The Premier League have blocked Sky Sports and BT Sport from asking any questions about the resumption of the football season or the impact of the suspension on players.

Sky, who paid £1.19billion for the right to broadcast games this season, and BT, who paid £325m, have been told all access to managers and players will be revoked if the Premier League’s guidelines are not followed, despite there being no matches to show during the shutdown.

All clubs have agreed to provide their manager for interview every four weeks and a player every two weeks as the broadcasters are desperate for content with the sporting schedule frozen.

Sky Sports and BT Sport have been blocked from asking about the resumption of the season

However, the access comes with considerable caveats, so all questions relating to the impact of the shutdown have been banned.

In an email sent to Sky Sports staff seen by Sportsmail the company’s management emphasise the pressure they are under from the Premier League to stick to rules they agreed to during negotiations last week.

‘It’s clear that the Premier League will revoke access if we do not stick to these guidelines,’ the email states. ‘The interviews have been agreed on the grounds that they are part of the football contract; access is intended to be fun and relaxed.’

Access to players and managers will be revoked if broadcasters don't adhere to the agreement

Sky’s management go on to list examples of questions deemed off limits, including any mention of voiding the season, whether games should be played behind closed doors, furloughing or salary cuts and even the implications for Liverpool’s attempt to win their first title in 30 years.

‘Clubs are extremely nervous about putting anyone up (for interview) at the moment so we must stick to the following processes,’ the email states.

‘We should avoid “news” interviews as much as possible.’

Sky Sports are the Premier League’s longest-running and biggest broadcast partner, and paid £3.57billion for their three-year rights package, more than a third of the overall global deal.

Sky Sports emphasised to staff the pressure they're under to stick to the league's rules

Clubs agreed to provide managers for interview every month and a player every two weeks

There are over £370m worth of live matches still to be shown by Sky Sports this season, which has led to fears they will demand a refund if the season is voided or takes place behind closed doors.

But the Premier League’s willingness to dictate such restrictive terms to the broadcaster suggests the clubs must be confident that a rebate can be avoided.

Sky are even more in need of material than rival domestic rights-holder BT Sport, because they also operate the 24-hours news channel Sky Sports News, whose usual staple of daily managerial press conferences has disappeared.

The Premier League's attitude to broadcast and media partners during the shutdown contrasts with that shown by other sports, and is unlikely to help with the perception that many clubs and footballers are out of touch with their fans.

In a markedly different approach the ECB have been making at least two England players available to all media outlets in addition to their rights holders, while Joe Root and Ben Stokes have both appeared on specially commissioned podcasts and programmes made by Sky Sports with no restrictions placed on them.