INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
cancellations affecting all but a smattering of non-league football matches in the UK, the major broadcasters have dug deep into their
archives for re-runs and nostalgic filler that's normally reserved for daytime TV.This is, of course, perfectly understandable
As recently as Wednesday 11 March, BT Sport had a packed schedule of Champions League football, including the live broadcast of a match in
Liverpool where it was considered perfectly safe for over 50,000 people from around the country and abroad to be packed tightly into a
football stadium.The coronavirus cancellations then came with unparalleled speed and, of course, there are considerably more important
things than football to worry about
And yet, one of those things for the millions of BT Sport and Sky subscribers who now face work uncertainty or higher household costs is
Here's why, from a football fan's perspective, the prospect of continuing to pay that hefty monthly premium just doesn't add up(Image
and current Arsenal head coach had tested positive for Covid-19.Without football, TV subscriptions would be a fraction of what they cost
Spaniard on the infected list the next morning, the decision was taken to suspend the entire Premier League (and all other professional
matches) until at least the 3rd of April
Many fixtures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also been called off.Normally it takes a lot to prevent a top-flight game going
numbers and for any real length of time
(Image credit: Apple)Expensive tumbleweedOf course, the game is very different now to what it was back then
Today, TV calls the shots, moving five Premier League games per typical matchday weekend to fill up its schedules: usually two on Saturday,
post-match analysis and it makes up a significant proportion of the programming, not to mention the hours and hours of games from the EFL,
League Years where games featuring Aston Villa, Chelsea, Wolves and West Ham should be
fraction of what they cost now
While BT Sport shows fewer Premier League games than Sky, the suspension of the Champions League and Europa League will eat into its
at speed to ensure we continue to deliver for all of our customers
The situation is evolving rapidly and we are working with the leagues to continue to broadcast live sport wherever possible and broadcast
monthly pass can simply cancel, or perhaps just make the timely switch to a Now TV entertainment pass
either.While the armchair fan is hardly the most put-upon of football supporters, a 2019 study by eToro found that the average match-going
fan spends 40% more on TV subscriptions now than they did five years ago
Considering the TV companies often seem unmoved by inconveniencing supporters and costing them unnecessary expense with awkward kick-offs,
