BT Sport

JOSE MOURINHO has joined calls for the Premier League to rethink its pay-per-view games programme.
This weekend sees five matches take place behind a new £14.95 price barrier, even though fans are still not allowed inside grounds.

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Jose Mourinho has criticised the advent of pay-per-view matches in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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There will be no other way for fans to watch Newcastle’s game at Manchester United tonight, with indoor household mixing also bannedCredit: PA:Press Association

The decision reverses the opening up of every game to Sky Sports and BT Sports subscribers, a move which took place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And Mourinho has said he ‘feels sorry’ for fans who are once again being asked to fork out, with no other choice if they want to watch these matches.
The Tottenham boss told reporters: “£14 is a lot of money.
“You cannot even share with your friends as they cannot come to your house [in London].

“It is difficult. I feel sorry for the fans.
“But hopefully this stops quickly and we can have some people in the stadium.”

The pay-per-view selection includes Saturday’s games between Chelsea and Southampton, and Manchester United and Newcastle.
It comes as several areas of the country, including Liverpool, Manchester, London and Newcastle, are placed under increased lockdown restrictions.

People from different households are no longer allowed to mix indoors amid the rise in coronavirus cases.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers also criticised the plan, with the Foxes’ trip to Arsenal next weekend on Sky’s Box Office channel.
He said: “I’m disappointed for supporters, at the moment it’s already very difficult for them.
“If you can’t afford to pay that, then you don’t get to see the game.

If people are unhappy with indoor performances going ahead with social distancing, that is a separate question.
Oliver DowdenUK Sports Minister

“If it is in place now then I hope it’s not going to be for a sustained period of time.”
The only matches going behind the added paywall are those not already selected for live broadcast.
Football clubs are pushing for fans to return to venues, potentially making the PPV games obsolete.
But the Government has knocked back plans to allow fans to return – even while allowing certain indoor events to take place.
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has admitted there is a discrepancy between the treatment of indoor and outdoor crowds.
He said in the week: “The very clear advice was that at this stage of the disease, we should be imposing restrictions.

“We are doing things that are positively hateful, but the reason we are doing it is to secure public safety.”
He added: “If we had socially distancing for sport that is a lot of people coming week in and week out going to sports stadiums up and down the country.
“There are actually very few socially distanced indoor performances going on. They are not massively financially viable.
“If people are unhappy with indoor performances going ahead with social distancing, that is a separate question of whether you stop them.”

Premier League matches will cost £14.95 on PPV Box Office channels with Man Utd and Chelsea games among first clashes More

PREM chiefs and broadcasters remain at odds over who set the £14.95 pay-per-view rates coming in this weekend.
But there is no sign of the policy being shelved despite a fan and Government backlash.

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Richard Masters has blamed Sky Sports and BT Sports for the £14.95 PPVCredit: PA:Press Association

League chief executive Richard Masters insisted the per match charge, which kicks off with Chelsea’s home clash with Southampton on Sunday, was “set” by the broadcasters, Sky and BT.
He said: “We are obviously aware of the commercial model that was put in place and we had substantive conversations with BT and Sky about that.
“But we can’t set prices. Broadcasters have to set the retail price of their own products. That’s the law.”
BT chief Marc Allera, though, explained: “We had a suggested retail price which was suggested to us by the Premier League.

“We also have a cost that they’re charging us for those games. We’re certainly not making significant amounts of money out of this, we’re pretty much just covering our costs.
“The intent of the Premier League to put these games on was to get some money moving into some of the clubs and leagues that are struggling.
“That’s a good intent, and that’s reflected in the price that they’re charging us, while the price that we charge basically reflects the need for us to cover our costs.”
Masters cited the “Premier League production values” and the fact that games that would otherwise have gone untelevised live will not be screened.

And Allera added: “Our objective is to help the Premier League and the football ecosystem, helping them move money to places where it’s needed.
“It’s our job just to put them on and give those fans that can’t go to the stadiums the chance to watch those games.
“Whether it’s a few thousand or a few hundred thousand, it is still money that is going back into football and we’re pleased to be playing our part in that.”

