Originally Posted by wolvesdavid:
“To be honest I think individual commentators and pundits will be the last thing UEFA think about when deciding who wins the rights to the champions league. Clive Tyldesley is used on the UEFA programmes, directly from ITVs commentry, so it would be in ITVs favour if they were thinking of it! But if I had to say it would be:
Mostly free to air exposure and the wider interest coverage of the sport.
Then the money involved in the bid.
BT and Sky will bid more money than ITV for the 1st pick, but not by emough to take the coverage from ITV. THe champions league is a successful competition partly because of the wider coverage it gets from been on free TV.
Although a loss leader, football especially the champions league, is used to get male audiences to watch the channel, and in that regard I guess ITV will be happy to keep what they have already got, and I expect they will.”
“To be honest I think individual commentators and pundits will be the last thing UEFA think about when deciding who wins the rights to the champions league. Clive Tyldesley is used on the UEFA programmes, directly from ITVs commentry, so it would be in ITVs favour if they were thinking of it! But if I had to say it would be:
Mostly free to air exposure and the wider interest coverage of the sport.
Then the money involved in the bid.
BT and Sky will bid more money than ITV for the 1st pick, but not by emough to take the coverage from ITV. THe champions league is a successful competition partly because of the wider coverage it gets from been on free TV.
Although a loss leader, football especially the champions league, is used to get male audiences to watch the channel, and in that regard I guess ITV will be happy to keep what they have already got, and I expect they will.”
Much like the football league was until Sky came along?
I don't for one minute think that you really believe it will remain FTA if BT or Sky put a bid in of almost double what ITV did?
I do agree with you UEFA do not care about presenters commentators etc or even ITV if it shows no football on English channels but I feel what they are concerned about is potential revenue and the safe guard of it's premier European tournament.
Don't get me wrong I want to see it remain on ITV but UEFA know with BT and the money they have it will push the price up to a stupid level.....then they make their choice.




