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Setanta Up Jobby Creek


Juan Kerse
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This interesting view appeared on the BBC yesterday.....

 

One football team, but no opposition

Douglas Fraser | 21:17 PM, Tuesday, 14 July 2009

 

Money seems to be cascading out of Scottish sport.

 

Diadora went under last week, taking with it the kit sponsorship of the Scotland football team.

 

The same happened yesterday to Canterbury Europe, kit sponsors of the Scottish rugby team.

 

Could it be that Scots fans are unpersuaded by the value-for-money of their national teams' replica kits?

 

And of course, there's the mess left by Setanta's collapse.

 

There was a concern that only Sky Sports would want to replace its contract to televise Scottish Premier League matches. And without competition, of course it could name its price.

 

So the hope was that a big sports pay-TV player - ESPN, part of the Disney empire - could come in from the United States and force an auction for the SPL rights.

 

Some hope.

 

We're now told that the two giants have got together and they're bidding to share the rights between them.

 

That's for no more money than Setanta paid over the past four years, while wanting to lock in the Scottish clubs for the next five years.

 

That helps explain why the Old Firm clubs have let it be known they're trying to put together their own alternative to Sky and ESPN.

 

It's hard to see how they could sustain the business model, or that it's going to be in the smaller clubs interests.

 

But it's more likely that Rangers and Celtic are trying to force the TV companies to think again - at least to shorten the length of the tie-in contract.

 

When Sky Sports got this level of domination over English premiership football, the European Commission stepped in.

 

Its answer was to force the league to split its TV rights into six packages, not all of which could be secured by one company.

 

Perhaps the European Commission should take a look at what's currently happening with the Scottish Premier League.

 

If, as seems to be the case, Sky and ESPN are bidding jointly, it doesn't look like healthy competition, and it doesn't look good for Scottish football.

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Much rather we signed a highlights only package with BBC Scotland and cut our cloth to suit our new income. Live TV has been a major factor in the ruin of our game, I'd gladly opt out and this is the best opportunity we'll probably have.

 

Sounds good to me. B-)

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Much rather we signed a highlights only package with BBC Scotland and cut our cloth to suit our new income. Live TV has been a major factor in the ruin of our game, I'd gladly opt out and this is the best opportunity we'll probably have.

 

Totally agree. Would also mean most of the games would be played on a saturday at 3pm . The way it should be ;)

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Aberdeen and McGhee are also feeling the heat and are ready to bend over for the old scum.

 

 

Willie Miller backs Old Firm's SPL TV rights bid

Jul 15 2009 Exclusive by Scott Mcdermott and Hugh Keevins

 

WILLIE Miller is ready to back the Old Firm's plans to buy the SPL's TV rights and accused Sky and ESPN of trying to run Scottish football into the ground.

 

Aberdeen's director of football last night refused to oppose Rangers and Celtic's idea to step in and hijack the TV companies' bid of £65million for five years of coverage.

 

Miller believes the Glasgow sides wouldn't attempt anything that would have a negative effect on our game and insists the broadcasters' offer is virtually unacceptable.

 

Aberdeen, like most other SPL clubs, planned their budgets for the new season around their original Setanta agreement, which was valued at £125million.

 

 

After the Irish firm's much-publicised collapse, Sky and ESPN have offered a much reduced package for Scotland's hard-up clubs.

 

But Miller can't understand why they're offer is so low - as it would only have a detrimental effect on the quality they would be broadcasting.

 

Speaking last night from the Dons' pre-season training camp in Austria, the former skipper reacted to Record Sport's exclusive story. He said: "I don't know enough about their idea yet. But they're obviously not happy with the situation - no one is.

 

"If they can find a solution which would help themselves and Scottish football, we would welcome it. It's a trying time but whatever we end up with, we'll have to deal with it.

 

"It's left us with a big financial headache at Aberdeen but we have to try to cope. Sky and ESPN have to understand if the deal they're offering is that low, it'll seriously affect the product they'll have to show. So their offer doesn't really make sense from their point of view as it will screw Scottish football into the ground.

 

"If we accepted the deal it would make it difficult to bring new players into the league to make it better. We also wouldn't be able to ensure that we'll have big crowds at our games.

 

"It's a double-edged sword and I hope they look at that and we get a decent deal off them. Most clubs have factored the old deal into their budget and anything below that will mean clubs cutting their cloth accordingly.

 

"If the Old Firm try to do something on their own I don't think they would do it to the detriment of the other teams. We're all in this together, as a whole and we all just want a deal for Scottish football.

 

"The collapse of Setanta has left a huge gap in our budget. It's made a massive impact on what Mark McGhee can do in terms of bringing players into the club - certainly until we know what's happening.

 

"If we get the same deal from someone, it would be great but it's not looking that way at the moment."

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"If the Old Firm try to do something on their own I don't think they would do it to the detriment of the other teams. We're all in this together, as a whole and we all just want a deal for Scottish football.

 

And this guy is high up at Aberdeen. :lol:

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Would rather have a mince offer from sky or espn than the old firm.

 

1. Matches of the week will only be one or other, where the ther games are more competative.

2. the old firm will have a strangle hold on the other teams and dictate to them

 

I know a few posters have said that we should go back to the way things were pre tele however that is just not possible. Football is entertainment if there is no money in a club then you might as well leave Motherwell and go down your local pitches and watch a game there as eventually that is the sort of quality you will gfet.

