In the last few weeks the big business of pay for view (PFV) television
rights reached a conclusion with Sky Sports bidding a massive £5bn for
the Premier League coverage.
They outbid their nearest rivals BT Sport
to have the right to have first pick of games on offer. Of course Sky
Sports have always had this money-no-object philosophy, which has
enabled them to have a big say in how sports coverage is televised
especially kick-off times.
We have seen over the years sporting events
gradually being swallowed up by the gargantuan steamroller that Sky has
become, so much so, that unless you are able to afford pay for view
subscription you see very little live televised sport these days.
So,
although Sky Sports will be feeling very smug about winning the rights
they will have to look at ways of recouping their outlay, which means
all sports fans everywhere will have to pay extra directly or
indirectly to the “piper who plays the tune”. Increased advertising
will be one way, but will result in more disruptive viewing. How many
times have you sat there absorbing the match build-up only for it to
break away to some silly advert just like they do on American TV at
every given opportunity?
In addition to the armchair/pub viewer the
cost of going to games has increased over the years and will continue
to do so, this despite the performances of a lot of clubs and players
not delivering the quality justifying the increased expenditure. I am
very sceptical about the Premier League boasting theirs is the best
league in the world. I find many of the games to be very mundane and
run of the mill. Yes, Sky Sports has introduced new technology to
televised coverage, more camera angles (sometimes spoilt by the whims
of producers); pundits using “state of the art” gizmos to illustrate
their views and opinions and constant replays of incidents to pad out
the programme’s contents.
So, I am very sceptical that the money generated by the winning bid
will filter its way down to grass root level sport where it’s most
needed, but I am sure that won’t bother the owners of the wealthier
clubs in the Premier League, who will continue to reap the rewards of
the money being thrown at them.
I am all for the safety of players but I do think the modern game is
suffering from an over indulgence in the way even the most trivial
injury is dealt with during a game. How many times do see a player
writhing over in agony at the slightest touch, the ball being kicked
out of play by the opposing team to prevent a hostile reaction from the
opposing fans, only for the player to resume his game shortly after. I
don’t want to see the game going back to the old days where tackles
would result in player’s careers ending prematurely, but I do believe
we’ve got to the point where the game has become a non-contact sport
where even minor contact is penalized.
