UK Pubs v Premier League Football

[Neo]

In the 19 years since the formation of the Premier League, the value of the competition's television rights has gone from £304m to a staggering £3.2bn.

It is one of the country's most successful exports and whenever Prime Minister David Cameron goes on trade missions abroad, as he did to Russia last month; he often takes chief executive Richard Scudamore with him as an example of a thriving British business.

And yet on Tuesday the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will deliver a ruling which could deal the League and its lucrative TV rights model a major blow.

Unlikely though it might seem, the case all centres on a Portsmouth pub, the Red, White and Blue, and its landlady, Karen Murphy. She was fined back in 2006 for showing her customers live Premier League matches accessed via a Greek service and an illegal decoder.

The Premier League states UK citizens should only be able to watch live matches through Sky and, to a lesser extent, ESPN. For pubs the cost of screening matches is high, making it attractive for them to look for cheaper alternatives.

Mrs Murphy appealed against the decision saying that the European Union's laws on the free movement of trade and services inside the single market meant she should be entitled to buy her live football from any European country she should choose.

In March, a non-binding opinion from the ECJ's advocate general Juliane Kokot seemed to back her argument. Kokot stated that broadcasters cannot stop customers using cheaper foreign satellite TV services.

There is no guarantee that the court will follow that opinion tomorrow. But even senior Premier League sources admit it is unlikely that it will go against it.

So what does this potentially mean to the League and Sky, whose business model is so reliant on live top flight football?

The first thing to say is that tomorrow's decision is unlikely to be clear cut. Although the Kokot advice was interpreted as a potential setback for the League's case, the League argues it was much more complicated than that.

And even if the court delivers a clear judgment, it is only guidance for the UK High Court, which must then decide whether to rubber stamp its findings.

The next point to make is that the impact on the League's rights in Europe is likely to be negligible. Of the £1.4bn it earns from selling its rights abroad, just £130m, less than 10 per cent, comes from Europe.

The big problem is a free for all in the UK market could seriously damage Sky's exclusivity for which it pays £1.8bn over the three years 2010-2013. Why would Sky continue to pay that money - money which underpins clubs' vast spending on players' wages and salaries every year - if foreign broadcasters are given the freedom to undercut them.

In response to such a verdict Sky might feel the need to lower their prices and therefore pay less to the League for its rights. That could have a massive knock-on effect on clubs who are already stretched.

However the League and its principal adviser on TV rights David Kogan have become adept at hurdling obstacles put in their path by regulators.

In the event of a ruling which backs Mrs Murphy's appeal, the League is likely to create one Europe-wide live TV rights package which Sky or another pan-European broadcaster could buy for the same sort of money Sky currently pay, if not more. They could then either show it on the continent themselves or sub licence to foreign TV companies.

The League, which wants to start its latest auction for the 2013-2016 package before the end of the season, is therefore confident that whatever the outcome tomorrow, its business model will continue to thrive.

But the impact on smaller sports could be significant as the markets for their rights will shrink. And the effect on other creative sectors like the film industry, which also sells exclusive content territory by territory, could be devastating.

Looking a bit further ahead the much bigger danger for football, indeed all sports, is the rapid blurring of the lines between distribution and access to live sport.

Rights holders used to be able to sell rights platform by platform - TV, radio, online, mobile and so on. But it's already difficult to tell the difference between a traditional TV and an iPad.

That will only become more blurred in the future and in response it has become necessary for rights holders to develop time sensitive packages with media companies now bidding for live, near live, highlights and archive rights.

For the Premier League and other big rights holders protecting those in the face of illegal streaming of matches from pirate websites is a far bigger threat than the ECJ's ruling tomorrow.


BBC - David Bond: Pubs v Premier League

[Fukwit]

The cost for a father and 2 kids to go to a premiership game is astronomical, hence Sky serves a purpose. I remember when it was 60p in the Stretford End at OT

[Bower]

She is a courageous woman, i hope it gets found in her favour.
Sky's pricing policy will be its own downfall. To charge pubs on their rateable value is ridiculous.

[oxyjohn]

I hope this premiership bubble bursts eventually it fuels the rediculous wages paid to those half wit prima donnas.

[DrAndy]

I hope this premiership bubble bursts eventually it fuels the rediculous wages paid to those half wit prima donnas.

I wonder how those jonny foreigner teams manage to pay their footballers

(which is where all the premiership lot will piss off to)

[DrAndy]

The cost for a father and 2 kids to go to a premiership game is astronomical, hence Sky serves a purpose. I remember when it was 60p in the Stretford End at OT

more like 4/6d, for old bastards like you

[Fukwit]

I thought you would be more concerned about one of your mates being disemboweled in prison rather than the PL

[DrAndy]

poor fukwit, scraping the barrel

before getting into it for his turn

[Fukwit]

before getting into it for his turn

?????????

[DrAndy]

you really are a fuk wit, fukwit

[Fukwit]

Your obsession with me holds no boundaries. Are you gay Mandy?

[Moonraker]

The cost for a father and 2 kids to go to a premiership game is astronomical, hence Sky serves a purpose.

It's largely because of sky that prices are so high in the first place.

[Neo]

Thing that pisses most Brits off is that they can watch PL footy for free if they're abroad, Holland, Spain, whatever but you have to pay a lot of money to watch it at home, it's pure extortion. For pubs too, struggling to keep customers with the costs of drinks going up, the football is a good draw, but the fees are astronomical.

[sabaii sabaii]

Thing that pisses most Brits off is that they can watch PL footy for free if they're abroad, Holland, Spain, whatever but you have to pay a lot of money to watch it at home

It's not free abroad, You still need to buy beer.

