When Alex Ferguson mentioned a fortnight ago that he believed that TV companies had got football coverage on the cheap, there weren’t many people who failed to agree with the United boss’ view. They have got it on the cheap pure and simple, but only when you are talking about the bigger clubs.
News broke yesterday morning that Liverpool are thinking of breaking away and securing their own TV rights has brought a mixed response within the media. Liverpool are certainly not doing anything different to what was discussed over 20yrs ago, before the Premier League first struck its deal with Sky. The likes of Tottenham and Manchester United were championing the idea that clubs should be in a position to negotiate their own set fees for games with the TV networks.
In principle it is hard to argue against the reasons behind it, but they were subsequently outvoted in favour of an equal distribution among all clubs. The consequence of that decision proved positive in my eyes and has helped make the Premier League the most marketable and exciting league in Europe. You have to wonder how competitive La Liga would be if a similar structure was in place. Barcelona and Real Madrid highlight the sheer gulf in the Spanish league – a similar scenario to what would happen in England should other clubs look to follow Liverpool’s suit. There is already a gap (largely down to Champions League revenues), but it is one that will grow ever bigger.
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I don’t blame Liverpool for looking to flex their muscles here. It is not them being greedy, but the simple fact that football is an industry where revenues are being swallowed up by transfer fees and high wages, therefore the need for clubs to look at other possible ways to generate income is the high priority. UEFA’s new fair play ruling has ensured that clubs are in no position to compromise and looking after their own affairs is of paramount importance.
While clubs back in the early 90s were happy to ensure some form of equality, the ridiculous rulings of Platini will actually have the opposite effect of its original intention and will actually destabilise the domestic leagues even further – I mean could a club like Wigan or Fulham actually command the type of fees Liverpool or United would get for a LIVE broadcast? The rich will ultimately get richer while the smaller clubs will subsequently get poorer.
The article was written by Matt C for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
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I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said but the point about Spanish league not being considered competitive! How many clubs have won la liga in last 10 years? 3! Prem? 3! Have spurs or Liverpool won the league more than athletico Madrid or villareal? Have arsenal done better than valencia? The only difference between their league and ours is perception. In ours its seen as success to make champions league every year in theirs its only seen as success to win it. Yes they’ve got the two biggest sides in Europe in their league but those two sides have both dropped more points than the manchester clubs have so far this year.