From a football fan's perspective, surely the top two German leagues are perfect? All games broadcast live but also cheap tickets with busy stadiums, teams doing well in Europe (far better than English teams), strong national side, high standard of football and, aside from this season and last, a competitive league with no single dominant side. The second league is strong, as well: the English Championship is the seventh biggest league in Europe and the Bundesliga 2 is eighth.
And looking ahead to the next 10 years, I too would like to see all 380 Premier League matches broadcast online for a UK audience, just as foreign rights holders such as PremierLeaguePass currently do in New Zealand. Don't play any at 3pm on Saturday - play some at 10am and some at 8pm so that fans can also watch (either on TV or physically) a 3pm lower league match if they wish. But whereas they currently take the Premier League Productions broadcast and stream it at 720p30 in H.264 at 4.5Mbps, I would like to see Premier League Productions themselves really up their game. Next season should be broadcast at 2160p60 in H.265 / HEVC at 14Mbps (Elemental Technologies showed this was possible at the end of last year and will no doubt be showing a refined version at NAB 2014 next month. 1080p should just be skipped.) If they filmed in 3D but in a 2D compatible stream then this would benefit owners of the glasses-free 3DTVs that are coming to market this year. With apps on 4K smart TVs, games consoles (although H.265 / HEVC might be a problem), STBs, smart phones etc., as well as *robust* access through PremierLeague.com (i.e. a CDN network to put Netflix and YouTube to shame) then they'd make a packet. Broadcasting through satellite is technically inferior to IPTV, and if Premier League Productions invest properly and make the sound and picture quality so good that even FTTC lines start suffering then there will be a critical mass of people campaigning for BT Openreach to roll-out FTTP, and then we will finally have an internet infrastructure that our first-world country deserves.
Spot the poster that's never been inside a football stadium,
Good. If it makes people go out and support their local clubs i am all for it.
The main games for neutral fans are normally on tv so proper football fans won't be too disadvantaged.
Not once have I thought 'hmmm I can't watch Southampton play man united on tv, ill pop up and watch Eastleigh Town or woteverz'
I would pay handsomely to watch / stream every Soton game on my smart tv ps3 - I never go to matches as too expensive for me and here not on enough to warrant £30pm to sky
100% agree with this. Think we'll see more smaller clubs fold (or at least merge with other clubs in the future).
To me it's almost inevitable that Sunday will become Premier League day in the future...the last day of the league is already on a Sunday. Hopefully everyone will be able to watch at home legally and/or be much much affordable enough to watch live at the grounds.That would leave the Football League etc kicking off at 3pm Saturday...with a few live games shown as part of their Broadcast contract.
I sometimes wonder will someone start an alternative English Football League...a more affordable to watch the beautiful game?
Some games would have to be scheduled on Saturday due to Tuesday night CL matches, but apart from that I agree with the above.
Only if the FA had designated it as a non-blackout day. The dates for the blackout are submitted to Uefa at the start of each season. The English blackout dates for this season are 3 August-31 August, 14 September to 5th October, 19 October to 9 November and 23 November 2013 to 3 May 2014 (all dates inclusive).
100% agree with this. Think we'll see more smaller clubs fold (or at least merge with other clubs in the future).
To me it's almost inevitable that Sunday will become Premier League day in the future... the last day of the league is already on a Sunday. Hopefully everyone will be able to watch at home legally and/or be much much affordable enough to watch live at the grounds.That would leave the Football League etc kicking off at 3pm Saturday...with a few live games shown as part of their Broadcast contract.
I sometimes wonder will someone start an alternative English Football League...a more affordable to watch the beautiful game?
It's also important to remember Scotland is a factor in this, part of the reason that the Premier League season finishes on a Sunday is that Scotland has a continuous Saturday blackout running from 27th July to 17th May.
As the English blackout doesn't cover the 10th May the Premier League season would be entitled to and appear to be happy to finish on the Saturday. However unless it was an approx 12:30/5:15 kickoff BT Sport and Sky Sports would have to block the transmission of the final games to homes in Scotland
It's also important to remember Scotland is a factor in this, part of the reason that the Premier League season finishes on a Sunday is that Scotland has a continuous Saturday blackout running from 27th July to 17th May.
