to complete season 2019-20 (due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and further losses going forward if the seriousness of the pandemic deepens and extends into the future," stated Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League in a letter to Julian Knight, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee, according to information revealed by the British media on 07/04/2020.

This comes after Julian Knight wrote to Richard Masters to express his disagreement on some Premier League clubs using the Government's Covid-19 Job Retention Scheme to furlough non-playing workers, and warned that clubs could face a windfall tax if they used the Government's scheme without wage cuts or deferrals for players.

"Not only is our industry facing losses now, but to be realistic, we must also base our plans on full recovery being some distance away," added Richard Masters. The Premier League announced on 03/04/2020, that the season would not resume at the beginning of May (as previously envisaged, see below) but return only "when it is safe…