Manchester United end talks over access-all-areas Amazon documentary

Manchester United have withdrawn from secret talks over a record-breaking Amazon Prime access-all-areas documentary next season after concluding it could distract from the progress of the first team.

According to sources briefed on the matter, who remain anonymous to protect business relationships, United spent several months negotiating a deal with Amazon towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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Amazon’s offer was significantly more than £10million ($13.64m) and would have been its largest ever payment to a club for an “All or Nothing” series — having previously broadcast editions on Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

But despite United’s most senior executives being across the discussions, the plug was pulled earlier this summer. It was to a significant extent because head coach Ruben Amorim made clear he was not comfortable with the potential intrusion on the first team — while aspects of the commercial agreement and the time pressure of the upcoming season were factors, too.

United presented the proposal to Amorim after the end of the season and, having received his feedback, the board received a unified recommendation at its Executive Committee to drop the idea.

United’s financial needs have been widely reported, with debt standing at more than £700m and no European competition next season. In March, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed United were in danger of running out of cash and going bust by Christmas had they not carried out a range of cost-cutting measures, including up to 450 redundancies.

Commercial income has also suffered, with a new training kit sponsor yet to be announced following the expiry of an agreement with blockchain platform Tezos. Hotel chain Marriott has not renewed its partnership, either. There has been a recent boost, however, as Apollo Tyres extended an endorsement by three years and, according to Old Trafford sources, there are more lined up.

The Amazon proposal would have lightened financial concerns and United’s business side, including INEOS and the club’s chief executive Omar Berrada, were supportive of it.

However, this remained contingent on overall feasibility and the football department’s support. Upon being informed of the potential arrangement, Amorim — who has experienced a difficult start to life at United — made clear he did not believe such a project to be appropriate or beneficial to the first team at present. He felt it would be an unwelcome distraction in an environment that has had many problems in recent years.

Any television show would have needed buy-in from the players, as Amazon would have gained near unlimited access, and this was never likely to be realistic without Amorim convincing them of its merits.

United finished 15th in the Premier League last season and finished badly, losing the Europa League final against Spurs.

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Amorim has also experienced issues with some prominent squad members, notably Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho — both of whom are for sale.

The Portuguese manager may have produced explosive television, having previously damaged a tactical analysis screen in frustration following a home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion and informed Garnacho in front of his team-mates that he should continue his career elsewhere.

The curtailing of the Amazon concept underlines that Amorim’s opinion carries weight despite United’s struggles. He is being allowed to reshape the team in his image, even if it means letting young talents like Garnacho leave. Players suited to Amorim’s preferred style are being recruited and his judgment has now been supported by United’s decision makers on the Amazon situation.

United have previously discussed a documentary with the U.S. entertainment platform Disney, with a view to striking a multi-million-dollar deal to create programmes about the club.

That production would have focused on United’s era of success under legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson — a 26-year period in which United won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies and five FA Cups. This would have featured substantial interview time with Ferguson, now 83, as well as access to archive footage and insight from ambassadors, such as former captain Bryan Robson and goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

Both Ferguson and his former stalwarts would have needed to formally accept the project, which remains in its conceptual stage. This dialogue did not reach an agreement and moved to the back burner once Ferguson’s multi-million pound annual ambassadorial role was ended by United as part of the cost-cutting.

Manchester United and Amazon declined to comment.

(Top photo of Ruben Amorim: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

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