The Premier League is set to introduce interviews with substituted players for the 2025/26 season and beyond.

With the new domestic rights deal getting underway and to keep up with their US-based counterparts in sports media, British broadcasters have asked for more access from the Premier League — and fans will now be getting three new features.

As well as interviewing substituted players, broadcasters will also get limited access to changing rooms and will be allowed onto the pitch to capture goal celebrations up close.

While half-time interviews with managers have been rumoured for a few years, it has since been reported these will not be screened next season.

Sky Sports trialled an interview with a substituted player during the 2024/25 season — with Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier speaking after he came off during his side’s 3-1 win over Southampton in October.

This move follows a growing trend in broadcaster access to players and coaches. In 2022, a rule was added to the Premier League handbook which allowed broadcasters to request an interview with a manager or senior coaching staff at the end of half-time. But the manager can reject the interview request at their discretion.

Fans of US-based sports leagues like the NBA and the NFL are no strangers to such close access. It is widely thought that players and coaches being spotlighted in this way helps to create a more marketable product and makes the game’s protagonists appear more relatable.

But English football media has a long way to go before it can build the same level of trust with its stars as its counterparts across the pond.