I'm not sure I understand you Imp. My point was that whilst we don't know how many people are using streams for PL games, we do know the impact of them doing so because the attendances are what they are today with those streams in use.
Whilst this is a factor I think you underestimate just how many people do not watch streams. May seem alien to us on forums all the time, used to frequenting the internet all hours of the day but some people buy Sky to watch football and others do not know about streaming or just will not suffer that quality.
Before streams there was foreign satellite. I had a satellite box to watch a range of 3pm kick offs 12 years ago.
As for attendances dying in the lower leagues, people always supported the "glory boys". The big clubs were big clubs before the PL was formed so I'm not sure that I subscribe to your view that the PL has damaged attendances and the associated benefits to towns.
I think you are a little blinded here. Yes people always supported the 'glory boys' but they also went to their local game and then checked results in the pub across the road then went on their way or continued the 'matchday experience'. I used to have a season ticket at Lincoln with 2 Liverpool 'fans', a 'Spurs fan' BUT 2 Lincoln fans. Only the 2 Lincoln fans go still!!!
The Pl initially boosted football on the whole as football became even more popular and fashionable than it was before. There were also more women and children going boosted by family deals and 'kids for a quid' which were never around pre 90s football (at least not in Lincoln.)
The fact is that the pub-meal-match-pub-nightlife experience that you fondly recollect would cost you best part of £200 wherever you live these days, whoever you support and there aren't too many folk that splash that cash every weekend. In fact, attendances across all divisions have increased by 60% since the formation of the PL. Obviously certain clubs are just getting things wrong all on their own.
Aaaargh Cost of living crisis. Sound like Milliband and Balls here. When I was doing the matchday experience in the nineties it would cost a good part of £100 for home games. Tickets, Beers over 14 hours, a couple of meals...............We did it every week. The economy makes most money off that 18 to 30 demographic that have much more disposable income and party non stop. It hasn't gotten any more expensive in proportion to wages. Its called inflation. £100 20 years ago is £200 today. 18 - 30 year olds do not go to local football clubs anymore, not in the numbers they used to and the older fans (over 30s) go to the match, maybe a pint or 2 and home. They either have families to get back to or aren't the party animal anymore or all their friends don't go anymore as they are one of the former 2.
So you can't really moan about the cost of the day. It has always cost that, just that inflation makes things more expensive.
If anything I would say it is cheaper in terms of inflation.
A Lincoln comparison from 20 years ago to today
Ticket was £8 and now is £18
Beer was £1.80 and now is £3.30
Meal was £5 and now is £7 (pub type meals)
Taxi was £3 and now is £5
Av wages were £14k and now is £25k
