The English Premier League has asked clubs to give broadcasters the right to film inside dressing rooms or conduct in-game player interviews during live coverage from next season.
A new domestic TV deal worth ￡6.7 billion (US$8.9 billion) over four years begins in August, and British broadcasters Sky Sports and TNT Sports want more for their money, with the league supporting their demands.
The league is understood to be consulting with clubs over enhanced access for rights holders and wants an agreement before its annual general meeting next month.
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Some clubs are more open to allowing broadcasters to film in their dressing rooms, with certain managers resistant to letting cameras into what they regard as their inner sanctum.
The traditional “big six” — Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City — are believed to be pushing back. There is a suspicion at some clubs that the big six are resisting because they want to save behind-the-scenes content for their own channels, which they can use to market to their fans and increase their already significant commercial advantage. The league needs 14 clubs to take its side if it is to make a contractual commitment to the broadcasters.
Under the league’s proposals, each club would be obliged to allow dressing-room access, a half-time player interview or an interview with a substituted player at two home games.
The broadcasters are most interested in dressing-room footage, but the other options have been included as a concession to win over the most reluctant clubs.
The league is understood to have warned clubs that the value of future TV rights deals is likely to decline if broadcasters are not offered more access.
Although the value of the league’s TV deal has gone up for the next cycle, this has been achieved only by offering 70 more live games each season.
The price per game paid by Sky and TNT has decreased significantly from ￡10.19 million between 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 to ￡6.2 million over the next four-year cycle.
Overseas TV rights are continuing to rise, with the league’s contracts between this year and 2028 worth ￡6.5 billion, but foreign rights holders are also demanding more, particularly NBC in the US.
Several clubs, including Brentford, Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest, have run trials with cameras in their dressing rooms over the past couple of years.
The Premier League champions are obliged to allow crews to film celebrations in their dressing rooms after winning the trophy.
Bournemouth were the first club to offer a substituted player interview, with Marcus Tavernier speaking to Sky Sports after he was taken off in their 3-1 win over Southampton in October last year, and an audio clip of Thomas Frank giving a pre-match team talk before Brentford hosted Arsenal in January went viral after being posted by TNT Sports.
Sky Sports is to broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League games in the UK next season, up from 128, and believes it has to offer viewers more for their subscription.
Next season in the Premier League, camera crews are to be allowed onto the pitch to film goal celebrations.
Camera operatives using so-called Steadicams, who often enter the field at the final whistle, would be allowed to record players’ reactions to take viewers closer to the action.
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