Television
Television has many effects on the game and influences many decisions that are being made in football, which makes television one of the biggest influences. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) now covers at least 20 hours of sport a week. Channels such as MUTV, LiverpoolTV and ArsenalTV have been specifically created so that you can get 24 hour news about your team. This is only done for the most popular and successful teams in the premier league because these are the teams that fans and football lovers will be interested in. TV coverage of sport in general is split up into two categories which are ‘A events’ and ‘B events’. A events is the live coverage of the sport whereas B events are the secondary coverage. The A events are a lot more popular as they have the rights to cover the Olympic games, World cups and FA cup finals. All of these key matches, e.g. the FA cup final is a big game which will produce a lot of revenue, therefore helping the TV Company to expand and progress. B events include the earlier rounds of the FA cup and in general it is the less important events. This shows in the lack of income and success the B events & companies have. The ITC (Independent Television Commission) have to make sure that not all of the events go to one company and therefore the company itself organises the allocation of sporting broadcasts. This is seen as being fair across all broadcasting companies so that the wealthier satellite companies cannot buy all of the events available.
By allocating certain events to certain television companies means that everyone gets their fair share of viewing. This still means that companies who pay extra for the bigger games will most probably get them, mainly because they are willing to pay the extra money, but it also means that they cannot out-buy everybody and get all of the games throughout the season. So, in that sense, there is an understanding. The coverage rights have also meant that alot of people have been unable to watch their team in action, mainly because the rights to that certain game has been brought by Sky. Sky Sports is a service that is part of Sky TV and it costs alot of money per month to have access to the sports channels. This means that people who do not have access to Sky will not be able to watch the game themselves at home. If the games were brought by the BBC or ITV of course then they would be able to watch it as everyone with a television, whether you have Sky or not have access to channels such as ITV.
By allocating certain events to certain television companies means that everyone gets their fair share of viewing. This still means that companies who pay extra for the bigger games will most probably get them, mainly because they are willing to pay the extra money, but it also means that they cannot out-buy everybody and get all of the games throughout the season. So, in that sense, there is an understanding. The coverage rights have also meant that alot of people have been unable to watch their team in action, mainly because the rights to that certain game has been brought by Sky. Sky Sports is a service that is part of Sky TV and it costs alot of money per month to have access to the sports channels. This means that people who do not have access to Sky will not be able to watch the game themselves at home. If the games were brought by the BBC or ITV of course then they would be able to watch it as everyone with a television, whether you have Sky or not have access to channels such as ITV.
This table shows the three most significant phases in the live coverage of football and what it has been through. Firstly, the two terrestrial companies operated by forming cartel and acting as a sole purchaser of televised football rights. The sheer power of this was demonstrated when the Football League attempted to change the terms of the season 1985-86 which then resulted in the two television companies withdrawing from the coverage until the New Year. The second phase came in 1988. The arrival of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) resulted in the decline of the BBC and ITV. This was due to the top English clubs threatening to accept a much better deal with BSB. ITV consequently secured a four year deal with increased fees. The last phase occurred in 1992 where the FA and the BSkyB satellite sports channel completed a contract that brought them the exclusive rights for live matches, which included the newly established FA premier league. This meant that people who paid for Sky Sports were able to watch the new live games, including the FA premier league games. The problem of BskyB arriving was that most people did not want to pay money for Sky, and the same problem is present today. Most people are happy with freeview boxes, as they cannot afford to pay the extra £30 a month to get sky, as they feel it is either too expensive or you do not get enough for the cost.
In 1901 the maximum wage of a footballer was £4 and it shows you that when there was no television input or involvement in football then the money that was being spent on anything from the players kits to their wages was very low. This is because no attention was made to these minor things. The maximum wage was then abolished in the 1950’s and this is the same year that Sport as a whole was branded as entertainment. In doing so it meant that there were more spectators which meant that there was a higher income for clubs getting money from the tickets.
