The Premier League’s controversial pay-per-view model is likely to be ditched after this weekend’s matches, the PA news agency understands.
It is understood the league is most likely to revert to the model which was in place at the start of the current season, where all matches were screened by one of the competition’s broadcast partners.
Further discussions must still take place with broadcast partners before plans can be confirmed, and pay-per-view is therefore not completely off the table.
The pay-per-view model was introduced for the games which followed the October international break, with fans needing to pay £14.95 to watch matches not selected for regular television broadcast in the UK.
Leeds director of football Victor Orta said on Thursday he felt the existing system was the best one, and that young English talent would flourish by playing with the highest-quality players from overseas.
“What is better, the quantity or the quality?” he said.
“When the high level of the league gives quality, a lot of English players develop. That helped with Spain. What was the reason Spain won the World Cup? Because a lot of young talent developed abroad and improved its level.
“In other countries like Russia where I worked, they reduced the number of work permits – what has happened with the national team? It is better with the quality.
“We have the responsibility to improve the quality of players, we have invested in our youth facilities but we need to be careful not to take decisions which could be worse for the future. Please don’t use a political situation to say it improves things, because it’s going to be worse in my opinion.”
