Expect to hear more from players during the upcoming Premier League season.
That’s because the league, along with its British broadcast partners Sky Sports and TNT Sports, have come together to grant more access to players on the pitch during match telecasts.
According to a report by Sam Joseph in The Athletic, next season’s Premier League broadcasts on Sky Sports and TNT will include in-game interviews with substituted players. Per Joseph, “In order to keep pace with their US counterparts, British broadcasters sought increased access from the Premier League…” In addition to interviews with substituted players, broadcasters will also be granted “limited access to dressing rooms” during matches and camera operators will be allowed to enter the field “to capture close-up footage of goal celebrations.”
The battle for more access has been much slower going in Britain than it has been in the United States. Stateside, mid-game player and coach interviews have become commonplace, regardless of sport. The Premier League, however, has been much more cautious about introducing such measures. In 2022, the league added a rule that allowed broadcasters to request interviews with a team’s manager at halftime, though the manager could decline the request “at his/her absolute discretion.” And last season, Bournemouth midfielder Marcus Tavernier spoke to Sky Sports after being substituted off in the second half in what Joseph described as a trial run.
This type of access is controversial for multiple reasons. For one, fans don’t always enjoy having to sit through in-game interviews with coaches or players. Often times, these interviews are full of platitudes that add nothing to the broadcast. Secondly, coaches and players don’t want to be bothered to speak with a reporter in the middle of a game.
Occasionally, however, these interviews do offer some level of insight. The addition of “walk-and-talk” interviews during golf broadcasts, for instance, have been met with significant praise. At the very least, these interviews give fans at home an opportunity to make their own assessment about a coach or player in the context of a game.
From a media perspective, more access is always better, so it’s no surprise to hear that British broadcasters are fighting for the ability to do more with coaches and players. Access to the field after goals and dressing rooms during the match are objectively good for the broadcast, so it’s nice to see the Premier League beginning to allow this.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.