https://www.sportspro.com/news/premier-league-blackout-media-rights-sky-sports-tnt-december-2024/ Money talks... according to the Times. About time.
Such a shame for the clubs of the lower leagues, will undoubtedly lower their attendances especially over winter.
I'm not so sure, if you go to watch your local team, just because it's raining/snowing/cold, I don't believe your mindset would switch to you would then prefer to stay in and watch the Liverpool/City/Sunderland game?
I think fans who go to games will go to games. If you support Rochdale and go to every home game, would you sack it off because Villa v Leicester is on Sky on a Sat afternoon? I don't think so... On the flip side, would I want to watch us play Millwall away on sky, rather than have to pay for an additional definitely legal streaming service? Aye
Yep this is one tradition that absolutely serves no purpose nowadays. Personally I'd like to see the 12.30 Saturday kick off slot become the slot with no Premier League games. All non-league could reschedule their standard kick offs to 12.30 on a Saturday. That would serve two purposes: 1) they'd not need to turn floodlights on every Saturday (this is surprisingly expensive) and 2) fans could go to their local non league club for a 12.30 kick off then go to the bar after to watch a Premier League game or two back to back. Gets people into their local football clubs and staying there for bar takings etc.
If it’s pissing down/freezing and you’re a supporter of say someone like United, you can’t get tickets because there’s a huge waiting list so you go to watch someone like Salford but United are now on Sky on the 3pm kick off every weekend then that’s what they’ll watch. Teams like us won’t be affected obviously we’ve a massive fan base but it’ll be dreadful for non league and lower league clubs
Would you be happy if we kicked off at 12:30 every saturday? Would away fans? We all complain when we’re setting off to Portsmouth at 4am for a lunch time kick off but because it’s lower leagues clubs we don’t care because people want to watch teams they don’t even support at 3pm For me personally it’s great, I’ll be able to watch PL games when we’re playing away.. I love having football on all weekend if I’m doing nothing. But undoubtedly will harm the pyramid further down
Agree with this, I dont think i have ever met anyone that goes to a lower league game regularly just because they cant get a ticket to watch the club they support every week. Are attendances down in the lower leagues when the Champions League is on or even when National Teams are playing? I would suggest not massively
Might be something that takes a generation to really have an effect, kids who go lower league now will grow into adults who continue in majority, next generation kids might prefer to stay home watch united or whoever....a little bit like a lot of kids now dont go out to play with their mates, they stay in own bedroom & do it on xbox
Already absolutely loads around Manchester in the likes of Salford, Bolton, Rochdale, Blackburn etc who support United as well as their “local”. United are rarely the 3pm Saturday kick off so these fans can attend a match plus watch their other team, if they have to choose I’m not sure they’ll continue going to watch.
