TV cameras will broadcast dressing room chats and offer in-game interviews during Wycombe Wanderers’ home match against Portsmouth.
The League One fixture, which will be shown live on Sky Sports on Sunday, December 4, will be the first of its kind in the UK as viewers will be able to witness both Gareth Ainsworth and Danny Cowley’s team talks at Adams Park ahead of the game and at half-time.
Exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail on Monday, November 28, permission has also been given to ‘record in-game audio of the players’ on-field conversations to be broadcast at half-time and after the final whistle.’
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Sky Sports TV cameras will film in the dressing rooms and coaches will be interviewed DURING the game in a first for English football in Portsmouth's League One match at Wycombe #Pompey Daily Mail Online https://t.co/Gux0wyGH9q
— PompeyNewsNow🎙PO4cast (@PompeyNewsNow) November 28, 2022
The article published by the national outlet also disclosed that ‘while the recordings will not be broadcast live due to the danger of bad language being televised in the early afternoon, the audio will be made available to pundits to enhance their half-time and full-time analysis.’
Additionally, both teams' coaching staff will also be interviewed during the contest.
EFL Chief Commercial Officer Ben Wright said: “Audience habits and the appetite for how we consume content is changing.
"This fixture provided an ideal opportunity to expand and enhance EFL coverage and in doing so explore broadcasting opportunities for what may be possible in the future.”
Gary Hughes, Director of Football, Sky Sports added: “Innovation has always been at the heart of everything Sky Sports does.
"We’re constantly looking at ways to improve our coverage and bring our viewers closer to the action.
"Sunday’s game will do just that as we go behind the scenes to give fans even more access and insight."
The innovative idea has been used in football fixtures before with matches in the USA and Australia taking part in the notion.
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And whilst this will be a first for an official Football League or Premier League fixture, live in-game chats with players and coaching staff have been trialled in several of the early rounds of the FA Cup in previous seasons.
There's still time to get your tickets for our next home game against Portsmouth.
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) November 24, 2022
Get you and your family down to Adams Park on Sunday 4th December to support the #Chairboys!
According to the Daily Mail article, ‘the EFL is in the process of putting their TV rights from 2024 onwards on the market, and there is a growing acknowledgement that they have to offer more content to broadcasters, with Wycombe and Portsmouth happily signing up to the experiment.
‘The trial will be monitored closely by Premier League clubs, as they will come under pressure to open their doors if it is viewed as a success.’
The fixture will kick off at 12.30pm.
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