Sky looses Premiership monopoly?
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3309871.stm

Interesting to see the reaction from the broadcasters and the football clubs,
especially next time the contract comes up for renewal

Loz

"loz" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3309871.stm

Interesting to see the reaction from the broadcasters and the football clubs,
especially next time the contract comes up for renewal

Loz




Well if I was on the SKY board I would lop off a good few million from
the next contract, only worth a billion with the exclusive rights.
At least the Premiership has three years warning before the **** hits the
fan and TV revenue falls through the floor, enough time I suspect for
Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea etc etc to lay the ground work for selling their
own TV rights or the premier league setting up as the service provider.
It also brings a European league closer as our big clubs will no longer
be tied so close to the English league if the money is not there since most
continental clubs have individual deals with broadcasters already.

Bottom line is that an unelected/unrepresentative bunch of bearcats and
politicians have enough power to influence the selling of a product which
does not concern them and has no impact on their own national markets.
Were they championing the UK consumer who can't be arsed to go to the
local pub to watch the footy or pay for the best footy coverage in the UK?
I don't think so, with all things European and political issues like this are so
very seldom clear cut and simple. After all they didn't give a toss about us when
Tesco were prevented from selling Levi jeans below the price Levi were
demanding for their product in the UK.

I wonder where this Monti guy was when SKY got exclusive Nationwide rights,
I suppose it wasn't glamorous enough for him or for those who pull the strings
in Europe and perhaps even from the boardrooms of rival European football clubs
and media interests.
In Europe who ever can grease the wheels of the gravy train normally gets
what they want and in this case the cynic in me sees only an attempt to reduce the
huge financial advantage English clubs have by being in the Premier League and thus
weaken their position in European football.

Mike C

On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 22:10:10 -0000, "Mike_C"
wrote:


"loz" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3309871.stm

Interesting to see the reaction from the broadcasters and the football clubs,
especially next time the contract comes up for renewal

Loz




Well if I was on the SKY board I would lop off a good few million from
the next contract, only worth a billion with the exclusive rights.
At least the Premiership has three years warning before the **** hits the
fan and TV revenue falls through the floor, enough time I suspect for
Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea etc etc to lay the ground work for selling their
own TV rights or the premier league setting up as the service provider.
It also brings a European league closer as our big clubs will no longer
be tied so close to the English league if the money is not there since most
continental clubs have individual deals with broadcasters already.

Bottom line is that an unelected/unrepresentative bunch of bearcats and
politicians have enough power to influence the selling of a product which
does not concern them and has no impact on their own national markets.
Were they championing the UK consumer who can't be arsed to go to the
local pub to watch the footy or pay for the best footy coverage in the UK?
I don't think so, with all things European and political issues like this are so
very seldom clear cut and simple. After all they didn't give a toss about us when
Tesco were prevented from selling Levi jeans below the price Levi were
demanding for their product in the UK.

As someone who was working for Tesco at the time (in head office),
this had nothing to do with the European union per se. It was to do
with the fact that Tesco were importing Jeans from OUTSIDE the EEC,
where the trade agreements on selling and pricing are not exercised.

Had they bought them in the EEC, Levi's wouldn't have a case.


I wonder where this Monti guy was when SKY got exclusive Nationwide rights,
I suppose it wasn't glamorous enough for him or for those who pull the strings
in Europe and perhaps even from the boardrooms of rival European football clubs
and media interests.
In Europe who ever can grease the wheels of the gravy train normally gets
what they want and in this case the cynic in me sees only an attempt to reduce the
huge financial advantage English clubs have by being in the Premier League and thus
weaken their position in European football.

Mike C

"Chelsea Fan" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 22:10:10 -0000, "Mike_C"
wrote:


SNIP

As someone who was working for Tesco at the time (in head office),
this had nothing to do with the European union per se. It was to do
with the fact that Tesco were importing Jeans from OUTSIDE the EEC,
where the trade agreements on selling and pricing are not exercised.

Had they bought them in the EEC, Levi's wouldn't have a case.




Yes I know, but if Tesco had bought them from within the trading block
then there would not have been any savings to be made and they would
have been forced to go along with the price gouging of the UK public.
In this case it was the European court that decided in favour of
big business regardless of the benefit to the UK consumer of getting
access to the same quality goods at much cheaper prices.

Mike C

"loz" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3309871.stm

Interesting to see the reaction from the broadcasters and the football
clubs,
especially next time the contract comes up for renewal

Loz



Their main reaction won't come until the 2006+ packages are created,
determining how many games will be made available in the package aimed at
terrestrial broadcasters and their viewers.

--
Carl

"Mike_C" wrote in message
...

"loz" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3309871.stm

Interesting to see the reaction from the broadcasters and the football
clubs,
especially next time the contract comes up for renewal

Loz




Bottom line is that an unelected/unrepresentative bunch of bearcats and
politicians have enough power to influence the selling of a product which
does not concern them and has no impact on their own national markets.

