ManU risked antagonizing Man City before Sunday’s derby by blocking its rival's request to "bring their own camera crew into the away dressing room at Old Trafford," according to Matt Hughes of the LONDON TIMES. Pep Guardiola’s squad is "being shadowed by cameras from Amazon throughout the season" after the club signed a £10M ($13.5M) deal with the company. Man City reportedly made a formal request to ManU and the Premier League for the Amazon crew "to be given access to the tunnel area and away dressing room at Old Trafford," but was denied. ManU claimed there is "insufficient space to accommodate the cameras" as it will already be hosting 23 rights holders, although the tunnel area at Old Trafford "is bigger than at other Premier League clubs" that have already granted Man City access. Man City has "been given permission for a pitch-side camera to film the players warming up." ManU's stance "will be welcomed" by the EPL's existing rights holders, including Sky Sports and BT Sport, which have "privately expressed irritation" at the access Man City is granting to a commercial rival (LONDON TIMES, 12/7). The BBC's Simon Stone reported ManU "rejected a request a number of years ago from an unnamed club wanting similar access." The decision is a blow to Man City "given the enormous publicity" surrounding the first meeting of the season between the clubs (BBC, 12/6).
