Premier League to permit RefCam audio in live broadcast coverage this season

The Premier League will allow audio of on-field conversations between players and referees to be used in live broadcasts of Premier League matches this season, the league has said. Domestic rights holders Sky Sports and TNT Sports will be able to incorporate that audio into their coverage.

The move forms part of an expansion of the RefCam system, which was made a permanent feature of top-flight coverage last season after a six-week trial at the start of the campaign. Broadcasters have used the head-mounted RefCams to provide near-instant replays from a new angle. Under the existing agreements with clubs, the audio captured by those cameras had previously not been televised until several days after matches.

The regulations will be relaxed to permit a limited use of RefCam audio during live match coverage, with one or two incidents to be broadcast from each of the Premier League’s 38 match rounds. The audio will not be broadcast live or include any incidents that are referred to the video assistant referee, because that is not permitted under the laws of the game as set by the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

The new audio content will be made available as part of near-live instant replays during broadcasts. At the same time, the number of televised games featuring RefCam footage will rise from 20 to about 45, increasing the frequency of the technology’s appearance in match coverage.

Football has been slower than several other sports to adopt in-match interviews and dressing-room cameras, with those features long accepted in cricket, both codes of rugby and many American sports. Rights holders have increased pressure on the game’s broadcasters and competition organisers to broaden what is shown during live coverage.

The Premier League and refereeing body Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, are understood to be lobbying Ifab to relax the rules that currently prevent the live broadcast of on-field audio.