CLUBS do not want MORE LIVE TV GAMES
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have risked the wrath of their own fans by pricing themselves out of a deal that could have seen all matches televised live until the Government sanctions a return to full capacity stadiums. Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime will show an extra 20 matches next season, but Sportsmail understands there was interest from the broadcasters in showing even more games, as they did during Project Restart. However, during initial talks the clubs made it clear that they would demand additional rights fees for the privilege so the
negotiations never got off the ground. Sky, BT and Amazon have committed more than £5billion for live Premier League rights over three seasons and were not willing to spend any more to secure additional fixtures at a time of such financial uncertainty.
As a result fans will be unable to watch some of their club’s matches until at least October 3, the earliest point in the fixture list at which supporters will be allowed into stadiums — and even then capacity will be restricted to between 20 and 30 per cent.
As Sportmail revealed earlier aro this week, the clubs also opted against exploring the possibility of streaming games on their websites to season- ticket holders, despite calls from West Ham and Crystal Palace for them to do so.
The one concession madee by the clubs was to grant an additional 20 matches to the broadcasters, as revealed by MailOnline in advance of yesterday’s fixture publication, a move undertaken to compensate rights holders for the loss of four lucrative weekend slots in the truncated season. Sky will get an extra 12 games, with six going to BT Sport and two to Amazon, taking the number of matches to be televised next season to 220.
The agreement over extra matches has been designed to prevent the need for further talks over another rebate, which Sky in particular could have pushed for given the loss of several of the most coveted Super Sunday slots.
Sky secured a £330m rebate from the Premier League, which will be paid over the next two seasons, for the loss of matches for three months during lockdown and the clubs were extremely reluctant to cede any more ground.
In addition to securing extra games, the rights holders have managed another victory by ensuring that no matches will be made available free-to-air next season. During Project Restart the Premier League bowed to pressure from the Government to make live games more widely available a by gifting four matches to the BBC, despite the fact they did not have any live rights, while others were shown on Sky’s free-to-channel, Sky Pick. There will be no matches televised te at 3pm on Saturday afternoons, however, despite UEFA removing broadcasting restrictions by suspending Article 48 during lockdown.
The TV selections for the early round of games will be announced next week following talks between the broadcasters. With fewer weekends available there will be two additional midweek programmes next season — one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week starting May 10. All of those games will be broadcast live.