http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30097673

Could Virgin spark a bit of change?

I have always felt the blackout of 3pm games is a bit ridiculous and a dinosaur ruling that has no real place in today's game. The ridiculous fear that gates will all lower I don't feel is accurate, it doesn't stop people going when the games are on TV as it is. Other leagues give more exposure on saturdays, the premier league should also.

If every single game was available on TV networks of course it would have a negative effect as people could save a ton of money staying at home. However, if they rotated one or two 3pm games a week between each teams in the league in a fair way it would not only generate more money for the league but also more for the teams at the bottom of the table.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30097673

Could Virgin spark a bit of change?

I have always felt the blackout of 3pm games is a bit ridiculous and a dinosaur ruling that has no real place in today's game. The ridiculous fear that gates will all lower I don't feel is accurate, it doesn't stop people going when the games are on TV as it is. Other leagues give more exposure on saturdays, the premier league should also.

If every single game was available on TV networks of course it would have a negative effect as people could save a ton of money staying at home. However, if they rotated one or two 3pm games a week between each teams in the league in a fair way it would not only generate more money for the league but also more for the teams at the bottom of the table.

 

The argument has always been the lower league and non-league clubs who it will affect.

 

Say someone might regularly go to AFC Wimbledon or Sutton Utd but they start showing PL games at 3.00pm on a Saturday, they may well not bother attending. Can't see that changing to be honest.

I think it would definitely affect the gates of lower league matches. Many people wouldn't go to their local team to watch the big Prem game on TV.

Possibly could hurt some of the lower league teams, but if you support the team you want to see them play anyway.

I cant see the 3pm ruling lasting too much longer. With the amount of streaming available now for any game almost makes the ruling meaningless.

As time goes on, the younger are more tech savvy, more people than ever are streaming, better quality streams all the time, the rule is basically redundant as it is.

Edited November 18, 201411 yr by Zola

Possibly could hurt some of the lower league teams, but if you support the team you want to see them play anyway.

I cant see the 3pm ruling lasting too much longer. With the amount of streaming available now for any game almost makes the ruling meaningless.

As time goes on, the younger are more tech savvy, more people than ever are streaming, better quality streams all the time, the rule is basically redundant as it is.

Its the english f.a!. They have to be seen, to be doing nothing. (ostrich syndrome)

A guitar tutor I know was horrified with some of his teaching DVD's went up on youtube. He thought he was being diddled out of sales...... It is no way near the scale but he has never had so much demand or made so much money when he emraced the technology. Now he posts most of his DVD's on youtube as they are made and the demand keeps going up.

 

I think the same can be applied to football and TV if packaged correctly. Both lower and premier league

I'm not sure if the FA is aware of this, but there are these things called DVRs. People have them these days. If they wanted, they are just as capable of videoing a match on TV and going to another. This isn't the Stone Age.

I'm not sure if the FA is aware of this, but there are these things called DVRs. People have them these days. If they wanted, they are just as capable of videoing a match on TV and going to another. This isn't the Stone Age.

 

People want to watch the match live though.

Fans wouldn't stop attending matches, it would be great to watch a live game and release Sky's stranglehold, but there is still the desire to travel, to be in the stands, be part of the atmosphere. Also, if lower league clubs were televised and it could be seen how good, how entertaining they are, and some are, that would encourage people to watch them at a ground.

Recent news suggested fans could become club shareholders and so there may be a push for change from them.

Surely, people that want to stay at home and watch games will be able to stream them?  Out here they show a major game live on TV,and then you can sign up for their online servie (no additional charge) and see your team on line.

So, given that there is global access to all the 3pm games anyway, I don't see why Sky or whomever aren't cashing in on showing them 

I don't see how it hurts lower teams to be honest. If you support any of those teams then you are always going to watch them over watching a Premier League match on tv.

Fans wouldn't stop attending matches, it would be great to watch a live game and release Sky's stranglehold, but there is still the desire to travel, to be in the stands, be part of the atmosphere. Also, if lower league clubs were televised and it could be seen how good, how entertaining they are, and some are, that would encourage people to watch them at a ground.

Recent news suggested fans could become club shareholders and so there may be a push for change from them.

I know at least one Chelsea fan who refuses to attend televised matches because he's just as happy to watch it down the pub, so there will be some fans who stop attending matches. Whether or not it's a significant amount I have no idea.

My opinion on the 3pm thing is that it is a sign of an FA who are out of touch and behind the times. It's so easy for people to get access to illegal online streaming they're shooting themselves in the foot by not cashing in and allowing people to watch the matches live legally. If they do go ahead and televise 3pm matches then ideally I'd like to see some of the money raised go to support the lower divisions (most PL clubs are wealthy enough already), but I doubt that would happen in reality.

The thing is I know plenty of people who would pay extra to watch games at 3pm, like the NFL does with their season ticket thing. I think I'm right in saying that they only screen games if they're a sell-out too which is something that could definitely work for us. It is quite frankly absurd to think that Chelsea supporters who can't get tickets for a 3pm Saturday game have to have updates either by text, radio or relayed via Phil Thompson's annoying face.

 

As for the argument about lower league football suffering, my response is thus - f**k'em. You're in the entertainment business and if you can't get people through the door then change the product. If that doesn't work then can we stop all this nonsense of saving football clubs who go into administration or further please. It might sound heartless and I might be ignorant of the vast wonders of our unique pyramid system (which I really only give f**ks about during the 3rd, 4th and 5th FA Cup rounds) but 92 football league clubs has always struck me as a strangely high number to have compared to other leagues around the world.

 

Fact is that there's clearly a demand for football and not supplying access to it at the peak time is utterly, unfathomably ridiculous and negligent to the point of being corrupt.