• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on. Normal posting/reading should now be possible.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

The commodification of televised football

InsomniacAttack

InsomniacAttack

Winger
I'm sure this has been posted about many times on here, but it really is a shame that apart from the odd FA Cup match, or a one-off like Coventry vs Wrexham today, people can't watch any live football on terrestrial television.

It's no wonder so many people are using illegal streaming services. When Spotify/Apple Music started streaming music that people wanted at a fair price, music piracy basically disappeared. I'm not saying their models are perfect given how little the artists get paid, but it makes it accessible to everyone.

Not only that, but if your match isn't picked for broadcast (even if its not at 3pm Saturday), how is a fan supposed to access that content legitimately with the rules how they are now?

Something needs to change with it.
 

Hugely important that something needs to change. I don't think football is 'just another thing', it's part of the social fabric of our country, and the more it is paywalled, clubs get richer whilst our culture gets poorer.

The consequences of the commodification of football manifest themselves in absolute nonsense like banning cup replays because "players need a rest" whilst those same teams then jet off to the Far East or the US a week after the season has ended to play more football in the blistering heat, all to "diversify revenue streams and engage with a new market".

It's all fucked.
 
Last edited:
Frijj said:
Hugely important that something needs to change. I don't think football is 'just another thing', it's part of the social fabric of our country, and the more it is paywalled, clubs get richer whilst our culture gets poorer.

The consequences of the communication of football manifest themselves in absolute nonsense like banning cup replays because "players need a rest" whilst those same teams then jet off to the Far East or the US a week after the season has ended to play more football in the blistering heat, all to "diversify revenue streams and engage with a new market".

It's all fucked.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It's pure greed. I'm not the oldest poster on here but even then it's a far cry from the game I grew up with.
 
InsomniacAttack said:
I'm sure this has been posted about many times on here, but it really is a shame that apart from the odd FA Cup match, or a one-off like Coventry vs Wrexham today, people can't watch any live football on terrestrial television.

It's no wonder so many people are using illegal streaming services. When Spotify/Apple Music started streaming music that people wanted at a fair price, music piracy basically disappeared. I'm not saying their models are perfect given how little the artists get paid, but it makes it accessible to everyone.

Not only that, but if your match isn't picked for broadcast (even if its not at 3pm Saturday), how is a fan supposed to access that content legitimately with the rules how they are now?

Something needs to change with it.
Click to expand...
There weren’t many televised matches before the sky era, but it was less expensive to go out and watch a local team.

There has to be a balance otherwise lard arses wouldn’t even try to leave the house.
 
Scotty 1978 said:
Disgraceful that both fa semi finals aren’t shown on free to air tv, it’ll be interesting to see what TNT do next season when they’ve lost the champions league and Europa league, will people pay £30 per month for one premier league game per week
Click to expand...
This is exactly what encouraged me to post this. It's happening to more than just football too. You used to be able to watch The Masters on BBC, how long is it until Wimbledon becomes PPV?
 
Scotty 1978 said:
Disgraceful that both fa semi finals aren’t shown on free to air tv, it’ll be interesting to see what TNT do next season when they’ve lost the champions league and Europa league, will people pay £30 per month for one premier league game per week
Click to expand...

If I was in charge I would force the PL to be the sole provider of games, with a subscription package at a fair market rate, with one free PL game a week, fixtures moved for TV with at least eight weeks' notice and I'd lift the 3pm blackout too, but do it regionally, e.g. a Sunderland home fixture at 3pm could not be broadcast in the North East, Cumbria or Yorkshire, but could be everywhere else.
 
InsomniacAttack said:
This is exactly what encouraged me to post this. It's happening to more than just football too. You used to be able to watch The Masters on BBC, how long is it until Wimbledon becomes PPV?
Click to expand...
Is it because BBC cannot compete with sky and TNT? They can’t afford to bid for TV rights?
Frijj said:
If I was in charge I would force the PL to be the sole provider of games, with a subscription package at a fair market rate, with one free PL game a week, fixtures moved for TV with at least eight weeks' notice and I'd lift the 3pm blackout too, but do it regionally, e.g. a Sunderland home fixture at 3pm could not be broadcast in the North East, Cumbria or Yorkshire, but could be everywhere else.
Click to expand...
A great idea if PL wouldn’t sell their granny to the devil for one more shekel.
 
