Fans Lose Out In Football Broadcast Wars

Optus and SBS announced yesterdays partnership with excitement and on face value it looks ok for the average football fan but once you start to dig deeper you realise the biggest loser in the shakeup caused by Foxtel taking their eyes off the ball and losing the Premier League rights is YOU, the viewer.

Most football fans don’t just follow one league, sure you will find the dyed in the wool fan who only watched the Premier league or the A-League; generally speaking football fans are an adaptable bunch and if you put a game of football in front of them they will sit and watch the action.  The globalisation of the game creates simultaneous interest in many leagues and you unwillingly start following multiple leagues peaking different levels of interest. 

You may spend your Friday night watching the A-League but that doesn’t quench your insatiable appetite so you look towards Europe for some weekend football.  Before realising you start watching the MLS in the mornings due to the favourable broadcast time, wake up early midweek to follow the Champions League and even start showing an interest in the Europa league.

A few seasons ago this football habit was able to be contained but now football fans find themselves having to choose between football leagues when considering subscriptions.  The new Optus deal doesn’t make this any easier and will see many hard decisions being made over the off season.  You think some big decisions need to be made about the current direction of Manchester United, try justifying the ridiculous expense the average football fan in Australia has to make.

Personally I cannot justify the continual price increased courtesy of Foxtel and losing the Premier League rights could spell the death knell in May for my household.  This will mean losing the A-League, a completion I am passionate about and want to see succeed.  BEIN Sports are another market player many people consider with their subscription either via Foxtel or streaming service making their predominately football product a very attractive option.

Now throw Optus into the mix with their English coverage via Fetch, an app or streaming the content and you start to see how expensive this football habit can start to be. 

The current coverage from SBS and their one Premier League game a week is merely a tease, and whilst they do a great job for football fans in Australia the free to air coverage simply isn’t enough to fulfil the football fix fans are after.

Whilst the new agreement between Optus and SBS reads well for the average football fan in Australia you start digging a little deeper and football fans that enjoy the smorgasbord of football throughout the globe are the real losers of football being spread thin through many different companies. 

Football fans have many tough decisions to make in the off season, choose wisely and don’t let your passion for football become a financial burden as our game becomes a marketing tool and a grab for market share.  Whilst fans of other sports enjoy the luxury of having to only subscribe to one or two services football will be forced to choose between their favourite leagues, locally and abroad.

Personally I welcome Optus as a new player to football in Australia but don’t like seeing the financial burden it brings to the average fan.

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