Premier League to broadcast on-field referee-player audio live

FILE PHOTO - Sunderland's Granit Xhaka reacts to referee Stuart Attwell after a penalty appeal during the English Premier League soccer match between Sunderland and Manchester United at the Stadium of Light. (is associated with: «Premier League to broadcast on-field referee-player audio live») Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa Audio of on-field conversations between Premier League referees and players will be heard during live broadcasts for the first time this season, the Press Association understands. Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer for Pro Ref, has pushed for greater transparency on decision-making since his appointment four years ago, and created the 'Mic'd Up' programme in 2023 to help show how key calls are made by officials. The latest step in enhancing coverage and understanding for spectators - as first reported by The Guardian - will be for one or two clips to be shown from the head-mounted RefCams worn by officials during each match round, by Premier League domestic right-holders Sky Sports and TNT Sports, PA understands. Previously, RefCam footage could only be televised several days after matches under the initial terms of an agreement reached after the trial turned into a permanent feature at the start of last season, but those regulations will be relaxed in the 2026-27 campaign. Rules put in place by the International Football Association Board mean no audio can be broadcast live concerning incidents referred to Video Assistant Referee, but one or two instances from each match round can now be shown by Sky Sports and TNT Sports during matches.