TV coverage free-to-air etc. Back to normal next season

[atypical_boro]

I get what you're saying but is it not important to try to maintain that contact with the common man otherwise people cease to care/have less interest in the overall product (hate calling it that).

Take the Champions League on BT Sport, I used to love it and take an active interest when on ITV sport (odd live game and highlights). Now, other than noting the teams that have made the final/won it, over time I have less interest in it as I can't watch it. Barely even note group game results these days.

I do think having the odd free game for the masses is a good thing, but to be honest BobUpNDown nailed what's wrong with football in his post. Too much tv money has spoilt it.

Agree about the CL, I feel exactly the same way about that competition, but the reality is if viewing figures and revenues are high (globally) then any argument about “the common man” etc is futile. Who decides who is the common man? Who decides whether or not they can afford Sky or BT or both, pay as you go or monthly or whatever? The sport doesn’t make a formal distinction around class, it’s only the supporters who do that. The introduction of daily passes and illegal streams etc has made the lines even murkier. The top and bottom is that anyone can afford to watch it now if they put it in a bit of effort, whether legal or otherwise.

I preferred it when there was one or two games a week and half the nation was watching at once, but times change and the horse has bolted.

 

[Otto42]

Not sure about streaming, as a non season ticket holder the only one I bothered with was the first one against Swansea. I can follow the games I am not at on twitter or here and get the same despair and occasional elation. Am coming to the conclusion that I only really have an interest in watching football live in a ground. I certainly won't be bothering with the FA Cup final, whenever it is this year. Give me a non-league game in the flesh over the Champions League on TV any day. I am only really bothering with Sky these days for the cricket, which works better than football without crowds.

 

[Otto42]

Agree about the CL, I feel exactly the same way about that competition, but the reality is if viewing figures and revenues are high (globally) then any argument about “the common man” etc is futile. Who decides who is the common man? Who decides whether or not they can afford Sky or BT or both, pay as you go or monthly or whatever? The sport doesn’t make a formal distinction around class, it’s only the supporters who do that. The introduction of daily passes and illegal streams etc has made the lines even murkier. The top and bottom is that anyone can afford to watch it now if they put it in a bit of effort, whether legal or otherwise.

I preferred it when there was one or two games a week and half the nation was watching at once, but times change and the horse has bolted.

I think the thing is the broadcasters aren't even bothered about us as viewers anymore, the money is in the TV audiences in the far east and the global brand!

 

[hopesoboro]

All sports have gone the same way though. Things just change. TV isn’t the same as it used to be. There is no going back to only one game per week televised for free though, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.

You're right atypical. Things aren't just black and white anymore!

 

[Erimus74]

Well he also sang “it’s only a sport, a wonderful sport, the television’s giving it support” in 1973

 

[atypical_boro]

I think the thing is the broadcasters aren't even bothered about us as viewers anymore, the money is in the TV audiences in the far east and the global brand!

Exactly. But why would you expect them to care? Far Eastern money is as good as ours.

 

[atypical_boro]

You're right atypical. Things aren't just black and white anymore!

Exactly that. People talk about FTA viewing but there are like 50 free channels now.

I read a lot of it on the cricket forums. In the 80s, people who didn’t really care about cricket tuned in to watch test cricket Because there was nothing else on (well, 2 or 3 other things). It just doesn’t work like that now. Kids can watch CITV from 7am-7pm now, or all of the on demand Services. Sport/TV has changed so much, it is too simplistic to want it all to go back to how it used to be.

Shoving standard (ie non Ashes) test cricket on BBC1 all day again would not garner much bigger audiences, but would yield much smaller revenues (from which the game would suffer).

 

[Lottowyn]

My interest has just been recharged with the news that Warnock is going to be here next season. This statement of his that he wants about 5 new players to revitalise the spine of the team is really interesting and I cannot wait to see the developments. Someone said that they cannot wait to see who replaces Leeds as Sky's most covered team. It could be us.

 

[WoodallServices]

Maybe less.

I’ll be crucified for saying this but even though I wasn’t in the ground this summer for our matches (no one was), I didn’t feel any less passionate about it?

I subscribed to Riverside Live so getting all the away games was a bonus. I thought it was going to be a bit “meh” but soon forgot about the lack of crowds and was as excited but mostly exasperated as usual.

 

[atypical_boro]

I subscribed to Riverside Live so getting all the away games was a bonus. I thought it was going to be a bit “meh” but soon forgot about the lack of crowds and was as excited but mostly exasperated as usual.

Me too. I mean in many ways it probably helped that every single game was totally crucial in avoiding only our third ever season in the third tier.