The pictures didn't show Shawyer surreptitiously pushing an EMdrive which was purported to be working, it showed him obviously and deliberately pushing the thing up the air-track. Absolutely no claim at all was made that that clip showed the device working. Aside from anything else, to do so would have made liars out most of the program contributors.
What we saw was just some footage concocted to liven up shots of soundbites from an old guy. Like, we all gained some understanding by watching the physicist play boules in the desert, right?
What we saw neither confirms nor denies anything.
I think it's a bit fanciful to mull over what an NDA would/would not allow him to show: this is taken to be defense secrecy not SEC rules. To my knowledge no-one has as yet discussed any financial investors in SPR.
It's surprising at first that he would be allowed to participate at all if his later work is not allowed to be shown. However, given the earlier newsflow and the fact that the program was going ahead anyway, it may make some sense by way of damage limitation.
R.
Actually all the shareholders information is here
https://companycheck.co.uk/company/04097991/SATELLITE-PROPULSION-RESEARCH-LIMITED/group-structure
Also found this document,
http://ind-tech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Investment-Memorandum-final.pdf
More interestingly there seem to be no one helping Sawyer develop this engine in the lab. He a old bloke, I don't think it reasonable for him to still be working alone on this project if he planning on scaling it up any time soon.
That's the third clock ticking, tick tack tick tack, arguing for showing the device working so that he can either sell working units, scale up or sell the company (intellectual property).
Already discussed the other two clocks:
1) the
clock of financial value of his
patents: it decreases exponentially with time. It behooves the patent holder to show a working device as soon as possible to extract financial value out of the patents (that demanded time and money to get patented in the first place)
2) the
clock of a
leveraged small entrepreneural company: such a small company has to borrow money that has to be repaid back with interest as well as dilution of the company shares if also stock is given to entities providing financial capital. It behooves the owner or CEO of a small entrepreneural company to show a working device as soon as possible to sell working units or to sell the company as soon as possible before further dilution of shares and running out of money.
The third clock you are referring to:

3) Our
human lifetime
clock. Unfortunately none of us humans have an infinite life. Our life is limited to an unknown age. Our human life clock keeps on ticking. The older we get the more that it behooves the aging owner or CEO of a small entrepreneural company (a company of one ? or few ?) to show a working device as soon as possible to sell working units or to sell the company. Is there somebody (family member or company associated) prepared to take over and continue Shawyer's efforts?
Here of course, one presumes that the reason for the enterprise was always to have a working unit and commercialize such invention, as for example so well done by inventors like Edison, Ford, Steve Jobs, etc.
All of this discussion motivated by the recent, much anticipated, BBC program featuring Shawyer.