Championship Threatening a Breakaway

[ZAKKY]

The Times has seen documents sent by 15 clubs to Debbie Jevans, the EFL interim chairwoman, last week in which they warn of “drastic action” if their demands to reject the proposed Sky deal and return to the market are not met.

A majority of the Championship’s 24 clubs have written to the EFL threatening to form a breakaway league if the board signs a £590 million television deal with Sky Sports for the 2019-2024 seasons.

 

[Made in Wigan]

I'm guessing we're not one of the 15.

Part of the reason for this is the red button coverage which is (inevitably) having an impact on attendances. It needs scrapping as it gives folks too much of an excuse not to go. Scrap local radio coverage as well.

I understand the clubs want the a Championship sold as a seperate package given the value in it - widening the financial gap further down the pyramid, though understand from a pure commercial point of view. I'm not sure what the efl will do as despite protestations and threats of drastic action the 15 clubs can't just resign from the league.

 

[C_Latic]

The EFL are a shambles. The new deal they’ve agreed from next season is embarrassing, 119 million per season is a paltry amount which does a complete disservice to all clubs in the Championship which is one of the most watched leagues in the world and the third most attended league in the world. Yet our TV income is miles behind the Premier League (despite being full of clubs far smaller than many in the Championship). We should be getting triple that figure if not more. Whoever agreed that deal deserves firing, Sky must be laughing their nuts off at the deal they’ve got. Then you’ve got the red button which is killing home attendances and costing us and other clubs even more money.

We won’t be part of the 15, we may be getting hurt financially by the red button but we’ll be more than happy that we’re receiving the exact same amount of TV money as the likes of Leeds and Villa despite them being on TV far more. I can understand clubs like Leeds being pissed off at how little they are recieving. This breakaway idea has their owner’s mits all over it especially with him being the owner of Eleven Sports.

A PL 2 is coming, it’s only a matter of time, the gap between the Prem and Champ from a financial side is simply too big and something’s got to give. The likes of Leeds and Villa won’t sit back and watch the likes of Bournemouth and Huddersfield earn 100 times the TV money they do despite being on TV more often.

 

[Jonnysking]

I'm guessing we're not one of the 15.

I would guess the 15 would be,

West Brom
Villa
Sheff Utd
Leeds
Sheff Weds
Norwich
Birmingham
Bristol C
Ipswich
Middlesboro
Swansea
Derby
QPR
Stoke
Forest


and the 9 abstainers,

Wigan Ath
Preston
Bollton
Brentford
Hull
Rotherham
Reading
Millwall
Blackburn

 

[jeffs right]

How many of the top group have won anything of note lately? Knobs.

 

[Jonnysking]

How many of the top group have won anything of note lately? Knobs.

There are some big names there, but only one has won a major trophy lately................ US

 

[Mighty Bongsmon]

The EFL are a shambles. The new deal they’ve agreed from next season is embarrassing, 119 million per season is a paltry amount which does a complete disservice to all clubs in the Championship which is one of the most watched leagues in the world and the third most attended league in the world. Yet our TV income is miles behind the Premier League (despite being full of clubs far smaller than many in the Championship). We should be getting triple that figure if not more. Whoever agreed that deal deserves firing, Sky must be laughing their nuts off at the deal they’ve got. Then you’ve got the red button which is killing home attendances and costing us and other clubs even more money.

I agree with your view on the red button deal even though it’s great for someone like me who live 230 odd miles from Wigan.
Not so sure on the other point though that the deal should be much more. It may be a well watched league amongst the clubs supporters themselves but the interest doesn’t spread much beyond that - you might remember the farcical satellite/cable TV deal that the Football League agreed years ago when the new firm paid a fortune for the Football League rights.
The viewing figures just weren’t there, the company folded, the clubs never got their money Andy some nearly folded
I’m not sure they’ll get a massive amount more elsewhere

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

Ach just have a pl 1,2,3 n 4

 

[TRUE BELIEVER]

I'm guessing we're not one of the 15.

Part of the reason for this is the red button coverage which is (inevitably) having an impact on attendances. It needs scrapping as it gives folks too much of an excuse not to go. Scrap local radio coverage as well.

I understand the clubs want the a Championship sold as a seperate package given the value in it - widening the financial gap further down the pyramid, though understand from a pure commercial point of view. I'm not sure what the efl will do as despite protestations and threats of drastic action the 15 clubs can't just resign from the league.

You make some very valid points MiW and I wholeheartedly agree. The problem as I see it is that gate income is becoming increasingly less important and TV income the life blood of clubs. Unfortunately the success of the premier league has been a blow to the EFL and has seriously affected the way clubs like ours operate.

I can see a time coming when crowds will fall away, all games will be televised and clubs will be paid for the number of people watching on TV and teams will be playing in empty stadiums. A doomsday scenario I agree, but one which could happen. :eek!::eek!::eek!:

 

[Made in Wigan]

You make some very valid points MiW and I wholeheartedly agree. The problem as I see it is that gate income is becoming increasingly less important and TV income the life blood of clubs. Unfortunately the success of the premier league has been a blow to the EFL and has seriously affected the way clubs like ours operate.

I can see a time coming when crowds will fall away, all games will be televised and clubs will be paid for the number of people watching on TV and teams will be playing in empty stadiums. A doomsday scenario I agree, but one which could happen. :eek!::eek!::eek!:

Sky are already paving the way for empty stadiums by using artificial crowd noise on their broadcasts. It failed badly last Friday at the Sheffield derby by using it during the minutes silence. Highly disrespectful too. The Croatia England game last month gave a glimpse into this empty stadium scenario and it wasn't appealing.

