I think the extra English team only applies if the winner of the Europa League are not also in the top 4 of the league.
I think from recollection that UEFA expanded the maximum number of teams from a country in the Champions Legue to 5. So the only chance on an English club missing out having thought they had qualified is if English clubs who hadn't otherwise qualifed for next season's Champions League won both the UCL and UEL.
Continuing off topic a little with the point raised around BT showing matches free - I've heard no guarantee of what quality of matches would be shown free (i.e. could BT opt to show each of the UK clubs at home to the minnows of their group for free, and maybe worse still with some of their free matches simultaneously). Further Jake did hint on twitter a long time ago that semi finals of UCL may also be free.
Pulling this back to Premier League rights, I personally think that the Champions League will if BT pitch it right have a bigger impact on BT Sport than many on here think. I don't buy the line that Premier League rights are massively more important than UCL rights pound for pound and I think that the £3xxm that BT are paying for Champions League and Eurpoa League rights sits favourably against the Premier League rights costs. Guaranteed big matches from big English and Scottish clubs will in my opinion surely drive viewers in BT's direction if they don't price themselves out of the market.
Don't get me wrong though, I doubt we'll see people flocking away from sky, even if they do marginally raise prices.
I think from recollection that UEFA expanded the maximum number of teams from a country in the Champions Legue to 5. So the only chance on an English club missing out having thought they had qualified is if English clubs who hadn't otherwise qualifed for next season's Champions League won both the UCL and UEL.
Continuing off topic a little with the point raised around BT showing matches free - I've heard no guarantee of what quality of matches would be shown free (i.e. could BT opt to show each of the UK clubs at home to the minnows of their group for free, and maybe worse still with some of their free matches simultaneously). Further Jake did hint on twitter a long time ago that semi finals of UCL may also be free.
Pulling this back to Premier League rights, I personally think that the Champions League will if BT pitch it right have a bigger impact on BT Sport than many on here think. I don't buy the line that Premier League rights are massively more important than UCL rights pound for pound and I think that the £3xxm that BT are paying for Champions League and Eurpoa League rights sits favourably against the Premier League rights costs. Guaranteed big matches from big English and Scottish clubs will in my opinion surely drive viewers in BT's direction if they don't price themselves out of the market.
Don't get me wrong though, I doubt we'll see people flocking away from sky, even if they do marginally raise prices.
If BT are only showing the games free on their website (or sky platform) that will still leave a large number of freeview viewers frustrated. Not everyone is savvy enough to have their high speed broadband connected laptop hooked up to a tv.
BT does not have to show any CL matches FTA or FTV. They have only voluntarily offered to show some matches. And have gone as far as to say they will show at least one match for each British club and the final.
I do not believe BT agreement with UEFA imposes any requirement for BT to make any matches available FTA or FTV.
I hope the CL suffers due to UEFA's greed. Selling the FTA rights to BT was a BAD move imo.
Bringing it back to Premier League rights, the experience would seem to demonstrate that selling what had been free rights to the pay world hasn't damaged the product at all.
BT does not have to show any CL matches FTA or FTV. They have only voluntarily offered to show some matches. And have gone as far as to say they will show at least one match for each British club and the final.
I do not believe BT agreement with UEFA imposes any requirement for BT to make any matches available FTA or FTV.
What leads you to this belief?
It doesn't seem unreasonable that a condition of BT gaining the exclusive rights was that a certain number of games be made "free".
Bringing it back to Premier League rights, the experience would seem to demonstrate that selling what had been free rights to the pay world hasn't damaged the product at all.
The CL has always been available FTA for a large number of matches, the PL never has been.
I wonder if the lack of Champions League on FTA will hits clubs hard on sponsorship.
As last 'FTA man standing' the BBC sould have got a better deal for themselves.
Sponsors likely need FTA far more than the BBC needs PL.
If BT are only showing the games free on their website (or sky platform) that will still leave a large number of freeview viewers frustrated. Not everyone is savvy enough to have their high speed broadband connected laptop hooked up to a tv.
This looks the most likely scenario now. BT Sport to show FA cup match between Bradford and Reading free to air on Sky, BTtv and online.
Update from OFCOM yesterday on their investigation into VM's complaint:
"Ofcom is updating on progress of its investigation into how the Premier League sells live UK audio-visual media rights for Premier League football matches.
Ofcom provided the Premier League on Friday 20 March with a case update, responding to a request for more detail on Ofcom’s assessment and analysis to date, in advance of a further ‘state of play’ meeting.
The investigation continues to progress, involving further information gathering and new consumer research. No decisions have been reached at this stage.
Ofcom wants to further understand how consumers benefit from the way the Premier League sells its rights.
Ofcom has recently received consumer research from Virgin Media, which it is considering. Ofcom will also carry out new consumer research, which will canvas views of fans who attend matches and those who watch them on TV. It will look at the value viewers place on watching the Premier League. We will also be monitoring changes in retail prices of sports channels as the investigation progresses.
