English footie fans demand more live action


Details

Editor

| 22 October 2015





Even with an unprecedented amount of football available on English screens, free or pay-TV, fans are clamouring for more action, says research from cableco Virgin.


The research, carried out among more than 1,000 football fans and commissioned by Virgin Media, reveals that over three-quarters of English football fans (77%) would like more live Premier League games available on TV. Moreover, two-thirds believe the rising cost of Premier League live TV rights means they will pay too much to watch live football. Only 6% of fans say they were able to watch every match they wanted to on TV at home.

The Virgin research also showed that some 70% of football fans think it is unfair that they have to buy bundles or add-ons from the cable firm's rivals Sky and BT to watch the games they want to see. Nearly three-quarters said they would watch more games if they were available on TV.

Commenting on the research, Tom Mockridge, CEO of Virgin Media, said: "Football fans are getting a raw deal. They pay the highest prices in Europe to watch top-flight football on TV yet are denied some of the best matches. [UK regulator] Ofcom should show the red card to the Premier League and the way in which TV rights are sold in the UK. It's time Ofcom decides whether an auction structure based on now expired commitments agreed in 2006 justifies a self-determined exemption from competition law. The results surely speak for themselves, over the same period the cost of live TV rights have rocketed by nearly 200%."