Broadcasting Rights for All?

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The Premier League invited individual broadcasters, recently, to submit their bids for winning the exclusive rights to Premiership football. Although there is a financial crisis everywhere and the UK is now going through a second recession, it is a fact that Premiership football remains extremely popular with finances that cannot be ignored. Evidence demonstrates that the current three-year deal cost BSkyB £1.78 billion in 2010!

In terms of the Premier League rights in the UK, individual bidders will now submit their bids for the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 seasons. As things stand, individual bidders could submit bids for the seven different packages currently on offer [154 games], although no single bidder could win more than five packages [116 games]. The 15:00 prohibition on live matches every Saturday afternoon will remain [such prohibition relates to UEFA rules who have as an aim to protect lower leagues whose games also start at 15:00 every Saturday afternoon].

The question remains whether such rights would remain to broadcasters that require subscription for their services. Given that there is a collective bargaining process in place by the Premier League [who negotiates on behalf of Premiership clubs with individual broadcasters], it is highly likely that the same bidders, with the addition of, perhaps, Al Jazeera TV, could enter the bidding process. Regardless of the winners of the bidding process, the fact remains that Premiership football will cost money for those viewers who desire to watch it. 

Unless, of course, free-to-air broadcasters decide, in the last minute, to enter the bidding process and attempt to acquire Premiership football TV rights. My personal view is that such development is highly unlikely to arise, given the BBC's insistence on securing only the Match of the Day programme. BBC's attitude has always been: 'There is no point in purchasing rights for a few games only, when we could purchase the rights for the best of all games with a considerably lower price.' 

The BBC obviously has other programmes to protect and many other viewers to satisfy, given the diversity of its audience. This limitation regarding the BBC's attitude, however, may be somewhat subjective. I may like William Garrow or Eastenders, but the acquisition of Premier League rights would increase the BBC's popularity and its revenue, as such rights would then have to be sold to bidders abroad, generating, therefore, further revenue.

My personal view remains that a concerted effort of all free-to-air broadcasters may secure the acquisition of this important element of sport for society. In particular, it would be an extremely pleasant and popular marketing idea, if the BBC attempted to acquire the rights of the SPL and give football back to those who pay the TV license fee. The time is right for such acquisition and without a doubt, Scottish football has the need to enter as many households as possible. The local economy needs such development and those with a deprived background would benefit immensely with the availability of free football. 

I do hope that some important people will read these lines....

Dr. Gregory Ioannidis

7 May 2012

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