November 6 – The English Premier League’s controversial pay-per-view model that has caused outrage amongst fans’ groups has moved a step closer to being scrapped after this weekend.
Media reports said that instead, the world’s richest league will revert back to the system that was in place at the start of the current season – with most matches screened by either Sky or BT sport, the regular broadcast partners, possibly along with Amazon Prime and the BBC.
The pay-per-view model was introduced after the October international break for selected games sold on an individual basis, with fans needing to pay £14.95 to watch matches not chosen for regular television coverage.
Supporters’ groups have lambasted the scheme and have instead been boycotting watching their teams in favour of donating hundreds of thousands of pounds to food charities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ditching the system, under which fans who already pay an annual subscription to watch their teams have been asked to pay even more, was discussed at Thursday’s Premier League shareholders’ meeting .
A formal decision will reportedly be made next week but reports said a u-turn was on the cards less than a month after the scheme was launched.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) are welcoming a likely change of heart.
“Supporters made clear their revulsion at the £15 cost to see their teams on Sky and BT Sport’s pay-per-view platforms last month, an emotion running so deep that fan protests across the country even reached the ears of untouchable Premier League club owners,” a statement said.
Pay per view matches scheduled for this weekend include West Bromwich Albion v Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal v Aston Villa. The U-turn will apparently start from November 21 after the latest international break and could last until at least the middle of January.
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