NEWCASTLE owner Mike Ashley has torn into the Premier League’s controversial pay-per-view matches.
And the Sports Direct tycoon believes prices should be slashed from £14.95 to £4.95 until Christmas.
Mike Ashley believes Premier League PPV games should have their prices slashed to £4.95Credit: PA
Prem clubs will tomorrow discuss cutting the PPV charge to under a tenner – but not until AFTER next month’s international break.
Fans have so far resisted meeting the current £14.95 fee for games broadcast on Sky Sports and BT Sports’ Box Office channels.
That figure was agreed upon by Prem clubs, including Newcastle, earlier this month.
Leicester were understood to be the only side opposed to the proposal.
But now the Toon chief appears to have made a U-turn after a vocal backlash from fans.
Clubs will meet to consider a change in pricing policy when domestic action resumes after next month’s international break, on the weekend of November 21.
A new price of £9.95 per match is likely to be proposed as one option.
But Newcastle chief Ashley believes it should be cut even further to £4.95.
He said via an official statement released by Newcastle: “I am calling on the Premier League to immediately act and review its current pay-per-view arrangements for live matches in the UK.
“Charging £14.95 for single televised matches in the current climate is not acceptable to any football fan.
“Supporters have overwhelmingly rejected this offer and the Premier League must now act.
“Why not make it much more accessible at £4.95 per match until Christmas?
“The Government should waive VAT on the above pay-per-view matches so that as many of those who are unable to attend matches in person can at least watch their team.
“The profit from the above reduced price pay-per-view option, I would suggest that 50 per cent would be retained by Premier League and 50 per cent would go to the football pyramid below.
“As a club, Newcastle United did vote in favour of the pay-per-view proposal, but to be clear, this was because there were no realistic or any viable alternatives put forward to enable supporters to watch matches.”
Newcastle sign Saint-Maximin’s former bricklayer pal Florent Indalecio after he scores stunning overhead-kick in trial
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
