The Premier League is reportedly set to change how matches are broadcast across the globe with a new idea that will affect Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
With technology ever-changing, Premier League supporters have become accustomed to seeing camera operators get up close and personal when filming the action. If you have attended a match recently, or watched from home, you will have seen shots of the players lining up on the pitch prior to kick-off, going through their last stretches before the game and reacting at full-time.
These images are captured thanks to the 'Steadicams' which operators can carry on to the field easily. Up until this point, these 'Steadicams' have not been allowed to enter the pitch during matches meaning goal celebrations are often captured from around the perimeter of the pitch.
But, according to the Daily Mail, that is set to change next season with 'Steadicams' allowed onto the pitch to capture celebrations in a move that is set to enhance the experience for supporters watching at home. It is also claimed that radio broadcasters and pundits will be encouraged to film their reactions during matches for the purposes of social media content.
TNT Sports and Sky Sports have been innovators in this field but have chosen only crucial Premier League matches and European nights to use this medium. It is thought that the rise of 'Fancam' channels has illicited this push for reactions.
These developments are reported amidst a shift towards further broadcasting of the Premier League. Starting next season, a new broadcast deal will come into effect that shall see up to 270 matches shown live across the season.
The deal, which is worth a whopping £6.7bn, will allow all matches that kick off at 2pm on a Sunday to be broadcast in the UK. Previously, matches that were moved to this kick-off time because of Europa League or Conference League involvement were not shown live in the UK.
Sky Sports have been awarded four of the five packages and will show a minimum of 215 matches per season including Saturday 5.30pm kick-offs, Sunday 2pm and 4.30pm kick-offs, plus evening games on Mondays and Fridays and three midweek rounds. TNT will show a minimum of 52 matches a season including all 12.30pm kick-offs on Saturdays and two midweek match rounds.
Amazon, which shows 20 matches per season under the league's current deal, has not secured rights in the new agreement. Sky Sports will also show all ten matches on the final day of the season.
This new deal, which begins in the summer, will run until at least 2029.