The access to televisions began out being difficult as they were seen to be expensive, but it is now in 99% of all households and this means that so long as you have a TV license then you will have acce4ss to BBC or ITV where most games are broadcasted. This results in anyone being able to access and watch live games from the comfort of their own home. This helps people to save money and watch the games at home instead of spending money for tickets every week. Another point to make is that when you are at home you are alot more relaxed, you are not paying for the costs of travelling to certain grounds to watch your teams, and also you can sit in the comfort of your own home. By watching television at home and watching the sports channels it means you have the best view of the game as well, which is alot more appealing than going to the grounds, especially in the winter time, to be very cold. Also, you most certainly will not have the best view if your allocated seats are in a poor position, meaning the appeal of Sky Sports and watching the game at home sounds even more appealing.
In 1901 the maximum wage of a footballer was £4 and it shows you that when there was no television input or involvement in football then the money that was being spent on anything from the players kits to their wages was very low. This is because no attention was made to these minor things. The maximum wage was then abolished in the 1950’s and this is the same year that Sport as a whole was branded as entertainment. In doing so it meant that there were more spectators which meant that there was a higher income for clubs getting money from the tickets.
The access to televisions began out being difficult as they were seen to be expensive, but it is now in 99% of all households and this means that so long as you have a TV license then you will have acce4ss to BBC or ITV where most games are broadcasted. This results in anyone being able to access and watch live games from the comfort of their own home. This helps people to save money and watch the games at home instead of spending money for tickets every week. Another point to make is that when you are at home you are alot more relaxed, you are not paying for the costs of travelling to certain grounds to watch your teams, and also you can sit in the comfort of your own home. By watching television at home and watching the sports channels it means you have the best view of the game as well, which is alot more appealing than going to the grounds, especially in the winter time, to be very cold. Also, you most certainly will not have the best view if your allocated seats are in a poor position, meaning the appeal of Sky Sports and watching the game at home sounds even more appealing.
POSITIVES
One positive of Television being involved in Football is the obvious fact that it helps to spread the sport worldwide. Football is already considered the most popular sport in the world but the constant broadcasting of the sport means that people around the world always have a chance to watch a game of football, influencing them to either want to get more involved in the sport by watching more matches and supporting their local team or they can get involved physically and join a local team.
The introduction of television in football helps the clubs to earn more money and see an increase in revenue. This is because anyone who watches the games will see the sponsors on the shirts of all the teams and this influences people to buy these specific products as they have seen them on the shirts of their favourite football teams, leading to the club receiving a reasonable percentage of that companies income. Most of the clubs income though comes from the sponsorship, which can be seen clearly on players shirts. Therefore, when people watch the game, and they see Fly emirates on the Arsenal shirt for example, it would influence people to book their flight abroad with Fly Emirates based on the fact that they recognise that company, and are more likely to book with them because of seeing it on a football shirt.
The television channels also broadcast teams from the lower leagues which means that if you are only used to seeing the top 4 teams then it gives you a chance to widen your knowledge and experience as you can be introduced to games from the teams in lower leagues which really helps the lower teams to get recognised. This is shown best when FA cup and league cup matches are played. The lower teams may be drawn against the likes of Chelsea or Arsenal which means the game will most definitely be broadcasted on the Television and therefore people will have a chance to watch a well known team against a lower league opposition. More importantly if the club is drawn at home against the higher league opposition then this will give a huge revenue boost for the lower league club. For example, back in 2006 Burton Albion were drawn,at home against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round which saw a crowd of just over 11,000 attending.
NEGATIVES
The media can also portray football as being negative & sometimes can give football a bad reputation. Sky News can often portray football as being negative when certain occurrences happen. Firstly the media is very biased and as a whole the media only show popular sports. This then leads into the media being biased in Football. If a team has been playing well all game and lose by one goal in the last few minutes then the next day the media will depict this team as being weak, even if it was Manchester united versus a lower league opposition. They will do anything to get viewers. There will be a full analysis of the game, and this will include an analysis of where the team went wrong, meaning they will pick out all the small things in the game that wen wrong, criticising players, giving a bad image to those players who are usually very good, and have a good reputation. The media do not stick to an opinion that they have on a team, it will change every week, just so that it appeals to the viewers. Another negative effect of the media is that nowadays a lot of games are shown on the TV, this means that people would much rather be sat in the comfort of their own home than go out in the cold to a stadium to watch a game of football. You get a much better view from your TV and you also don’t have to pay money for the tickets you would have brought. This means that ticket sales are slowly decreasing and the attendance figures are lowering.
