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Eden Hazard: TV distribution rights to five Premier League games

Hazard is one of those players that fans talk about a lot, yet never seem to really consider. He’s almost always used in comparisons of other players. It’s as if there’s a “Hazard line” in fans’ minds, above which are the greatest players alive. Below the line sits the soccer middle class. The players which would dominate a lower league but only play supporting roles on top-flight teams.

This is weird, because Hazard is actually one of the best players around. He’s a playmaking attacking midfielder that slides into any scheme. The Belgian gives his teams options that allow them to build around other players and not worry too much about accommodating him. His play has very few weaknesses.

Granted, his play does seem to dip a little when he plays for his national team. But this is a phenomenon that is seen with many Belgian stars. Really, Hazard has helped his country punch above its weight in the World Cup and the Euros.

So why is he only worth five Premier League games?

Here’s the thing: even though Hazard is one of the best players in the world, he’s still only worth about five Premier League broadcasts in the UK. The rights to those are very expensive. The full package, which was split between Sky and BT Sport in 2015, cost £5.1 billion. Even on his hefty contract, he could barely afford a small fraction of that.