This will build on engagement with a wide range of interested parties. In particular, discussions have been held or written submissions sought from football bodies, football clubs, fans’ groups, broadcasters and policing organisations."
Quite a few reports over the last 24 hours about PL clubs promising to "give away £1bn" - see BBC link below.
Worth putting that figure into context. First it's over 3 years. The UK live TV rights have been sold for £5,136m and MOTD rights for £204m. The other UK rights (Football First, clips etc) are unknown but miniscule in comparison. We don't yet know how much the PL will get for all overseas rights but a best guess is probably around £3bn. So we are looking at a grand total in the region of £8bn to £9bn.
So if the PL "gives away" £1bn that's approx 12%. However the biggest component of that goes in the form of parachute payments and other payments to FL clubs. That may sound generous at first glance but there is also self-interest here - the PL clubs know that three of them will be relegated at the end of the season and several more are under threat of relegation. They know that in the medium term (say 5 years) at least half of them will either be relegated or are under serious threat.
So whilst most PL Chairmen know that the chances are that they won't benefit from these payments in the immediate future, they know that in the medium term they may very well benefit from them - and if they are relegated they will be enormously dependent upon them. So in this respect they amount to an insurance policy.
Finally, per BBC, the PL has said that the magnitude of these payments "is dependent on a regulatory challenge from Ofcom and income from international TV rights sales".
Per Dan Roan:
"This £1bn 'giveaway' will please many who worry about inequality in the sport. Ahead of the result of an Ofcom investigation into how the league sells its TV rights, this also serves as a convenient reminder of the benefits of the status quo."
So it looks as if the PL is going to use this as a bargaining chip with Ofcom - ie its argument will be that if Ofcom intervenes and makes changes which reduce the value of TV rights then the PL will not be able to "give away" so much.
Of course not all of the money "given away" goes to FL clubs - some also goes to the grassroots.
Update from OFCOM yesterday on their investigation into VM's complaint: "... We will also be monitoring changes in retail prices of sports channels as the investigation progresses.
I imagine Virgin's complaint contributed to Sky raising its Family Pack by £4pm and Sky Sports by just £1pm. Having Ofcom scrutinising price rises to Sky Sport will surely be beneficial to Virgin's interests, so lodging the complaint has been worthwhile.
I imagine Virgin's complaint contributed to Sky raising its Family Pack by £4pm and Sky Sports by just £1pm. Having Ofcom scrutinising price rises to Sky Sport will surely be beneficial to Virgin's interests, so lodging the complaint has been worthwhile.
Remember that Ofcom does not consider the price of the "Sky Sports Pack" to be the price of buying Sky Sports - because you have to take a basic package as well.
Ofcom's formula for calculating the regulated wholesale price of Sky Sports starts with the retail price of buying Sky Sports (ie including a basic package) and then makes a deduction for the actual cost of basic programming and other overheads.
For the record the Family Pack is actually rising by £3 and the Sky Sports pack by £1. So the cost of buying Sky Sports with Family Pack rises by £4. However the price of the Original Pack is frozen so the cost of buying Sky Sports with Original Pack rises by £1. The Ofcom formula will take account of both of the above (and the Variety Pack option as well) and carries out what amounts to a weighted average calculation to end up with the true average that people are actually paying for Sky Sports.
Comments
Only one game per season for each British club, plus the final which is only 6 games (7 if an English club wins the Europa League).
I think the extra English team only applies if the winner of the Europa League are not also in the top 4 of the league.
I think from recollection that UEFA expanded the maximum number of teams from a country in the Champions Legue to 5. So the only chance on an English club missing out having thought they had qualified is if English clubs who hadn't otherwise qualifed for next season's Champions League won both the UCL and UEL.
Continuing off topic a little with the point raised around BT showing matches free - I've heard no guarantee of what quality of matches would be shown free (i.e. could BT opt to show each of the UK clubs at home to the minnows of their group for free, and maybe worse still with some of their free matches simultaneously). Further Jake did hint on twitter a long time ago that semi finals of UCL may also be free.
Pulling this back to Premier League rights, I personally think that the Champions League will if BT pitch it right have a bigger impact on BT Sport than many on here think. I don't buy the line that Premier League rights are massively more important than UCL rights pound for pound and I think that the £3xxm that BT are paying for Champions League and Eurpoa League rights sits favourably against the Premier League rights costs. Guaranteed big matches from big English and Scottish clubs will in my opinion surely drive viewers in BT's direction if they don't price themselves out of the market.
Don't get me wrong though, I doubt we'll see people flocking away from sky, even if they do marginally raise prices.
If BT are only showing the games free on their website (or sky platform) that will still leave a large number of freeview viewers frustrated. Not everyone is savvy enough to have their high speed broadband connected laptop hooked up to a tv.
BT does not have to show any CL matches FTA or FTV. They have only voluntarily offered to show some matches. And have gone as far as to say they will show at least one match for each British club and the final.
I do not believe BT agreement with UEFA imposes any requirement for BT to make any matches available FTA or FTV.