Mike C



The EU only became involved because of the failure of UK anti-competition
bodies (some of them unelected and therefore unrepresentative) to ensure
that terrestrial viewers weren't frozen out of live games. Sky would have a
much harder time if they were in the US, where lawyers get rich in what they
call "anti-trust" legislature. And the deal could yet make the "fat cat
clubs" richer if it leads them to sell their own individual rights or set up
their own channels - would you rather pay £10 extra each month to Sky for
all games, or pay £7 to each club.

--
Carl

"Carl" wrote in message
...
would you rather pay £10 extra each month to Sky for
all games, or pay £7 to each club.

If it were £10 for ALL games, then clearly Sky.
But it isn't ALL games at the moment, just their limited selection.
If I was a supporter of a specific club, then £7 a month to watch ALL my clubs
games rather than the odd one each month would be a much better proposal offer.

Loz

"loz" wrote in message
...

"Carl" wrote in message
...
would you rather pay £10 extra each month to Sky for
all games, or pay £7 to each club.

If it were £10 for ALL games, then clearly Sky.
But it isn't ALL games at the moment, just their limited selection.
If I was a supporter of a specific club, then £7 a month to watch ALL my clubs
games rather than the odd one each month would be a much better proposal offer.

Loz



Assuming the big clubs don't jump ship and enter into a fully fledged
European super league then in three years time I suspect the big clubs will
do individual deals with dsat and cable operators with the "small" clubs
being left with limited exposure on "free" television.
The earnings gap between the clubs will then make last seasons £29mill
to Man U and £13mill to Sunderland (Positional payment, broadcast
games etc) look positively small.

I doubt the Premier League itself could afford to set up itself as a
provider to all other broadcasters as the startup costs would be huge
and any subscription would be higher than broadcasters with existing
infrastructure and subscriber base would charge.

It's certainly going to be an interesting three years with the boardrooms
of football elite up and down the country being very very busy:)


Mike C

"loz" wrote in message
...

"Carl" wrote in message
...
would you rather pay £10 extra each month to Sky for
all games, or pay £7 to each club.

If it were £10 for ALL games, then clearly Sky.
But it isn't ALL games at the moment, just their limited selection.
If I was a supporter of a specific club, then £7 a month to watch ALL my
clubs
games rather than the odd one each month would be a much better proposal
offer.

Loz




But the problem is that the top clubs could sell their matches (or at least
their home fixtures) via their own tv channels, while Sky and other
broadcasters are left with the fixtures for the remaining teams. But what
odds would you get that Sky and others would broadcast every fixture for
every team that doesn't go it alone. We're looking at an increased split in
what is already a two-tier Premier League, with all the associated financial
risks.

--
Carl

Mike_C wrote:

Yes I know, but if Tesco had bought them from within the trading block
then there would not have been any savings to be made and they would
have been forced to go along with the price gouging of the UK public.
In this case it was the European court that decided in favour of
big business regardless of the benefit to the UK consumer of getting
access to the same quality goods at much cheaper prices.

I wonder if the Levi case would have had the same outcome today? The
EU does seem to be improving, albeit very slowly.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/tez5
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://logofreetv.org/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.co.uk/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

"loz" wrote in message
...

"Carl" wrote in message
...
would you rather pay £10 extra each month to Sky for
all games, or pay £7 to each club.

If it were £10 for ALL games, then clearly Sky.
But it isn't ALL games at the moment, just their limited selection.
If I was a supporter of a specific club, then £7 a month to watch ALL my
clubs
games rather than the odd one each month would be a much better proposal
offer.

Loz



I agree with Loz.
£7/month, as compared to approximately £120/month to attend games, based on
one match per calendar week home/away for the season, and for ticket only,
not including car-park, programme, food, travel etc etc seems a bargain.

However, should this happen, what would happen to lower league clubs?
(Semi-rhetorical)

I live near Oldham, and I have witnessed the decline at that club at close
quarters.
It is a darn shame, that the town's folk would rather be glory hunter's and
watch other local clubs, that walk across the street and watch Oldham.
I say this, since the day before the Brighton home game, I was at the
ground, getting a ticket, and a chap, literally living across the street,
was tendering his garden, wearing a Man U*d shirt....what hope is there?

Sky has been great for football; I have championed there cause here before,
but the recent EU ruling will be the slow decline for lower level of the
Premiership clubs.

In Italy, the league was delayed this year, since the TV right's issue had
not been resolved. If I am correct, I am convinced you can buy a "season
ticket" for the club of your choice, and watch the home and away games.

This would be fine for Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Newcastle etc,
but what hope for second tier of the Premiership?

Incidentally, Sky do know their market. The very 1st pay-per-view game on
Sky, was a Nationwide League game, some five or so years ago was Colchester
vs Man City. I was there. It was £6 per game. Sky were canny with this.
Layer Road, has room for some 1,500 away fans, and City has a great
home/away following, and knew that this would be the ideal game, outside of
the Premiership.....

This EU intrusion is shameful, and will spell disaster for football in the
UK, much worse, as far as I am concerned, that the ITV debacle.....