When they first got the rights it was on tok late. 10:30pm excludes the kids you wanted to be watching it by rights. So the BBC over 30 years have never gone back and forced that as the news blocks them from going earlier in the evening where it's prime time amd might be seen. They ought to be going in and demanding more for less money now just like sky are doing to get more games. There's a requirement for free to air some place in the rules so they should want the full suite of games and be able to do something more than what you can get over an app. More access to interviews. More exclusivity with players. Anything to jazz it up and attract viewers.
Would be interesting to see what the viewing figures are these days. I seem to be like a lot here where I only switch to the game pretty much at kick off usually switch channels at half time then usually change channels within 5 minutes of the game ending unless something contentious happened in the game. I think a lot of the champions league changes were trying to encourage younger people to watch the games as not many younger fans these days. But the main problem would be there are no games free to air for the champions league anymore when I was growing up there used to be games on ITV each week. As Mito has pointed out think MOTD has the same problem with it being on so late its not getting many younger viewers so at some stage the viewers are going to dramatically decline.
I watch it to see highlights of the other games. As for people being out - i Player is a thing, so there may be more people watch it than you know, just not at broadcast time.
Plus there's still the 3pm moratorium so the fans who are out at games at the traditional kick off time still ring into 606 and talks hate on their way home then get tanked up and watch motd
I watch highlights on Discovery+ and or NowTv app, but still look forward to watching MotD. Feel Like I haven't properly caught up until I have.
I'm fairly certain it's the most watched BBC programme, and with a quick Google seach apparently it regularly gets 4m viewers (that was in 2023).
How's that going to attract viewers? Surely in the next package the BBC or its should be seeking genuine rights to free to air media at a time that actually suits with full rights to distribute on their own channels. Motd is an old school program that's changed little since the premier league started. The main innovations? Still one host and a puntit or two and commentators. Motd2? That's about it. A few bits of analysis. Surely you want to start making a serious following of younger people by doing some "serious" sports journalism via podcast etc here and have the rights to do so and show the images and video on the net. Surely you want to go further in depth into clubs on match day if you have camera feeds and radio and tv hosts about the place. Interview different people, ape the inside anfield stuff. Show different sides to the game and different perspectives. Basically live in the 2020s ffs. (And yeah I'd not watch it either)
Not so sure about young viewers not watching I have 27 player in my mixed squad Only one doesn’t watch football Many of them go off to watch Bolton on a Saturday as a group with a carpool of parents (weird) cause they have Blackpool and Fleetwood over this end in the girls we have 36 I would say approx 20-25 of them watch the game - so I think if that spread is replicated at most clubs there is a good strong contingent coming through although I do think a lot of them just watch social media platforms in the main with MOtD and live as a sort of - if they aren’t busy doing anything else
Yes. How are bbc engaging them is my question. They will consume the content differently and no doubt are getting it sooner than 10:30pm and are not interested in Alan shearer or Danny Mills latest old white man rant
I dunno - I'd have thought the older demographic is more likely to pay the licence fee. Out of habit if nothing else.
Usually I need a break after watching a couple of games in a day, so I don't want to watch more straight away. The habit of just tuning in to MotD and letting it wash over me is a bit too strong to break.
I lost interest in watching other games a long time ago. If I don't watch our games in real time, I can watch the whole game, 10 minute highlights or 3 minute highlights on LFCTV the next day. I can go to YouTube after about 20 minutes of the game ending to watch the goals for us or any other team. A 3 minute YouTube of other teams is enough for me.
