Originally Posted by PaulLFC:
“If they keep the auction rules the same then I'd guess not, same for if Sky bid a ridiculous amount to hold on to Sunday 4pm and BT don't bid enough, it probably wouldn't go to a second round unless it was close. Although the PL could change the percentage that the bids need to be within to make a second round more likely.”
I'm reluctant to go over old ground as it's been through a few times on here over the years but the tender document as agreed between the PL and the European Commission for the 2007/13 period (ie two rights cycles) contained no such % - the PL had the right to order a second round entirely at its discretion - unless it stated in advance of a bidding round that it was the final round, in which case it had to be the final round however close the bids were.
That agreement was a public document discussed on here and linked to on a number of occasions - forum member gs1 is the expert on this document.
Now, as for 2013/16, the tender document was never made public and even the PL clubs didn't get to see it - my understanding is that very, very few people have seen it and that anyone who has is bound by a confidentiality agreement re its contents (***).
So we can't know for sure but I see no reason why the PL would voluntarily tie its hands by restricting its scope to act in any way it may desire after the first round of bidding. If there was no such % threshold for 2007/13 (and we know there wasn't), then I see no reason why one would have been brought in for 2013/16.
(***) Except for one single page which contains the packages and quotas which was more widely circulated and which I have a copy of - and the contents of which I posted before the result of the auction was announced in 2012.