THE BBC could get the nod to show Premier League games for FREE.
Sky and BT Sport will show 47 of the remaining 92 games left to play once the coronavirus shutdown ends.
Gary Lineker and Co could be showing Premier League games lives on BBC’s Match of the Day under new proposals. (Inset) Manchester United players celebrate a goal
These broadcasters will also get the opportunity to show the majority of the other matches live.
But proposals have emerged that could see the BBC’s Match of the Day show up to five matches between June 19 and the scheduled end of Project Restart in July, claim The Times.
Government and broadcasting industry insiders have confirmed that the option of giving matches to the BBC is “very much on the table”, the newspaper reveals.
Crucially, matches where it is feared that rival fans could congregate and clash might be picked for free-to-air TV.
Amazon are also hoping to screen matches free to Prime subscribers.
Of the 45 games up for offer, Sky will show 32 as they have paid the biggest amount to the Premier League for broadcasting rights, more than £1.1billion a season.
BT Sport will get the chance to show eight games.
But as fellow rights holders both the BBC and Amazon are set to get the OK to show the remaining five matches, it has been reported.
In the history of the Premier League, the BBC have never been allowed to show matches live.
Instead they have shown highlights and FA Cup matches.
On Monday (May 18), outline plans to screen the remaining matches will be revealed to Premier League chairmen by video conference.
Plans are afoot to allow Sky and BT Sport to show the matches on their YouTube channels.
The broadcasting giants could fight the proposals to allow Amazon and the BBC to show free matches, having paid so much for rights.
The BBC have paid £211m for their weekly highlights package on Match of the Day from this season until 2021/22.
Amazon reportedly stumped up £30m to show matches in December.
Previously, the Government’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden called on broadcasters to show matches for free.
Man United’s Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Aaron Wan-Bissaka train together amid coronavirus break from football
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