 

[TRUE BELIEVER]

Its a sad indictment of the effect money has on sport. It also highlights the reasons that Club Directors do not have much respect for the opinions of the average paying fan as we will soon become obsolete.

 

[1ColdBovril]

https://www.otbfootball.net/sky-hig...tent-mix-that-is-damaging-our-beautiful-game/

This says it all for the match going fan and how little we matter to clubs now. Won't be surprised when the PL2/Champ breakaway happens TV revenue and is king over gates now. Don't understand how they can try to settle for declining attendences, surely it looks bad on TV and makes them question how good the product is? I mean you want the grounds to look full on the tv to reinforce the armchair fans perception of the league and continue paying their subscription fee right? so why aren't clubs doing more to fill the grounds?
£35 for Bolton away, but £25 at home to Derby is a bargain. The extra tenner on prices is a stretch for me, and there's not really extra value for money

 

[C_Latic]

https://www.otbfootball.net/sky-hig...tent-mix-that-is-damaging-our-beautiful-game/

This says it all for the match going fan and how little we matter to clubs now. Won't be surprised when the PL2/Champ breakaway happens TV revenue and is king over gates now. Don't understand how they can try to settle for declining attendences, surely it looks bad on TV and makes them question how good the product is? I mean you want the grounds to look full on the tv to reinforce the armchair fans perception of the league and continue paying their subscription fee right? so why aren't clubs doing more to fill the grounds?
£35 for Bolton away, but £25 at home to Derby is a bargain. The extra tenner on prices is a stretch for me, and there's not really extra value for money

Most clubs do fill the ground. No one cares about clubs like ourselves and Bolton. If clubs like Leeds all of sudden stopped attending then it would be a different story. But they sell out every week no matter what the price and they are on TV most weeks so people always see full stadiums.

I don’t know where you’ve been over the last few years if you’ve only just realised now that match going fans are at the bottom of the totem pole. Unless we’re willing to part with 7 figures a year like Sky do then we’ll remain there. TV and player sales are what keeps a football club going in the top two tiers, not attendances and that’s all that matters to them.

 

[jeffs right]

https://www.otbfootball.net/sky-hig...tent-mix-that-is-damaging-our-beautiful-game/

This says it all for the match going fan and how little we matter to clubs now. Won't be surprised when the PL2/Champ breakaway happens TV revenue and is king over gates now. Don't understand how they can try to settle for declining attendences, surely it looks bad on TV and makes them question how good the product is? I mean you want the grounds to look full on the tv to reinforce the armchair fans perception of the league and continue paying their subscription fee right? so why aren't clubs doing more to fill the grounds?
£35 for Bolton away, but £25 at home to Derby is a bargain. The extra tenner on prices is a stretch for me, and there's not really extra value for money

£25-00 is hardly a bargain but is compared with the price at The Pigs Feets stye. I will pay the £25-00 but that's my tops.
Latics do the best to get people in with bargain basement season cards but who knows what will happen with this new lot running us. Up the cost of cards and up goes the amount of plastic on show.
That's a worrying thing now with overseas owners they will not have a clue about local demographics.
Try

 

[Kenny Morris]

£25-00 is hardly a bargain but is compared with the price at The Pigs Feets stye. I will pay the £25-00 but that's my tops.
Latics do the best to get people in with bargain basement season cards but who knows what will happen with this new lot running us. Up the cost of cards and up goes the amount of plastic on show.
That's a worrying thing now with overseas owners they will not have a clue about local demographics.
Try

That's why they have appointed Darren and Joe Royle and also kept JJ and others in place, because they do understand the game and the local demographics

 

[jeffs right]

JJ will understand about the special circumstances of our club but the Royles?? Maybe. We will have to see what strategy they try (or don't try) to get bums on seats.

 

[king_dezeeuw06]

The reason football is like it is now is simple supply and demand - not just for the few thousand locals who attend each game but the national and global tv audience for league football.

You can't really fight it without cutting off your nose to spite your face as like others have said; tv revenue is the lifeblood of a succesful club. Without it you are going to struggle to avoid making a significant annual loss as the cost of competing spirals up.

I think the future of attending live football is that it will always be considered second fiddle to tv requirements by clubs due to the financial realities. I suspect eventually all games will be televised and subscrition services will make teams more than season tickets. It wont be what a lot of people will want to hear but i think it's the most likely reality.

Personally i dont think anything will ever replace live football as an experience but no doubt it will see some people just watch from home - how many current season ticket holders would drop off is hard to predict. I suspect most who go every Saturday now will still go no matter what .

 

[Jonnysking]

There are billions being ploughed into football, and as that report the other week displayed, many teams can now survive without anyone actually paying to attend.
If this is the case, why are fans still being charged ridiculous amounts of money to watch their team.
The stadiums might look a little bit fuller for the TV cameras if they charged less to get in the grounds, especially the ones that turn a profit without gate receipts.

 

[Made in Wigan]

Atmosphere is a big part of the TV spectacle/experience, as it is attending live games. Kill that you kill a lot of the sports appeal.

 

[The Fear]

Spoke with the new Villa CEO last week and he said it wasn't on the table at all re a breakaway league. Said just tough negotiations for the right package for clubs in the championship ongoing.

Confident he wouldn't have said that (he wasn't pressed) if not true.