The worst is the 3pm Saturday kick offs which can be watched live anywhere bar England.

Although you could stream it in the UK, or get a huge satellite dish that faces Norway

As for prices of season tickets, Wigan and Blackburn were quite reasonable this year, if you like crying

[sabaii sabaii]

Wigan Athletic 2011/2012 Season ticket for 1 adult + 1 child only £270 (for both)


FC Fulham Season Ticket 2011/2012, Adult £379 / £125 Juniors , With FREE Season Ticket for 8 yrs and under.


BWFC season tickets - adult £285, OAP £209, under21 £189, under18 £49


Season Ticket For 2011-2012 - £275 [at] Swansea City FC


Blackburn Rovers Season Ticket 2011/2012 Season in the Premier League [at] Ewood Park for just £225


6,500 Newcastle utd Season tickets For £100 each (Junior) 10th june.


Aston Villa half season ticket plus bonuses from £225


Arsenal vs Bolton Carling Cup - Tickets from £5 - General sale starts 5/10/11


Aston Villa v Bolton - Adult tickets £5

[alwarner]

I think that Karen Murphy has opened a can of worms here.

as i see it:

i) Sky capitulate and dramatically drop prices to help the over charged British punter
ii) Sky put up the prices for other European networks seeking to show UK Soccerball.

hmmmmm

[Anteak]

I think that Karen Murphy has opened a can of worms here.

as i see it:

i) Sky capitulate and dramatically drop prices to help the over charged British punter
ii) Sky put up the prices for other European networks seeking to show UK Soccerball.

hmmmmm

Do Sky own the euro rights? I think they are sold off by the FA to the highest bidder in individual countries.

[alwarner]

I think that Karen Murphy has opened a can of worms here.

as i see it:

i) Sky capitulate and dramatically drop prices to help the over charged British punter
ii) Sky put up the prices for other European networks seeking to show UK Soccerball.

hmmmmm

Do Sky own the euro rights? I think they are sold off by the FA to the highest bidder in individual countries.

I thought Sky owned the rights currently. I hope I'm wrong.

[Anteak]

I of course meant the Premier League (I'm old school and still think of the FA being the main governing body).

SKY or BSkyB and ESPN only own the rights for the UK.

I think they'd like to own the Euro rights and sell it at a higher price then what is currently being paid by the euro broadcasters, they could also then enforce the same rules on other countries that are imposed on themselves. Which would mean that only matches that they themselves show live are shown elsewhere. It would end the traditional 3 pm Saturday matches being shown live anywhere in Europe.

[astasinim]

Premier League games can be shown on foreign decoders





A pub landlady has won the latest stage of her fight to air Premier League games using a foreign TV decoder.
Karen Murphy had to pay nearly £8,000 in fines and costs for using a cheaper Greek decoder in her Portsmouth pub to bypass controls over match screening.
But she took her case to the European Court of Justice.
The ECJ now says national laws which prohibit the import, sale or use of foreign decoder cards are contrary to the freedom to provide services.



BBC News - Premier League games can be shown on foreign decoders

[alwarner]

I of course meant the Premier League (I'm old school and still think of the FA being the main governing body).

SKY or BSkyB and ESPN only own the rights for the UK.

I think they'd like to own the Euro rights and sell it at a higher price then what is currently being paid by the euro broadcasters, they could also then enforce the same rules on other countries that are imposed on themselves. Which would mean that only matches that they themselves show live are shown elsewhere. It would end the traditional 3 pm Saturday matches being shown live anywhere in Europe.

i knew what you meant, mate.

maybe it is really a victory for the common man. I did a few shifts a week in my mates pub a year or so back and they were wanting 700 a month to show sky in the pub.

[Bower]

I dont think us pub owners can celebrate just yet,
I think domestic users will benefit but public broadcasters still have to get past the copyright infringements. The FA/Sky only need to impose enough of their own copyright material into the broadcasts when filmed, then you would need a permission to show in public..............................I think !

[Bettyboo]

^ sky can do better than that... they own NDS who are the smartcard people (ex MOSAD...), they will just fuk up anyone that goes against them by fuking up their smartboxes; they've done it before various times, spectacularly against Canal+ technologies when they cracked their smartcard code and pasted it over the internet (allegedly...).

Sky will just play dirty (again) and they will win (again)...

[Anteak]

I of course meant the Premier League (I'm old school and still think of the FA being the main governing body).

SKY or BSkyB and ESPN only own the rights for the UK.

I think they'd like to own the Euro rights and sell it at a higher price then what is currently being paid by the euro broadcasters, they could also then enforce the same rules on other countries that are imposed on themselves. Which would mean that only matches that they themselves show live are shown elsewhere. It would end the traditional 3 pm Saturday matches being shown live anywhere in Europe.

i knew what you meant, mate.

maybe it is really a victory for the common man. I did a few shifts a week in my mates pub a year or so back and they were wanting 700 a month to show sky in the pub.

I hope he wasn't paying it!? They've already priced out the (ordinary) working man who wanted to take his kids to see a game and then they have the audacity to attempt to stop him from watching it in his local! It really does beggar belief.

At least now the Albanian and Greek TV feeds will be available at the pub I hope.

[Anteak]

I dont think us pub owners can celebrate just yet,
I think domestic users will benefit but public broadcasters still have to get past the copyright infringements. The FA/Sky only need to impose enough of their own copyright material into the broadcasts when filmed, then you would need a permission to show in public..............................I think !

You mean like a watermark on the screen? As far as commentary goes they could choose the foreign commentary and not use the English* audio feed.

*Many would prefer that instead of listening to the clichéd bollox they come out with.