Premier League to Review Controversial £14.95 Pay Per View Price Amid Lockdown Pressure

The Premier League is under pressure to scrap the controversial £14.95 pay-per-view broadcast model against the backdrop of the imminent second coronavirus lockdown in England.

During the first lockdown, which was still in effect during ‘Project Restart’ in June and July, every Premier League game was broadcasted live in the UK at no extra cost to existing subscriptions.

With supporters banned from stadiums, it ensured games would still be seen. It also served to at least partially discourage gatherings as BBC and Amazon Prime broadcast live games for free, while a handful of subscription games were also made available free to air.

Despite a general loosening of the restrictions, aside from fans being allowed to return beyond a few test events, that model was extended into the new season.

However, things were changed from mid-October when the pay-per-view model was brought into effect. It sought to mark a gradual return to the old model, with five live games broadcast per weekend by Sky Sports and BT Sport, as per the broadcast contract.

Sky Sports & BT Sport have both put games on Box Office platforms / Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

But the five other games not chosen for live broadcast under normal circumstances, which still have to be shown on television while stadiums remain closed, have been on 'Box Office' platforms – each game is charged as an individual one-off at close to £15.

The eye-watering price tag has been blasted by fans, media figures and even Mike Ashley. The cut taken by Sky and BT only covers production costs, with the rest intended to go to the clubs as a way of reducing the vast impact of losing all matchday revenue.

The Premier League set the pay per view price tag / Gareth Copley/Getty Images

According to The Sun, the Premier League will review the £14.95 price at a meeting this week. There is pressure to scrap it altogether, or at the very least reduce it to something easier to swallow.

A recent report from the Daily Mirror suggested that the broadcasters themselves want the pay-per-view service scrapped out of fear of the damage it is doing to their respective reputations. The £14.95 price point was set by the Premier League, but Sky and BT are concerned customers will wrongly perceive it as a decision inspired by greed on their part.

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