- All questions to players or managers about the impact of Covid-19 have been barred
- Broadcasters warned they may lose access to clubs if they do not observe
- Premier League among sporting events affected by the global pandemic
Premier League has blocked Sky Sports and BT Sport from asking any questions about the resumption of the football season.
The broadcasters have been warned that failing to observe this will lead to them being denied access to managers or players.
The two broadcasters are among the biggest investors in the Premier League – Sky have paid £1.19billion for the right to broadcast games this season, and BT have paid £325m.
With games on suspension due to the global pandemic, clubs agreed to provide their managers for interviews every four weeks and a selected player every two weeks as the broadcasters continue to seek for content to air on their platforms.
The decision by the Premier League mirrors a sense of censorship by the management of the Premier League.
The broadcasters have been asked to refrain from asking questions such as: when the season should resume, if the games should be played behind closed doors, if players and managers should take pay-cuts, if the season should be cancelled and furloughing of staffs.
Sky Sports are the Premier League’s longest-running and biggest broadcast partner, and paid £3.57billion for their three-year rights package, more than a third of the overall global deal.
