PL wants clubs to allow access to more BTS footage post-match as Sky Sports and TNT Sports want more for their money.
PL wants clubs to allow dressing-room filming and in-game interviews.
August marks the start of a new domestic TV agreement worth £6.7 billion over four years. Sky Sports and TNT Sports are demanding more for their money, and the league is backing their claims.
The league reportedly seeks a deal before its AGM next month and is in consultation with clubs over increased access for rights holders. While some managers are reluctant to let cameras inside what they consider to be their private sanctuary, other teams are more receptive to letting broadcasters film in their dressing rooms.
It is thought that the conventional Big Six are retaliating. Some clubs suspect that the Big Six are reluctance stems from their want to preserve behind-the-scenes footage for their own channels, which they can use to promote to their supporters and bolster their already substantial financial edge. If the league wants to sign a contract with the broadcasters, it requires 14 clubs to support it.
Each team would have to permit dressing room access, player interviews at halftime, or interviews with substitutes during two home games under the league’s plans. The other choices have been added as a compromise to appease the most hesitant clubs, although the broadcasters are mostly interested in video from the dressing room.
With the league’s contracts totalling £6.5 billion between 2025 and 2028, overseas TV rights are still growing. However, foreign rights holders, especially NBC in the US, are also want more.
Over the past few years, a number of teams, notably Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Brighton, and Brentford, have experimented with installing cameras in their locker rooms. After winning the trophy, the Premier League winners must let crews film their celebrations in their locker rooms.
Marcus Tavernier, who was substituted during Bournemouth’s 3-1 victory over Southampton in October, spoke to Sky Sports, making them the first team to conduct a substituted player interview.