Premier League Abandons Pay Per View Model For Now

Matches will air on EPL broadcast partner networks through the
end of the year.

Via an
announcement on their website today, the Premier has announced
that their controversial decision to broadcast Premier League
matches via a pay-per-view model in the United Kingdom has been put
on hold for now.

The EPL introduced the PPV model in October, presumably as a way
to recover a portion of the matchday revenue lost by fans not being
allowed in stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the model,
fans have had to pay £14.95 for each match they wanted to watch, on
top of already paying subscription fees for the various television
and streaming services required to watch matches normally.

When it was announced in October, there was a significant amount
of backlash as supporters rightly felt cheated to be forced to pay
even more money to continue watching matches. Many fans boycotted
the PPV model altogether, choosing to make donations to charity
rather than pay to watch matches.

Supporters groups from all 20 Premier League clubs boycotted the
PPV decision, and the charitable giving they suggested instead has
led to hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations to various
organizations. With the extreme unpopularity of the policy, the
announcement that the league has reconsidered is very welcome
news.

However, there is no guarantee this won’t pop up again in the
new year. The announcement only ensures no additional costs for
watching matches through the holiday and new year period. According
to the statement:

“The agreement will be reviewed in the new year following
consultation with clubs, broadcast partners and in line with any
decisions made by Government regarding the return of spectators to
stadiums.”

So, while this is cause for celebration, and it’s definitely a
win for supporters in the UK, this fight may not be quite over.