Gary Neville criticises 'really bad move' of PPV decision by Premier League

Gary Neville criticised the Premier League for their decision to charge fans £14.95 per match to watch each game that is not on standard television platforms.

The league announced the decision on Friday after a meeting between clubs, allowing Sky and BT to charge for broadcasts via their respective pay-per-view systems.

A decision had to be made after the government went back on a decision to let fans into stadiums, as an increase in coronavirus infections led to a reversal of the loosening of some restrictions.

There has been criticism that a fee of nearly £15 is too much for fans amid the financial impact of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom, and that the sum is too much compared to the monthly fees charged by both Sky and BT.

Neville tweeted on Friday afternoon: "This is a really bad move by the @premierleague to charge £14.95 for single matches that have been shown free for 6 months !"

The Premier League said on Friday: "The Premier League today confirmed all fixtures until the end of October will continue to be made available to fans to watch live in the UK.

"Under these new arrangements, the current live match selections will remain in place and will be broadcast as normal.

"In addition, the five matches per round not already selected will be made available to supporters on a pay-per-view basis, accessed via BT Sport Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office platforms.

"Clubs today agreed this interim solution to enable all fans to continue to watch their teams live.

"The Premier League has worked closely with Sky Sports and BT Sport to provide this arrangement and is grateful for their support. The agreement will be regularly reviewed in consultation with clubs and in line with any decisions made by Government regarding the return of spectators to stadiums.

"Football is not the same without supporters at matches. The Premier League and our clubs remain committed to the safe return of fans as soon as possible."