SteveJ 743 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 News broke yesterday morning that the SPFL face a court case that could demand compensation of up to £1.7m. This court case is for loss of earnings from a ban presented to pub management firm, Lisni, in 2007 by the SPL.You would be forgiven for wondering why this is still a bone of contention, considering an English landlord won a court case against the English Premiership last year, for a similar issue – using a foreign satellite signal to show live football from major teams on a Saturday at 3pm. However, the issue is not only with showing live games provided by a foreign TV channel, it is largely to do with these games breaking a ban on televising games at 3pm on a Saturday. This ban has been in place since the 1960's ,when the then Burnley Chairman proposed that these broadcasts could hamper attendance and his fellow FA league chairmen agreed. Here endeth the lesson.Forget about the court case and forget about the potential money loss to the SPFL, or dare I say it, the 42 member clubs. The time is now, for the SFA and FA to lift the ban on live Saturday 3pm football broadcasting in the UK. The time is now for clubs to push for their right to broadcast their own games, to their own fans.Consider if you will, the revenue that could be brought in by the larger clubs who have too few seats for the demand. Top that with the pubs being able to broadcast these games by subscription, using British broadcasts and British equipment. Don't get me wrong. I am not in a bubble of insanity thinking that the smaller teams would vote for this without it being valuable to them. Of course they would need a sweetener to vote this through but surely a percentage of something is better than nothing? If a Rangers match, for instance, drew in 10,000 UK viewers at a subscription of £5 for each home game, the total income would be £900,000. Bearing in mind that Rangers already beam these games abroad - the technology, resource and experience is in place, but the broadcasting club would be excused for demanding a lions share of the pot. Again, let's take Rangers as the example. If the smaller teams put a value on the Rangers coming to town, they could do a lot worse than allowing them to beam the game live to UK subscriptions at the same cost. Again, I would be surprised if the away game would not attract 1,000's of viewers, so there is good potential for the SPFL to have a pot share of income that is currently non-existent. There are other teams in the mix who could sell home and away match subscriptions but I think we are all aware that Rangers would more than likely command the largest audience. That said, get the money in to the pot and let's improve Scottish football. Pubs would be interested at a reasonable cost, to attract the punters in for a pint and a match, without the fear for court cases. Just don't get me started on the online streams that generate thousands for providers in advertising revenue. One thing that should be put to the top brass, is how the music industry nearly died by not reacting to the digital platform and generational change in demand. Music downloads were mainstream back then - by the likes of Napster - and the industry insisted that the downloading of music was not only illegal, it was not the future; how wrong they were and don't they know it now.The potential is there, but unless the SFA and FA act, the income stream is being taken by Polish or Greek TV subscriptions. British football fans demand better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ritchieshearercaldow 22,242 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Oh.... that's far too sensible for the men at hamdump.They think that if Rangers or the scum start live broadcasts at 3pm all their loyal supporters would rather stay way and watch on tv? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarkev 3,540 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 The reality is far too many people would find a way to illegally stream the game and it would ultimately affect the crowds as many would get lazy if they knew the game was on tv every weekend.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre 1,663 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Consider if you will, the revenue that could be brought in by the larger clubs who have too few seats for the demand.To what clubs does this actually apply? Even we have rarely not had an empty seat in the home sections of the stadium.There's certainly a demand from armchair fans that would pay the club to watch matches at 3pm but it's not due to not being able to get tickets for the games. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Robot 21,512 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 setanta Ireland broadcast a live priemership game at 3pm every saturday Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ 743 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 setanta Ireland broadcast a live priemership game at 3pm every saturdayYes, in Ireland bud, that is not part of Britain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ 743 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 The reality is far too many people would find a way to illegally stream the game and it would ultimately affect the crowds as many would get lazy if they knew the game was on tv every weekend....Is that the same reality that found the music industry nearly on its arse? They said that despite centralising paid downloads, people would illegally download for free - iTunes and Amazon saved this industry. More providers followed. Illegal downloads are still common place but the industry still take enough from purchases and as long as the service is there and at an affordable cost, the honest people will pay it.I have watched streams of football but only when they are not available to UK public. When Rangers offered UK footage last year, I paid and despite problems, was happy to do so. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ 743 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 To what clubs does this actually apply? Even we have rarely not had an empty seat in the home sections of the stadium.There's certainly a demand from armchair fans that would pay the club to watch matches at 3pm but it's not due to not being able to get tickets for the games.When we had an empty seat last season, it was most likely an ST holder missing out and not re-selling his/her ticket.Celtic have these weeks, but only when Rangers are pushing them in the top flight. When we are back, the wasters will come back and fill Celtic Park.Rangers and many other clubs, have glory hunters and this will never change. They may not commit to a season of travelling back and forth to Ibrox, but they could still lay claim of being a RangersTV ST holder - glory in a hole of some sort! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarkev 3,540 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Is that the same reality that found the music industry nearly on its arse? They said that despite centralising paid downloads, people would illegally download for free - iTunes and Amazon saved this industry. More providers followed. Illegal downloads are still common place but the industry still take enough from purchases and as long as the service is there and at an affordable cost, the honest people will pay it.I have watched streams of football but only when they are not available to UK public. When Rangers offered UK footage last year, I paid and despite problems, was happy to do so.There is a big difference mate....when you purchase a song or album you are buying it for keeps and most people would rather get the best copy of something they are going to keep....I used to use bulbster for music but it actually created more issues with viruses, dodgy copies etc.....if they can find a way to make the illegal streams equally as unappealing then it could work but despite what some will say, looking at this place on a Saturday and the lack of fans who purchased the live games last year via rangerstv I'm pretty sure it would ultimately negatively impact on us and football in general! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bump 168 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 i would be more than happy to pay and watch us playing an away game on a saturday at 3pm,i watched the away games live last season on RTV and also pay my monthly subscription for which i think has been value for money,if more money is going to the club the better Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio 1,199 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 If they showed Rangers away game's live at 3PM on A Saturday, can you imagine how empty the piggery would be, ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
novosleftboot 6,292 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Bear in mind that not everybody who'd pay for the match on tv would be someone who'd have gone to the game otherwise! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
novosleftboot 6,292 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 If a Rangers match, for instance, drew in 10,000 UK viewers at a subscription of £5 for each home game, the total income would be £900,000. Would it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlCapone 7,678 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Mmmm wonder if the next generation of fans will come to dare rangers v Ross county when Chelsea v Man U is on at 3pm on a Saturday, silly silly idea that will only be a win for the top 6 in England Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ 743 Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 Would it? For 18 home games, yes it would. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
novosleftboot 6,292 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 For 18 home games, yes it would.Yes, seems far clearer now I don't have a belly full of booze! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavieMacRFC 850 Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 The reality is far too many people would find a way to illegally stream the game and it would ultimately affect the crowds as many would get lazy if they knew the game was on tv every weekend....Already happens anyway mate so could be win-win for the club to at least make some money, im all for it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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