BT land massive Champions League deal, but can they keep fans happy?
As the details of BT’s acquisition of Champions League rights from 2015 filter in, the first thing that strikes me is the huge amount of money involved.
The deal is thought to be worth somewhere in the region of £900m. That is staggering. Football is such a global, money-making behemoth that I shouldn’t be so surprised, but it really is remarkable. It is a big statement of intent from BT after their first foray into football broadcasting this year by showing 38 Premier League and launching brand new shows across three channels.
So, come 2015, it means no more Champions League on ITV or Sky, with BT reaping the rewards in subscriptions, but there are still reservations, for me at least, about their presentation and overall package as a sports broadcaster.
For example, two weeks ago they decided to show the Crystal Palace vs Arsenal game for free; as a sampler, if you will, for prospective buyers. Michael Owen provided the ‘expert’ analysis but he barely said anything of note throughout the whole ninety minutes.
Whenever there was a contentious moment on the pitch, they insisted on having their in-house referee pop up in the bottom left hand corner of the screen to weight in with his verdict on the decision. Why? Why do we need that?
I’m not claiming that Sky’s pundits are a whole lot better but their presentation is so much more slick and stylish, which is a result of being the top sports broadcaster in this country for the past twenty years. BT have much to learn and perhaps by 2015 they will have refined their product to a point where they will be able to match Sky’s standard of presentation.
Do we really care though? I believe that the only decent pundit in this country is Gary Neville, with the other miles behind as they offer little insight. Bearing this in mind, have we become accustomed to substandard punditry that we do not care for it and just tune in for the football game? Regardless of who BT employ, fans will still tune in because they want to watch the games; that is the trump card.
Ultimately, it is a great capture by BT as the landscape of football broadcasting begins to shift.
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