Managers gagged over pay-per-view deal

THE Premier League are attempting to stop top-flight managers speaking about the controversial new pay-per-view TV offering that begins this weekend. Sportsmail can reveal the Premier League have written to all 20 clubs telling them their managers should avoid commenting on the matter, asking them to instead focus on talking up the urgent need for fans to return to stadiums. Leicester were the only club to vote last Friday against the introduction of pay-per-view for the five matches every weekend not scheduled for live broadcast, but individual managers have their own views and it is unlikely they will all be willing to go along with the edict. The surprise move has infuriated fans’ groups with the £14.95 price tag in

particular viewed as excessive, and many managers will be wary of alienating their own supporters. The clubs will keep the majority of the £14.95 fee after the broadcasters’ additional costs for televising the matches have been met, although they have yet to decide how the revenue will be split. That is likely to be a subject of fierce debate. Under the terms of the iFollow pay-per-view streaming services operated by the EFL, each of the three divisions have adopted a different formula for revenue sharing, with home clubs taking all of the money from the streams they sell in the Championship, the hosts taking the first 500 streams by the away team in League Two and a more complex split based on average attendances used in League One. The Premier League’s Big Six are seeking a bigger share of the additional revenue on the grounds that they will attract a bigger audience, but they have yet to produce a detailed proposal. Chelsea’s home game against Southampton, kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, will be the first match to be broadcast on pay-per-view. The next will be Manchester United’s visit to Newcastle later in the evening, kicking off at 8pm.