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THE Premier League could make a shock U-turn on their £14.95 pay-per-view plan due to the fear of illegal streaming and a rise in coronavirus cases, according to reports.
Nineteen of the 20 clubs voted in favour of making all matches available to watch up until the end of October.

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The Premier League could be pushed into a dramatic U-turn over plans to broadcast matches not selected for TV at £14.95 per gameCredit: PA:Press Association

Leicester’s CEO Susan Whelan was the only chief to oppose the proposal in Friday’s shareholder meeting.
But it means matches not selected for TV coverage will be on Sky Sports or BT Sport Box Office at almost £15 a match.
And that would see viewers having to fork out a staggering £283 per month to watch every Premier League game.
The Mail on Sunday report a reconsideration of the plans could be put forward at another meeting this week.

And with pubs being exempt from the individual charges, The Telegraph add that the threat of fans flocking together to watch their team is a cause for concern with Covid-19.
Prof Gabriel Scally, a leading public health expert and member of the Independent Sage group, told The Telegraph: “It would be a very bad substitute to have fans gathering indoors.
“It does certainly appear to be a situation that would encourage fans to put themselves potentially at risk.
“We do know that a significant proportion of transmission is associated with the hospitality industry and pubs in particular.”

Steve Brine, the Conservative MP and member of Parliament’s digital, culture, media and sport select committee, said: “These are the worst of times and the Premier League has done much to lift spirits but this is not their finest hour.
“It will encourage people to gather together and that’s just not the spirit of right now in my opinion.”
Gary Neville slammed the top flight for its ‘really bad move’ while others proclaimed ‘football is dead’ after the announcement.
The backlash, especially on social media with many fans already paying for season tickets, led plenty to suggest they will simply find illegal streams online instead.
And the threat of fans opting to source matches through unofficial means has struck fear into Premier League bosses.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, author of The Price of Football, told the BBC: “It is going to drive people towards piracy.
“It discriminates against the clubs that don’t tend to be on Sky Sports or BT that often.
“The Premier League’s argument, which is that EFL clubs are charging £10 [on the iFollow platform] so we should be charging more because we have more cameras, is also flawed.

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“The cameras were already going to be there because the matches would have been shown on Match of the Day anyway, so the set-up costs would be minimal.”
Premier League clubs claim they cannot afford to keep offering the extra matches at no additional cost – as has been the case since the restart in June – especially as pressure mounts on an EFL bailout.
Paul Barber, chief executive at Brighton, said: “The PPV offering also potentially provides all fans with access to away fixtures that they might not have got to see even in normal times.
“This is a short-term measure, let’s not forget that. Our priority is to get fans back in the stadium as soon as possible.
“I don’t know of any businesses that are expected to give away their core product for free, and least of all when jobs and livelihoods are threatened everywhere.
“We are trying to be fair to fans, while also protecting our business, and the jobs of our staff, as we work through an unprecedented crisis.”

Premier League matches will cost £14.95 on PPV Box Office channels with Man Utd and Chelsea games among first clashes More

LEICESTER were the ONLY club to vote against proposals to charge fans an extra £14.95 to watch Premier League games in the coming weeks.
Premier League sides – who have just spent £1.24BILLION in the transfer market – have agreed to put 15 matches behind an extra paywall.

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Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers and chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, part of the only club to vote against the planCredit: Getty – Contributor

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Reports suggest Ed Woodward’s Manchester United were against PPV charges – but they still voted in favour of themCredit: Getty Images – Getty

On top of subscriptions to Sky Sports and BT Sport, hard-up supporters are being asked to shell out an extra £14.95 each time their team is not picked by broadcasters.
With fans not allowed into grounds amid a health and financial crisis, league and television bosses had previously agreed to allow every game to go out live around the country.
Some were even made free-to-air via the BBC – in a move widely welcomed by fans during the coronavirus pandemic.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:

However, Premier League sides agreed by a 19-to-1 vote on Friday to reverse the decision.
Leicester have been named as the only team to oppose the “interim” agreement.
Top-tier sides will gain fresh income thanks to the agreement, by taking any profit after covering broadcasters’ costs of around £100,000 per game.
In a statement confirming the decision, the Premier League said: “Clubs today agreed this interim solution to enable all fans to continue to watch their teams live.

