Premier League signs deal with newspapers and agencies

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/aug/11/premier-league-newspapers-news-agencies

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A coalition of the UK’s major national newspapers and international news agencies have agreed a deal with the Premier League and Football League covering journalist access and reporting from matches for the next three seasons.

The deal, which comes in the wake of sports journalists criticising the action of some clubs choosing to blacklist certain reporters, is understood to be the first to include a specific clause to provide formal opportunities to raise the issue.

The new deal struck by the News Media Coalition, which replaces the four-year agreement struck in 2011, will allow reporters to file more photos during matches and reduce the stipulated time delay for filing reports digitally from within grounds.

For example, under the new deal the time delay for filing and images and reports from live matches has been significantly reduced from 3 minutes to 1 minute after the event.

“Both parties are pleased to have agreed new access and accreditation arrangements for the next three seasons,” said the NMC and the football leagues in a joint statement. “These take into account the evolving media landscape as well as the requirements of the leagues and their member clubs. This has been achieved on a constructive basis and we look forward to working together in the coming years.”

The NMC includes national newspaper groups including Guardian News & Media, the Telegraph, the Independent, News UK and Trinity Mirror – but not Richard Desmond’s Express Newspapers.

It also includes news agencies such as Thomson Reuters, Associated Press, AFP and the Press Association.

“The NMC represents some of the biggest news brands around, and we recognised the need for our agreement to reflect the fast-moving digital media environment,” said NMC executive director Andrew Moger. “While we recognise that clubs and their partners have commercial and media partnerships which cannot be eroded, our negotiations and agreement with the leagues have struck the right balance between the legitimate business of editorial-based press and publishing on the one hand and the leagues’ and clubs’ own services on the other.”

In recent months sports journalists have cried foul over selective access of journalists from some publications being barred, or given privileged access, with accusations that access has been granted based on commercial deals.

In June, the Sun criticised Newcastle owner Mike Ashley after the paper’s reporters, along with those from many other publications and broadcasters, were barred from interviewing new manager Steve McClaren.

The Daily Mirror has been accused by rivals of agreeing an exclusivity deal with Newcastle.