J. League chairman Mitsuru Murai on Tuesday denied that the league has already decided to return to a single-stage format from next season but confirmed that the idea is under consideration.
The J. League last season adopted a two-stage league system with postseason playoffs in a bid to boost sponsorship revenue, ending the single-league format it had used from 2005-14.
But league chiefs are considering pulling the plug after only two seasons, after striking a 10-year, ¥210 billion deal to sell online broadcasting rights to British media company Perform Group in July — the biggest commercial deal in the history of Japanese sports.