“The Premier League has worked closely with Sky Sports and BT Sport to provide this arrangement and is grateful for their support.

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“This agreement will be regularly reviewed in consultation with clubs and in line with any decisions made by Government regarding the return of spectators to stadiums.
“Football is not the same without supporters at matches. The Premier League and our clubs remain committed to the safe return of fans as soon as possible.”
Sky and BT will show the extra games on their Box Office channels, with 15 announced throughout October and early November.
League bosses have pointed to EFL teams broadcasting each of their games for £10 since the pandemic hit, via iFollow.
And the Box Office broadcasts will be relatively similar to the lower league offerings with no build-up or punditry planned.
Leicester fans welcomed news of their club turning down the offer but, like many others, were left fuming with the decision.

Twitter user Amar wrote: “Absolute farce the price for them but at least you stood up for us, shame other clubs didn’t join.”
While Ella commented: “As the only voters against it I think Leicester’s games should be free.”
And another fan tweeted: “Absolute joke.”
The Foxes are on Sky Sports Box Office for the next two matchdays, with a trip to Aston Villa and game against Arsenal.

Premier League matches will cost £14.95 on PPV Box Office channels with Man Utd and Chelsea games among first clashes More

THE PREMIER LEAGUE games to be shown on Box Office for £14.95 have been revealed.
Top flight bosses announced today that a total of 15 games from now to the end of October will be on Sky Sports and BT Sport PPV channels.

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Man Utd’s rearranged clash against Newcastle is one of those to be shown on Box OfficeCredit: Reuters

Fans are up in arms over the plan – with Manchester United legend Gary Neville also slamming the cash-grabbing exercise.
But no doubt some will want to splash out to see their team in action.
And the first one to be shown for a fee will be Chelsea’s clash against Southampton at 3pm on Saturday, October 17 on BT Sport Box Office.
Later that night, Man Utd’s trip to Newcastle, rearranged from 3pm that day, will kick off at 8pm on Sky Sports Box Office.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
The following day, Sheffield United vs Fulham (rearranged from 3pm the day before) will get underway at midday on BT Sport Box Office.
Then Sky Sports Box Office will show Leicester vs Aston Villa (also rearranged from 3pm the day before) from 7.15pm.
On Monday, October 19 West Brom vs Burnley (originally set to take place at 3pm the Saturday before) will kick-off at 5pm on Sky Sports Box Office.

Friday, October 23 sees Aston Villa host Leeds at 8pm on BT Sport Box Office, with that game originally slated to be for 3pm the next day.

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The next day, a London derby between Fulham and Crystal Palace will keep its original 3pm time but be shown on BT Sport Box Office – before Liverpool versus Sheffield United at 8pm on Sky’s PPV channel.
Arsenal host Leicester in a 7.15pm kick-off on Sunday, October 25, on Sky Sports Box Office.
And that gameweek is rounded off with two games on Monday evening, the first of which seeing Brighton face West Brom at 5.30pm of Sky Sports Box Office.
Friday, October 30 will see Wolves host Crystal Palace at 8pm on BT Sport Box Office. That game was originally meant to happen at 3pm the day after.

And Burnley vs Chelsea will take place at 3pm on Halloween on BT Sport Box Office.
The following day sees two Box Office clashes, Villa hosting Southampton at midday before a 7.15pm clash between Tottenham and Brighton – both on Sky.
The final fixture announced for PPV television thus far is at 5.30pm on Monday, October 2 – between Fulham and West Brom on Sky Sports Box Office.

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