Ned Land said:
Is it because BBC cannot compete with sky and TNT? They can’t afford to bid for TV rights?

A great idea if PL wouldn’t sell their granny to the devil for one more shekel.
Click to expand...
Yes, but if it keeps going this way sport becomes something only accessible to people who can afford it, or those who access it illegally.

You must be logged on to see media items
 
InsomniacAttack said:
This is exactly what encouraged me to post this. It's happening to more than just football too. You used to be able to watch The Masters on BBC, how long is it until Wimbledon becomes PPV?
Click to expand...
Cricket is the same.

You used to get kids playing things like cricket on the street after the ashes on telly, and tennis after Wimbledon. (I’m coming over all Reform now). I remember doing that after Wimbledon because we’d watch it all fortnight and then want to play tennis.

Cricket moved to sky and apparently local cricket clubs are suffering because they’re not getting either numbers of kids coming through, or even the depth of kids - working class kids don’t play cricket nowadays because they’re not paying for it.
 
Last edited:
HellsBells said:
Cricket is the same.

You used to get kids playing things like cricket on the street after the ashes on telly, and tennis after Wimbledon. (I’m coming over all Reform now). I remember doing that after Wimbledon because we’d watch it all fortnight and then want to play tennis.

Cricket moved to sky and apparently local cricket clubs are suffering because they’re not getting either numbers of kids coming through, or even the depth of kids - working class kids don’t play cricket nowadays because they’re not paying for it.
Click to expand...
Yep. The 2005 Ashes was fantastic and they moved to Sky and it died.

Does anyone watch County Cricket anymore?
 
EDGE said:
Yep. The 2005 Ashes was fantastic and they moved to Sky and it died.

Does anyone watch County Cricket anymore?
Click to expand...
I watched that entire series with my dad. We all then went to watch Durham play a county game as a family the season after. Probably never would have had that experience if it wasn't for being able to watch the Ashes that year.
 
Stormo said:
It’s disgraceful really.

£22 sky sports
£30 tnt
£25 dazn
£11 amazon

£90 a month if you want to watch premier league, football league, national league and champions league/fa cup. Thats before any broadband you’re paying for.
Click to expand...
And you might not even get the game you actually want to watch on there.
 
Stormo said:
It’s disgraceful really.

£22 sky sports
£30 tnt
£25 dazn
£11 amazon

£90 a month if you want to watch premier league, football league, national league and champions league/fa cup. Thats before any broadband you’re paying for.
Click to expand...
Over £1,000 a year. Very few are going to be able to afford that.
 
InsomniacAttack said:
I'm sure this has been posted about many times on here, but it really is a shame that apart from the odd FA Cup match, or a one-off like Coventry vs Wrexham today, people can't watch any live football on terrestrial television.

It's no wonder so many people are using illegal streaming services. When Spotify/Apple Music started streaming music that people wanted at a fair price, music piracy basically disappeared. I'm not saying their models are perfect given how little the artists get paid, but it makes it accessible to everyone.

Not only that, but if your match isn't picked for broadcast (even if its not at 3pm Saturday), how is a fan supposed to access that content legitimately with the rules how they are now?

Something needs to change with it.
Click to expand...
If I knew what commodification meant I’d complain 😜
 
EDGE said:
Yep. The 2005 Ashes was fantastic and they moved to Sky and it died.

Does anyone watch County Cricket anymore?
Click to expand...
Sure someone who’s more into cricket will say otherwise but did they ever apart from retired old folk. Bit different for one day and more recently 20/20 stuff. Are less kids playing? All these all stars kids cricket stuff seem to always be sold out
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top