As the English blackout doesn't cover the 10th May the Premier League season would be entitled to and appear to be happy to finish on the Saturday. However unless it was an approx 12:30/5:15 kickoff BT Sport and Sky Sports would have to block the transmission of the final games to homes in Scotland
Without any archive blocked broadcasting docs from UEFA I'm having to use a bit of assumption, but in '01 and '02 the SPL finished on the Sunday so it's likely there wasn't any blackout on that Saturday.
The 03-04 season is a bit trickier, the SPL had started splitting the final day fixtures with 3 on the Saturday and 3 Sunday. It's possible that they didn't ask for a blackout that day or with Euro 2004 round the corner and many of the European leagues seeming to finish earlier that season UEFA gave the FA an exemption
This Saturday 3pm blackout malarkey's gone well hasn't it. I particularly enjoy it when I'm in the pub and the on screen ticker tape tells me that it's illegal to watch this broadcast in this country.
A collective two fingers to the Premier League and their greedy, anachronistic ways.
Stop showing any 3pm games at all. They should just sell the overseas package as the domestic one.
That solves the problem as if its not broadcast - no one can watch.
If you stop showing 3pm games to international viewers you're most likely lose viewers overseas and that's a bad thing for Premier and it's sponsor. In Canada, the whole Saturday PL show is based on 3pm games. Good luck blacking us out. No foreign broadcaster would want to take PL games as they intentionally tries to black out games. What kind of pathetic league is that. This medieval blackout rules is ridiculous and does NOT belong in this day and age of internet.
The horse has been let out of the stable. You can't stop the internet. Everybody I know has figured out a way of watching these 3pm games. You stop one stream, another 200 pop up else where.
Criminal action isn't going to solve anything. I agree with some posters on here... If you want to stop people streaming 3pm games, then you are going to have to severely restrict the broadcasting of future 3pm games abroad!
But if they do that, it will make the Premier League package less desirable to a company like NBC Sports, whose whole advertising of the league is that they show every match live. Money talks unfortunately.
There's going to come a time when 3pm matches will eventually be shown on TV. They are going to have to give in somehow. Because they are drinking money away trying to stop these streams.
They should move the Saturday 3pm PL games to Sunday. That way, all PL games would be shown on TV without affecting the attendances of the 3pm Saturday games.
They should move the Saturday 3pm PL games to Sunday. That way, all PL games would be shown on TV without affecting the attendances of the 3pm Saturday games.
It would save me a lot of money on a season ticket as I wouldn't bother if they were all on a Sunday, however being a Sunderland season ticket holder I doubt it'll matter next season anyway!
LOL! I've just gone out of contract with my current broadband provider and was considering switching to BT but now gonna wait to see whether we're on BT Sport next season or not. Can't see us getting anything off Man City or Chelsea, need the points against West Ham tonight
There is a misapprehension that the Premier League are automatically losing money by not showing 3pm domestically when in fact it might actually be the opposite.
The current deal allows all TV games to be shown at premium but if all games are available surely this will reduce the value massively of all games except probably the top package.
Ultimately more games will mean more cost to the viewer in order for TV companies to get a return on any outlay on top of what is paid out now and in reality is there really a demand for 3pm coverage to justify say just £1m per game (I think the average value per match now is around £6m) spend by them?
Most other countries haven't really followed the path of limiting games from day one or very early on multichannel broadcast and maybe a few regret it as it might be a significant factor as to why they haven't exploited their domestic TV companies as well as the Premier League has.
The effect of the current internet coverage is probably more an issue of match attendance at Premier League grounds at 3pm and more importantly an adverse impact on domestic rights holders coverage of the packages they show, as a result the Premier League probably use the 3pm games as a tool to influence overseas broadcasters into having stronger safeguards in place without stopping their coverage completely.
There is a misapprehension that the Premier League are automatically losing money by not showing 3pm domestically when in fact it might actually be the opposite.
Think of the money they could be making if they even offered an online stream for the non televised games. People are going to be streaming them anyway and the Premier League currently gets nothing from it.
Think of the money they could be making if they even offered an online stream for the non televised games. People are going to be streaming them anyway and the Premier League currently gets nothing from it.
