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Don't Sky show the 3pm games on International weekends already? If so I wonder if local sides see a drop in their gates on those weekends

 

In a weirdly good bit of timing, The Athletic have just put out an article on Football Streaming, Piracy and the 3pm blackout.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6742752/2025/11/09/illegal-streaming-poll-results/

 

It's a response article to an Athletic poll and survey from a few months ago, it had over 200,000 responses. Athletic worked with YouGov to collect all the data along with Crimestoppers for info on piracy bits but the main parts on the blackout are below....

1) 57% of people polled would like it scrapped. The majority vote is up five per cent from 2023. With 26% in support of the blackout remaining.

2) 18% of fans say they are more likely to attend games in person because of the blackout. That figure rises to 42% of the polled who are regular match-going fans.

3) 77% of polled fans would be interested in watching Saturday 3pm games on TV, with 83% of match-going polled fans in agreement with an interest in seeing 3pm kick-offs on TV.

 

I don’t mind whether they release the 3pm kick off or not. In my view the pirates exist due to the extortionate prices fans are asked to pay for Sky. Plus now other TV viewing companies are chipping in with their exclusive matches. This is also on top of your season ticket.

If all of them came up with a decent price that opens it up to everyone then piracy wouldn’t exist. A TV season ticket for instance. Exclusivity would only exist in as much as they can share it out between them for certain matches.

It is no good moaning about pirates when your product is far too expensive. Broaden it out and you would make more money.

 

So shoplifting as food prices have increased in price is ok?
If it were £5 a game the folk who currently steal the streams would still be doing it.

 

Maybe that is correct, but the majority of ppl don’t shop lift. The difference is competition Sky don’t have any. They negotiate their exclusivity and conditions and keep out all other streamers.

The only reason we have any choice whatsoever is due to stipulations by the powers that be insisting that “the others” can have the crumbs.

Now they moan about pirates! Some of us have longer memories than that! I remember that we used to get live football on BBC and ITV. It was then taken away from them without consulting the consumers.

Of course we could stop paying for our season ticket and stay at home and pay Sky’s exorbitant prices. I happen to think that your football club is part of our community.

 

I'm also old enough to remember live football on BBC and ITV and before that the Cup Final and home internationals only.
True the majority of ppl don’t shop lift, but some do, in the same way that not everyone who watches sky, prime, tnt etc steals the stream. Sky have competitors, but maybe they pay more for the product? Of course they moan about theft as would anyone.

 

I always find Now tv to be pretty reasonably priced to be fair.

 

I agree I think the chickens are finally coming home to roost.

Skys prices particularly for sport aren't much more than they were a few years ago, it's the fact they have broken up a lot of their products which makes sky an expensive offering.

TNT offers worse value for money for what they get, far worse than sky actually.

Having competition and competition laws should theoretically have made watching sport cheaper however it's a fact now that there are too many blackbirds each with their own share of the pie now and to have access to all those pieces costs a hell of a lot

 

Football should be free to watch on BBC, itv, skys greed will be the end of football soon.

 

We've been saying that for 30+ years and it hasn't happened yet and I don't see viewing habits both in UK and abroad changing anytime soon.

 

All goes to Sky's coffers though as it is owned by Sky!!!

• Owned by Sky:
  NOW is a product of Sky Group, and both companies are owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast.

Now (streaming service) - Wikipedia

 

Competition eh.....sounds like Thatcher and the Utility Companies and look where they are now.....

 

Sky are in talks to buy ITV aren't they? Cant see free football coming back in today's day and age, if anything it will go the other way.

If the blackout ever ends, offering an "everything under one roof" type package and basically become the Netflix of football will be the next big TV move. Once they allow all games to be shown, prices will be unreal but being able to show them all on your streaming app (as thats the way TV is going) will be the biggest thing possible.

 

I go watch Emley a few times a season, mostly night matches, talking of switching games they have recently switched their game at home to Avenue from Sat 20th Dec to the night before, makes sense financially as that last Saturday before Xmas is when there are a lot of low attendance’s. Was looking forward to seeing my late granddads team (avenue) playing just up the road from me but I can’t go due to a party. I won’t be going to Orient so I’ll be at the mercy of Mrs Lepton that Saturday, fookin nightmare!!

Wonder if Brighouse have a game that day?