The Premier League has come under fire after announcing plans to screen matches played behind closed doors on pay-per-view television, with a price tag of £14.95 per game. The decision, approved at a shareholders' meeting on Friday, was met with widespread criticism from fans, pundits, and industry insiders.
Under the temporary arrangement, which will be reviewed at the end of October, half of the remaining matches over the next three weeks will be shown on BT Sport and Sky Sports' pay-per-view platforms. The first two games to be broadcast are Chelsea v Southampton on 17 October on BT, and Newcastle v Manchester United on Sky the same day.
Gary Neville, the Sky Sports pundit, was among the first to criticise the move, tweeting: "This is a really bad move by the Premier League to charge £14.95 for single matches that have been shown free for 6 months!" The Football Supporters' Association also urged the league to reconsider, calling on broadcasters to rethink their pricing.
Gary Caffel, utilities editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said fans were being treated as "cash cows". "With grounds still closed, it leaves loyal fans with a tough decision: pay the extra £15 per game for those matches not included in their usual subscriptions, which were shown free at the end of last season, or miss seeing their club in action," he said.
One insider with close knowledge of the Premier League's TV business described the decision as "bonkers" and suggested it could undermine future collective deals. The league defended the move, stating that the agreement would be "regularly reviewed in consultation with clubs and in line with any decisions made by government regarding the return of spectators to stadiums."
