Amazon Prime top of the table to bag Liverpool documentary rights

Amazon Prime are in pole position to pick up the UK rights for the Liverpool documentary based on Jurgen Klopp’s last six months at Anfield.

City A.M. has learned that Amazon have entered advanced negotiations with the club and production company Lorton Entertainment to show the documentary, which was filmed over the second half of last season.

Klopp promised fans “an inside look at what makes this club so special” when Liverpool announced the documentary was being made in February, although at that stage they had not found a TV partner. 

Following protracted negotiations the club and Lorton have opted to sell the documentary on a territory by territory basis rather than attempt to secure a global deal, with Amazon making a strong bid for UK rights. Other streaming services including Disney+ also expressed interest and could pick up the rights for other territories. 

Klopp famously vetoed Amazon’s bid to feature Liverpool in their All or Nothing series in 2018, but agreed to this project after gaining assurances that the production team would only be given restricted access. The documentary will not form part of Amazon’s All or Nothing series which has featured Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City and will be more similar to We Are Newcastle United, a four-part series which was broadcast at the start of last season. 

The release details have yet to be agreed, but it could be shown during next month’s international break to capitalise on the lack of club football during that period. If the rights are secured the documentary would be Amazon’s second documentary about life at Anfield after their 2012 broadcast of Being Liverpool, which largely centred on the management of former boss Brendan Rodgers.

Amazon initially rejected the chance to buy the rights before Christmas, but Klopp’s announcement that he would be leaving Liverpool the following month made them more attractive. While Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge faded away and they crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Europa League to Atalanta the documentary will give the inside track on their dramatic Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea and the emotions surrounding Klopp’s final game in charge against Wolves at Anfield in May.

Producing company Lorton Entertainment previously released the Steven Gerrard film Make Us Dream, and the Diego Maradona movie. The London-based firm also filmed and released Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, which was first broadcast on Disney+ last year. 

Arsenal’s new day-to-day boss

Arsenal managing director Richard Garlick will take over the day-to-day running of the club this season following the departure this summer of chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. 

Garlick joined Arsenal three years ago as director of football operations from the Premier League, where he was director of football having previously held the same role at West Brom.

The 47-year-old lawyer will report directly to Arsenal’s co-chairs, Stan and Josh Kroenke, as well working closely with executive vice-chair Tim Lewis.

ECB plan to charge executives

The ECB are planning to change their regulations to allow them to take disciplinary action against club directors and executives as well as players and coaching staff.

Under the governing body’s current rules the counties are punished for any misdemeanors at executive level, with Middlesex charged by the Cricket Regulator with bringing the game into disrepute earlier this summer as a result of alleged misconduct by a senior employee, and Essex fined £50,000 two years ago after former chairman John Farragher was found to have used racist language.

The ECB wants to ensure that individuals are held accountable for their actions in future, and have held discussions with the Cricket Regulator about making the change in time for next season.

Premier League satisfaction tanks

Premier League clubs are the worst at listening to fans in the country according to a new report.

The Fan Engagement Index ranks clubs according to how they speak to and respond to the concerns of their supporters, with none from the Premier League in the top 10. League One Exeter City lead the way at the top of the table, followed by Carlisle and Lincoln, who are in the same division.

Brentford are the highest-ranked Premier League club in 12th, followed closely by Everton and Brighton, with fifth-placed Norwich the best performers from the Championship.

Below that Chelsea are the next-best in 35th place despite angering fans last season by removing subsidised coach travel for away games, which led to supporters accusing billionaire owner Todd Boehly of “penny pinching.”

Plymouth to seek Home Park expansion

Plymouth are exploring the possibility of expanding the capacity at Home Park due to repeated sell-outs since their League One promotion season two years ago.

The club have sold out their home games for 45 matches in a row despite only surviving in the Championship by a single point on the final day of last season, while the surprise appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager during the summer has seen the waiting list for season tickets grow to 3,500.

The current capacity at Home Park is just under 17,000 and Plymouth would like to expand to around 22,000 if financing can be secured. While the club have yet to engage architects any expansion is likely to involve filling in the corners of the stadium.