Another point to make is that the media are now also taking over the lives of some footballers. The more popular teams have individual players that the media focus on. For example Mario Balotelli of Manchester City has been the subject of a lot of media attention lately. They have been delving into his private life and then displaying it to the whole world, giving people an insight into his private life. I don’t think that this is right because I do not agree with the interference with anybodies private life. This affects football because it means that people will not give him a chance to prove who he is, or show who he is. People will judge him for what they see on the news and what they read about. They will immediately see him as a bad person because of what they have seen, despite the fact that what has been said on the television about Mario Balotelli may not be true at all.
One big issue is the pressure that television broadcasting are putting on Footballers and the game as a whole. Fixtures are now being influenced by Media. They are being organised so that the right games fall on the right days, so that the media can take full advantage of this and earn as much money as possible. They will make sure that big games fall on Sundays, giving the opportunity for maximum viewings.
One positive of Television being involved in Football is the obvious fact that it helps to spread the sport worldwide. Football is already considered the most popular sport in the world but the constant broadcasting of the sport means that people around the world always have a chance to watch a game of football, influencing them to either want to get more involved in the sport by watching more matches and supporting their local team or they can get involved physically and join a local team.
The introduction of television in football helps the clubs to earn more money and see an increase in revenue. This is because anyone who watches the games will see the sponsors on the shirts of all the teams and this influences people to buy these specific products as they have seen them on the shirts of their favourite football teams, leading to the club receiving a reasonable percentage of that companies income. Most of the clubs income though comes from the sponsorship, which can be seen clearly on players shirts. Therefore, when people watch the game, and they see Fly emirates on the Arsenal shirt for example, it would influence people to book their flight abroad with Fly Emirates based on the fact that they recognise that company, and are more likely to book with them because of seeing it on a football shirt.
The television channels also broadcast teams from the lower leagues which means that if you are only used to seeing the top 4 teams then it gives you a chance to widen your knowledge and experience as you can be introduced to games from the teams in lower leagues which really helps the lower teams to get recognised. This is shown best when FA cup and league cup matches are played. The lower teams may be drawn against the likes of Chelsea or Arsenal which means the game will most definitely be broadcasted on the Television and therefore people will have a chance to watch a well known team against a lower league opposition. More importantly if the club is drawn at home against the higher league opposition then this will give a huge revenue boost for the lower league club. For example, back in 2006 Burton Albion were drawn,at home against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round which saw a crowd of just over 11,000 attending.
NEGATIVES
The media can also portray football as being negative & sometimes can give football a bad reputation. Sky News can often portray football as being negative when certain occurrences happen. Firstly the media is very biased and as a whole the media only show popular sports. This then leads into the media being biased in Football. If a team has been playing well all game and lose by one goal in the last few minutes then the next day the media will depict this team as being weak, even if it was Manchester united versus a lower league opposition. They will do anything to get viewers. There will be a full analysis of the game, and this will include an analysis of where the team went wrong, meaning they will pick out all the small things in the game that wen wrong, criticising players, giving a bad image to those players who are usually very good, and have a good reputation. The media do not stick to an opinion that they have on a team, it will change every week, just so that it appeals to the viewers. Another negative effect of the media is that nowadays a lot of games are shown on the TV, this means that people would much rather be sat in the comfort of their own home than go out in the cold to a stadium to watch a game of football. You get a much better view from your TV and you also don’t have to pay money for the tickets you would have brought. This means that ticket sales are slowly decreasing and the attendance figures are lowering.