 

Even the old squirm can't compete financially any more purely on the basis of tv money. Real madrid has just made a laughing stock of any football. 150 + Million on players. WHo can compete not even Man utd all down to money. Money comes from tv (royalty in Real madrids case) need money to compete. Thats what is wrong in football the gap is too big between those with the money and those without it. Old firm will still have followers to bring in more money than us so it will become even more of a uneven playing field.

 

Want tv money just not the old firm dictating everything. The SPL should have TV and sell the rights etc that way no one or 2 teams can dictate what the others do.

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The reality is that losing live TV revenue would affect Motherwell greatly. Last year it was as much as 35-40% of our turnover.

 

It is all very well saying we can give it a miss and we do not need it - but the reality is it would not be long before fans were moaning about the quality on the pitch or lack of and started to stay away.

 

No live TV = larger crowds???

 

No live TV revenue = No Porter, McCormack, Klimpl etc = less quality = lower crowds.

 

In many ways it is a catch 22.

 

What i know is that Sky and ESPN are trying to abuse their monopoly by offering us peanuts.

I read somewhere that the Championship get £88m a year from SKY?? They want us to accept £65m over 5 years <_< . It is a disgrace and as much as I hate the Old Firm I don't blame them for exploring alternatives.

 

I would be boycotting SKY in Scotland - tell them to piss off.

 

The problem is that at least a couple of clubs will go to the wall if this money is not forthcoming otherwise if it were me I would tell them where to go.

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Spot on Welldaft. Football has changed since EVERY game took place at 3pm on a Saturday. I admit not always for the better but it has. Motherwell's very survival depends on things like TV revenue. I hope whatever is put in place is done correctly and sees the 'other ten' benefit too.

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What i know is that Sky and ESPN are trying to abuse their monopoly by offering us peanuts.

I read somewhere that the Championship get £88m a year from SKY?? They want us to accept £65m over 5 years B-) . It is a disgrace and as much as I hate the Old Firm I don't blame them for exploring alternatives.

 

It's not an art grant we are getting from the council. It's not philanthropy. It's a TV deal from television companies that survive on advertising revenue. It's all about the number of eyes on the screen and if you add up the average attendances of the Championship more than 10 million fans go through the turnstiles every season compared with 3.5 million in the SPL.

 

The Championship provides a different level of exposure than the SPL can provide even with Rangers and Celtic included.

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Sky Sports have just announced that SPL clubs have agreed a £65 million deal until the end of 2110/2111 season with a two year option afterwards.

 

 

Fuck me! A 102 year deal. They've definitely done us over there. Death to Sky and ESPN!!!

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This is less money than the clubs want. But like what's been said before - The clubs have a duty to entertain. if the 'Other 10' don't start standing up to the OF for a twelfth of the pie across the board then at some point we'll be screwed completely.

 

I view this as a get out of jail card but also a wake up call.

 

There should be less football on the telly and what there is should be a belter of a match.

 

It shouldn't be a service for non away travelling OF fans.

 

This is a wee bit of breathing space where some serious problems in the game should be sorted out. 1) wealth distribution 2) value for money at the turnstyle

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Also means after the sales of Porter, Clarkson, Quinn and getting Hughes, Smith, and Malcolm off the wage bill (covering the quarter of a mill we spent on the pitch etc.) thinks are looking good for us financially.

 

I'd imagine bums have loosened at Killie, Hamilton, and Falkirk quite a bit though.

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Will be interesting to see how the games are divided - Sky and ESPN will have 30 each. The transmission slots will continue to be Saturday lunchtime, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening.

 

Sky subscribers will presumably get their matches wrapped into their existing packages - ESPN will be an entirely new package (sold by Sky) and will give you access to the English Premiership matches.

 

So if you already have Sky - take your chances that some of our games are shown by them and you won't be out of pocket.........of course if you have neither then you're going to have to shell out quite a bit to get Sky Sports (probably need the full package as you won't know which channel they will show the matches on) and ESPN.

 

Hmmm.

 

Stuart.

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I see the announcement on the BBC has changed. What was a two year deal worth £65m i.e. £32.5m / year (significantly better than the previous deal and even better than the future deal agreed with Setanta) has now become a 5 year £65m deal i.e. £13m / year which is pretty similar to what the SPL previously had. Just the small matter of £19.5m a year different.

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I've got a really bad feeling that they'll just transplant the old setanta programme over to the new channel (minus the big fella of course, who for me was their only decent asset).

 

Booth, Burley, Lovell, McNee, Walker, Rob Mclean etc etc etc.

 

How huuuuuuuge a mistake would transferring those miserable bastards over be?

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I've got a really bad feeling that they'll just transplant the old setanta programme over to the new channel (minus the big fella of course, who for me was their only decent asset).

 

Booth, Burley, Lovell, McNee, Walker, Rob Mclean etc etc etc.

 

How huuuuuuuge a mistake would transferring those miserable bastards over be?

Especially Craig Burley and Scott Booth. A couple of tits.

 

I didn't think a would ever say this................this is real difficult to say but give us Jim White and Champagne Charlie any day of the week.

 

I need to go for a lie down now that I'vesaid that :doh:

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