The Shortcomings of inflexible TV Scheduling

LuckyLloyd

Right now I'm watching a procession as Southampton stroll to promotion against Coventry. I can flick over to Sky and watch the West Ham game which has been rendered meaningless by Coventry's capitulation.

Meanwhile Cardiff are behind in London and Boro are drawing 0 - 0 away to Watford, meaning that the issue of the last playoff place hangs in the balance. Will either BBC or Sky switch to these crucial games? No.

Later on, Setanta are going to show Stoke against Arsenal, while West Brom vs Villa; Wigan vs Newcastle and Sunderland vs Bolton are on. And ESPN have the prime time evening spot booked up with the utterly irrelevant mid table stroll between Liverpool and Norwich.

First off, let me cut the "but real fans go watch football live" people off at the pass. Yes, I understand that view but, nonetheless, top level football is a product consumed on television. And as far as that goes, the way the deals are cut and scheduling organised every season is nothing other than shoddy. At the business end of the season, the broadcasters should be ordered to show crucial games only.

Does this grind anyone else's gears?

Paul Tergat

Yeah for Championship matches im guessing that a lot of fans who will be watching these matches would be happy to watch any of the games with meaning so that should switch for sure, or at least have some red button option to switch ourselves.

For the Arsenal example, I reckon that even though the other matches you mentioned have something on them the viewership would still be higher by showing one of the big 4 teams.

Ill be watching the newcastle wigan match

Oat23

Lower wages would mean the ticket prices would be lower.

Which would mean more people would show up.

Which means they could show all the games live on TV.

It works in Germany, France, Greece..to name three.

EPL should be at a different time, not 3pm when there is 40+ games on in the Football League.

Hank Scorpio

Good point, luckily for us we have sites like LOF!

Phoenix Park

Oatesy23 wrote: »

Lower wages would mean the ticket prices would be lower.

Which would mean more people would show up.

Which means they could show all the games live on TV.

It works in Germany, France, Greece..to name three.

EPL should be at a different time, not 3pm when there is 40+ games on in the Football League.

I agree having Premier League games at other times would free up those in England to go out and support their local League 1/2 team. However, its handy for people travelling far to games if they are at 3pm, generally you can do the trip same day, but that gets harder the later the game is on, incresing costs if you are staying over and so on.

I'd love matches on a Friday night, say 8pm, would be great for heading to the pub for a few beers without having to worry about a hangover in work the next day, but so many issues..travel for fans afterwards, time off work to journey to away games in the afternoon...policing boozed up supporters etc.

Remember a few years ago when Arsenal v Newcastle was a Friday night game on Sky, didn't it end up in the infamous roasting saga..?. :pac:

mike65

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

First off, let me cut the "but real fans go watch football live" people off at the pass. Yes, I understand that view but, nonetheless, top level football is a product consumed on television. And as far as that goes, the way the deals are cut and scheduling organised every season is nothing other than shoddy. At the business end of the season, the broadcasters should be ordered to show crucial games only.

Does this grind anyone else's gears?

You do know who holds the whip hand I take it? TV orders the game not the other way round. More people will watch Norwich City v Liverpool at teatime than Wigan v Newcastle or Brom v Villa.

LuckyLloyd

mike65 wrote: »

You do know who holds the whip hand I take it? TV orders the game not the other way round. More people will watch Norwich City v Liverpool at teatime than Wigan v Newcastle or Brom v Villa.

The Premiership is still selling the product and it is their brand to protect and grow. Liverpool vs Norwich can't be better for the expansion of their market than a pacey and hotly contested tie between Wigan and Newcastle.

Essentially, the EPL should insist that after March 31 every year scheduling can be amended to highlight games at the business end of the table.

pickarooney

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Right now I'm watching a procession as Southampton stroll to promotion against Coventry.

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

a pacey and hotly contested tie between Wigan and Newcastle

Talk about a result biting your argument in the ass :pac:

Regardless, a very good point.

CiaranC

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

At the business end of the season, the broadcasters should be ordered to show crucial games only.

Ordered? Its the TV companies who call the shots in modern football in case you hadnt noticed. Hardly surprising considering the amount of cash they pump into the top level clubs. The only scheduling concern is for the networks to maximise advertising revenue returns.

ArmaniJeanss

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Right now I'm watching a procession as Southampton stroll to promotion against Coventry. I can flick over to Sky and watch the West Ham game which has been rendered meaningless by Coventry's capitulation.

Meanwhile Cardiff are behind in London and Boro are drawing 0 - 0 away to Watford, meaning that the issue of the last playoff place hangs in the balance. Will either BBC or Sky switch to these crucial games? No.

Later on, Setanta are going to show Stoke against Arsenal, while West Brom vs Villa; Wigan vs Newcastle and Sunderland vs Bolton are on. And ESPN have the prime time evening spot booked up with the utterly irrelevant mid table stroll between Liverpool and Norwich.

Can't really blame the TV companies here (except Setanta who had the choice of 3PM games and picked ludicrously).
BBC/SKY don't have it in their contract with the Football League that they can switch game, they have to pick a game and stick with it. When it becomes clear after 30 minutes at St Marys that their choice is wrong there's nothing they can do. I'm sure they'd have loved to change. (Perhaps some foresight to make a different contract is in order)

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

And as far as that goes, the way the deals are cut and scheduling organised every season is nothing other than shoddy. At the business end of the season, the broadcasters should be ordered to show crucial games only.

mike65 wrote: »

You do know who holds the whip hand I take it? TV orders the game not the other way round. More people will watch Norwich City v Liverpool at teatime than Wigan v Newcastle or Brom v Villa.

CiaranC wrote: »

Ordered? Its the TV companies who call the shots in modern football in case you hadnt noticed. Hardly surprising considering the amount of cash they pump into the top level clubs. The only scheduling concern is for the networks to maximise advertising revenue returns.

Again the TV companies largely get a pass here. People overestimate their power with all this 'the TV companies call the shots, the TV companies hold the whip hand' stuff. They don't really.
Look at Spain, the TV companies get to decide the following weekends TV games and kickoff times on the previous Monday. Thats proper power.

Whereas in England they have to give some ludicrous notice (4 weeks I think) of which games they are choosing to televise. West Brom v Villa didn't look too sexy 4 weeks ago - Villa were comfortably mid table then. Wigan v Newcastle? Nah, Wigan looked likely to be relegated by now.
And even if ESPN had picked WBA/AV they probably wouldn't be allowed show in their 5.30 slot - I'd put it about 1/50 that West Midlands Police would veto this ko time for security reasons.

So the TV companies are very hands tied by external rules (a lot of which stem from The Taylor Report)

Paully D

Teams have to be shown at least a certain amount of times each season as part of the TV deal, on Sky anyway.