Bringing it back to Premier League rights, the experience would seem to demonstrate that selling what had been free rights to the pay world hasn't damaged the product at all.
Actually they have said at least once for each British club; and they have not said exclusively British clubs either.
My best guess is a similar amount of free games as shown to this point (and is probably something that UEFA pushed for).
It doesn't seem unreasonable that a condition of BT gaining the exclusive rights was that a certain number of games be made "free".
The CL has always been available FTA for a large number of matches, the PL never has been.
I wonder if the lack of Champions League on FTA will hits clubs hard on sponsorship.
As last 'FTA man standing' the BBC sould have got a better deal for themselves.
Sponsors likely need FTA far more than the BBC needs PL.
This looks the most likely scenario now. BT Sport to show FA cup match between Bradford and Reading free to air on Sky, BTtv and online.
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/bt-sport-to-air-bradford-fa-cup-game-for-free-after-bbc-snub-112123218.html
Your great mogzboy:D However I would love to see you face when BT announce Michael Owen as part of the commentary team for the final.
*sniggers*
"Ofcom is updating on progress of its investigation into how the Premier League sells live UK audio-visual media rights for Premier League football matches.
Ofcom provided the Premier League on Friday 20 March with a case update, responding to a request for more detail on Ofcom’s assessment and analysis to date, in advance of a further ‘state of play’ meeting.
The investigation continues to progress, involving further information gathering and new consumer research. No decisions have been reached at this stage.
Ofcom wants to further understand how consumers benefit from the way the Premier League sells its rights.
Ofcom has recently received consumer research from Virgin Media, which it is considering. Ofcom will also carry out new consumer research, which will canvas views of fans who attend matches and those who watch them on TV. It will look at the value viewers place on watching the Premier League. We will also be monitoring changes in retail prices of sports channels as the investigation progresses.
This will build on engagement with a wide range of interested parties. In particular, discussions have been held or written submissions sought from football bodies, football clubs, fans’ groups, broadcasters and policing organisations."
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement/competition-bulletins/open-cases/all-open-cases/cw_01138/
Nothing very surprising there.
Also not surprising that it looks as if it will be some time before Ofcom comes to even an initial decision.
Worth putting that figure into context. First it's over 3 years. The UK live TV rights have been sold for £5,136m and MOTD rights for £204m. The other UK rights (Football First, clips etc) are unknown but miniscule in comparison. We don't yet know how much the PL will get for all overseas rights but a best guess is probably around £3bn. So we are looking at a grand total in the region of £8bn to £9bn.
So if the PL "gives away" £1bn that's approx 12%. However the biggest component of that goes in the form of parachute payments and other payments to FL clubs. That may sound generous at first glance but there is also self-interest here - the PL clubs know that three of them will be relegated at the end of the season and several more are under threat of relegation. They know that in the medium term (say 5 years) at least half of them will either be relegated or are under serious threat.
So whilst most PL Chairmen know that the chances are that they won't benefit from these payments in the immediate future, they know that in the medium term they may very well benefit from them - and if they are relegated they will be enormously dependent upon them. So in this respect they amount to an insurance policy.
Finally, per BBC, the PL has said that the magnitude of these payments "is dependent on a regulatory challenge from Ofcom and income from international TV rights sales".
Per Dan Roan:
"This £1bn 'giveaway' will please many who worry about inequality in the sport. Ahead of the result of an Ofcom investigation into how the league sells its TV rights, this also serves as a convenient reminder of the benefits of the status quo."
So it looks as if the PL is going to use this as a bargaining chip with Ofcom - ie its argument will be that if Ofcom intervenes and makes changes which reduce the value of TV rights then the PL will not be able to "give away" so much.
Of course not all of the money "given away" goes to FL clubs - some also goes to the grassroots.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32077356
Hope it is not still these unfair parachute payments which means if you get relegated you have a huge influx of money to make sure you get back !!!
At the moment the relegated clubs get 80 million
And they are in the same League with clubs like Bournemouth and Brentford who's Budget is probably about 5 million !!!
Remember that Ofcom does not consider the price of the "Sky Sports Pack" to be the price of buying Sky Sports - because you have to take a basic package as well.
Ofcom's formula for calculating the regulated wholesale price of Sky Sports starts with the retail price of buying Sky Sports (ie including a basic package) and then makes a deduction for the actual cost of basic programming and other overheads.
For the record the Family Pack is actually rising by £3 and the Sky Sports pack by £1. So the cost of buying Sky Sports with Family Pack rises by £4. However the price of the Original Pack is frozen so the cost of buying Sky Sports with Original Pack rises by £1. The Ofcom formula will take account of both of the above (and the Variety Pack option as well) and carries out what amounts to a weighted average calculation to end up with the true average that people are actually paying for Sky Sports.
How are the parachute payments unfair?
Cardiff can spend an extra 40 million on players than Bournemouth
They're not. Especially when some teams make such a hash of being back in the Championship that they get relegated again.
If the money is to "make sure you get back" they're not doing a very good job of using it, are they?