Reports state that the Premier League has rejected Netflix’s offer for a documentary proposal which was to make a Drive to Survive-style documentary featuring all of their 20 clubs. The production company approached the top-flight clubs behind the Formula One Smash Hit, Box to Box Films, earlier this season; however, they have decided not to go for the offer.
Premier League’s decision to reject the offer
The decision made by the Premier League to reject the offer made by Netflix was confirmed at a shareholders’ meeting in London. This was at the time when concerns were expressed regarding the amount of access to players along with the staff Netflix would demand and the logistical challenges that were posed by an operation consisting of a total of all 20 clubs.
The live rights holders of the English Premier League, i.e., Sky Sports and BT Sport, will firmly welcome the decision of the European top flight, who were primarily unhappy at the prospect of losing valuable time with players along with the managers to a commercial rival given they pay a combined £1.6billion-a-year in rights fees.
Some PL clubs have partnered with Amazon Prime
On the other hand, Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, as well as Tottenham, have all made documentaries with Amazon Prime, and Newcastle is also on the verge of doing the same with Amazon this season. Primarily, a proposal for the Premier League-wide production was taken into account, but some clubs argued in the same that elevating the amount of global attention on the league would primarily assist in driving up the value of the international TV rights; however, this will not be pursued this time.
In recent years, Netflix has made a series of critically acclaimed and popular sports documentaries; however, partnering with a Premier League club is a deal that is yet to be sealed by them.
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