If say an overly generous million people paid £3.00 to watch 3pm's being shown though obviously not an amount to be sniffed at it will still be less than they receive for one TV game.
So with all the hassle such an action with cause regarding the blackout period I strongly at this moment in time I cannot see the Premier League undertaking an action that would clearly dilute the value of the product they currently sell for top dollar without it being an absolute goldmine alternative.
Comments
Spot the poster that's never been inside a football stadium,
Yeah, but feel the internet. ;-)
Not once have I thought 'hmmm I can't watch Southampton play man united on tv, ill pop up and watch Eastleigh Town or woteverz'
I would pay handsomely to watch / stream every Soton game on my smart tv ps3 - I never go to matches as too expensive for me and here not on enough to warrant £30pm to sky
Some games would have to be scheduled on Saturday due to Tuesday night CL matches, but apart from that I agree with the above.
It's also important to remember Scotland is a factor in this, part of the reason that the Premier League season finishes on a Sunday is that Scotland has a continuous Saturday blackout running from 27th July to 17th May.
As the English blackout doesn't cover the 10th May the Premier League season would be entitled to and appear to be happy to finish on the Saturday. However unless it was an approx 12:30/5:15 kickoff BT Sport and Sky Sports would have to block the transmission of the final games to homes in Scotland
So what happened in 2001, 2002 and 2004?
Without any archive blocked broadcasting docs from UEFA I'm having to use a bit of assumption, but in '01 and '02 the SPL finished on the Sunday so it's likely there wasn't any blackout on that Saturday.
The 03-04 season is a bit trickier, the SPL had started splitting the final day fixtures with 3 on the Saturday and 3 Sunday. It's possible that they didn't ask for a blackout that day or with Euro 2004 round the corner and many of the European leagues seeming to finish earlier that season UEFA gave the FA an exemption
A collective two fingers to the Premier League and their greedy, anachronistic ways.
If you stop showing 3pm games to international viewers you're most likely lose viewers overseas and that's a bad thing for Premier and it's sponsor. In Canada, the whole Saturday PL show is based on 3pm games. Good luck blacking us out. No foreign broadcaster would want to take PL games as they intentionally tries to black out games. What kind of pathetic league is that. This medieval blackout rules is ridiculous and does NOT belong in this day and age of internet.
Criminal action isn't going to solve anything. I agree with some posters on here... If you want to stop people streaming 3pm games, then you are going to have to severely restrict the broadcasting of future 3pm games abroad!
But if they do that, it will make the Premier League package less desirable to a company like NBC Sports, whose whole advertising of the league is that they show every match live. Money talks unfortunately.
There's going to come a time when 3pm matches will eventually be shown on TV. They are going to have to give in somehow. Because they are drinking money away trying to stop these streams.
It would save me a lot of money on a season ticket as I wouldn't bother if they were all on a Sunday, however being a Sunderland season ticket holder I doubt it'll matter next season anyway!
The current deal allows all TV games to be shown at premium but if all games are available surely this will reduce the value massively of all games except probably the top package.
Ultimately more games will mean more cost to the viewer in order for TV companies to get a return on any outlay on top of what is paid out now and in reality is there really a demand for 3pm coverage to justify say just £1m per game (I think the average value per match now is around £6m) spend by them?
Most other countries haven't really followed the path of limiting games from day one or very early on multichannel broadcast and maybe a few regret it as it might be a significant factor as to why they haven't exploited their domestic TV companies as well as the Premier League has.
The effect of the current internet coverage is probably more an issue of match attendance at Premier League grounds at 3pm and more importantly an adverse impact on domestic rights holders coverage of the packages they show, as a result the Premier League probably use the 3pm games as a tool to influence overseas broadcasters into having stronger safeguards in place without stopping their coverage completely.
Think of the money they could be making if they even offered an online stream for the non televised games. People are going to be streaming them anyway and the Premier League currently gets nothing from it.
If say an overly generous million people paid £3.00 to watch 3pm's being shown though obviously not an amount to be sniffed at it will still be less than they receive for one TV game.
So with all the hassle such an action with cause regarding the blackout period I strongly at this moment in time I cannot see the Premier League undertaking an action that would clearly dilute the value of the product they currently sell for top dollar without it being an absolute goldmine alternative.