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Premier League clubs have been told they may have to pay an estimated £ 340 million to national and international broadcasters, even if the season resumes behind closed doors.
And BBC Sport learned that clubs were warned on Monday that the number could increase if the season is shortened or if the decline is eliminated.
Club officials met Monday to continue talks on ‘Project Restart’.
Items including playing matches in neutral locations were also discussed.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters previously predicted a loss of “at least £ 1 billion” if the Premier League does not complete the 2019-20 season.
Reconsidering neutral places
The Premier League says it has heard objections from some clubs about the use of neutral grounds if the season resumes, and will support them to present those views to authorities.
Masters said the organization was in “continuous dialogue” with the government, police and security officials on the ground.
“Everyone would prefer to play at home and go if possible, and it is clear that some clubs feel stronger than others,” he said after a shareholders meeting.
“We are in contact with the authorities and we listen to that advice, at the same time that we represent the opinions of the club in those discussions.”
He said “there is still a really strong collective will to complete the season,” but he admitted that the “reduction” of the season was first discussed on Monday.
Two weeks ago, clubs were told that neutral stadiums were the only way the season could be completed, because authorities were concerned that fans were gathering outside of local grounds and violating social distance rules.
Approximately half of the clubs are understood to oppose the proposal, and Watford, Aston Villa and Brighton are publicly against it.
Those clubs now want the opportunity to demonstrate that they can safely deliver home and away games, and the league bosses are behind them.
“Since Covid became an issue, we’ve been talking to authorities about the conditions under which we could get the Premier League back up and running and take all those tips on board, but it’s an ongoing dialogue,” Masters said, speaking For the first time since the season was suspended.
“But everyone should be aware of what the authorities are telling us, and we will continue with that consultation.”
The government is understood to have “open ears” regarding neutral locations and is prepared to discuss the matter. However, the final decision is likely to rest with the police and ground security officials, who must license the sites.
Last week, the head of the UK’s police soccer unit, Deputy Police Chief Mark Roberts, said that clubs opposing neutral ground should “control.”
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson told the BBC that he feared thousands of Reds fans would gather outside Anfield to celebrate the title, even if the games were played in neutral venues.
However, the recently retired West Yorkshire chief superintendent Owen West told the Guardian The use of neutral stadiums had no “basis”, and that proposal was not being applied in Germany, where the Bundesliga hopes to resume this weekend.
‘Collective will to complete the season’
Despite mounting tension and division over the use of neutral stadiums, Masters said Monday’s five-hour meeting showed a “strong desire to discuss everything in the round and agree on a collective path forward.”
He insisted on a “very strong collective will to complete the season”.
But he also admitted that canceling the season was discussed for the first time.
“It is the first time we have discussed reduction,” he said. “It is still our goal to end the season obviously, but it is important to discuss all options with our clubs.”
“Obviously we won’t be playing until mid-June. It doesn’t seem right to talk about playing before making the decision to return to the first stage of training.”
“But in terms of how those games will be held, there is a lot of water under the bridge, and we will continue to evaluate the circumstances.”
Contracts were discussed, and some players would be out of contracts in late June.
“What was agreed was that players can extend their contracts until the end of the season,” Masters said.
“It must be agreed by both parties.”