Another point to make is that the media are now also taking over the lives of some footballers. The more popular teams have individual players that the media focus on. For example Mario Balotelli of Manchester City has been the subject of a lot of media attention lately. They have been delving into his private life and then displaying it to the whole world, giving people an insight into his private life. I don’t think that this is right because I do not agree with the interference with anybodies private life. This affects football because it means that people will not give him a chance to prove who he is, or show who he is. People will judge him for what they see on the news and what they read about. They will immediately see him as a bad person because of what they have seen, despite the fact that what has been said on the television about Mario Balotelli may not be true at all.
One big issue is the pressure that television broadcasting are putting on Footballers and the game as a whole. Fixtures are now being influenced by Media. They are being organised so that the right games fall on the right days, so that the media can take full advantage of this and earn as much money as possible. They will make sure that big games fall on Sundays, giving the opportunity for maximum viewings.
One problem with the media, especially the television is that it can make or break someones career. If someone if portrayed as a bad person, and they are criticised on the television, then it can mean the end of their career, as the television, and what is heard on it, can be critical to someones career as a player. The media can also do the exact opposite and make your career. If you do a good enough job and you work hard, you will get praise for it, and it could boost your career and get you back into the limelight. An example of this is Roberto Di Matteo, who manged Chelsea for the majority of this season (2011-12). He was brought in as a replacement, only temporary, and quite alot was expected of him. He was able to win both the FA cup and the Champions League, which then led him to being offered the job at Chelsea full time, which he accepted. This showed that throughout his temporary time that for every good game that Chelsea played, and won, he managed to get more and more praise, and also alot of positive compliments. This helped to boost his career, gain the respect of players as well as other managers, and in the long term he will now be remembered and credited for the great job he has done at Chelsea. None of this though would have been emphasised as much if it wasn't for TV and the media. They portrayed Roberto as being a hero, and as being the savior of Chelsea football club as they had been playing poorly leading up to Di Matteo's takeover.
Arsene Wenger : The influence of Media
Manager of Arsenal Football Club has recently complained about the influence the media has on the game, concentrating on the TV. In an interview for the BBC he said "It is the truth and i cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television. The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules. I don't believe in the last month or the last year, the Premier League has played a very fair role in the distribution of fixtures." Wenger backed up his opinion with the raw data. He stated how the Gunners had 3 games in the space of 6 days. Arsene has a valid point. No matter what team it is, no team should have to play 3 games in such a short time period. Each game any team plays they will give 100% and to try and do that 3 times in 6 days without a chance to properly recover is a big ask, even from a team like Arsenal. It is clear that Television is slowly taking over Football and soon enough all decisions made within the game may be influenced fully by television. In my opinion i hope that day doesn't come, mainly because i think it would make the game less entertaining if there are teams that are fatigued, unable to play at their best. The fixtures should not be influenced by the media, but as long as there is money is involved, the media will always prevail.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/fa-cup-countdown-the-luck-of-the-draw-430657.html
COMMENTS
Arsene Wenger : The influence of Media
Manager of Arsenal Football Club has recently complained about the influence the media has on the game, concentrating on the TV. In an interview for the BBC he said "It is the truth and i cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television. The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules. I don't believe in the last month or the last year, the Premier League has played a very fair role in the distribution of fixtures." Wenger backed up his opinion with the raw data. He stated how the Gunners had 3 games in the space of 6 days. Arsene has a valid point. No matter what team it is, no team should have to play 3 games in such a short time period. Each game any team plays they will give 100% and to try and do that 3 times in 6 days without a chance to properly recover is a big ask, even from a team like Arsenal. It is clear that Television is slowly taking over Football and soon enough all decisions made within the game may be influenced fully by television. In my opinion i hope that day doesn't come, mainly because i think it would make the game less entertaining if there are teams that are fatigued, unable to play at their best. The fixtures should not be influenced by the media, but as long as there is money is involved, the media will always prevail.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/fa-cup-countdown-the-luck-of-the-draw-430657.html
COMMENTS