Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I'd hazard a guess and say that I think you are correct in that assumption.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

It was new news. The original lifting was to end of 2019-2020 season.

This is a new lifting for the start of the new season.



---------- Post added at 09:13 ---------- Previous post was at 09:13 ----------

Maybe that was done before the new lifting of the 3pm restriction.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The timing of announcements has little to do with it being a schoolboy error or not. The FA and EPL should be working closely on these things so their actions are aligned in the interests of their members (EPL clubs also being members of the FA). It’s actually worse if the EPL didn’t know/hadn’t considered this was realistically coming, find an answer and work with their commercial partners in the UK to make at least 1 game per week available.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Live FA Cup Football returns tomorrow night (1 Sept) on BBC Red Button and iPlayer.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Anyone know which channel(s) are showing live coverage of next week's England games in Iceland and Denmark?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Sky Sports have the rights but are not listing any yet.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Sky Sports but not confirmed yet which sky sports channel.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I saw that somewhere, just doubting it as we are so close to the games (Wales first match is Thursday) and nothing in the EPG.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

There's no doubt, definitely on Sky as they have the rights, it's just Sky haven't worked out yet which channel to put it on.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

If sky have the rights the main game each day will almost certainly be on SkyFoot.

It would be nice to see it in the EPG.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Not necessarily,it may be on sky sports main event.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Or both! As Sky usually do.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

True. I guess it depends on how many other games are on at the same time. As we all know sky have used sky one in the past for live games.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

SS Football has an EFL Cup Retro - Man City v Sunderland 13-14 at 5pm on Saturday.

SS Main has PGA Tour Golf

SS Football still favourite for me - but none of the Home Nations games are in the EPG (even on Sky)

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

England game is on Sky Sports Football from 4.30pm

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Thought it would be, but thanks for the confirmation

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

And Main Event.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Phew guess we can all sleep easy in our beds now😁

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Interestingly, my V6 boxes show Nations Cup games from Monday 7th onwards but not those for Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th inclusive.

Very strange!:confused::confused:

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Perhaps reboot your box and see if that sorts it out.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Rebooting the box does NOT sort it out. Forcing a Network Connection is the only way to ensure you V6 box has the latest guide data.

The current data is not yet showing the games for 3rd-6th Sept - and these were only updated by Sky this morning.

The 360 box (Horizon) does have the games updated for those days.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The sports info screen for an event looks quite impressive.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Actually - the England game is still missing on VM.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

https://www.mediamole.co.uk/entertai...es_413281.html

I see that Amazon is interested in competing against Sky for the Eight Nations rugby season. The bidding should be interesting.

Amazon is reportedly interested in making a bid for the rights to the upcoming Eight Nations rugby tournament.

The new competition will feature the traditional Six Nations teams - England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy - as well as Fiji and one other nation, most likely South Africa.

Sky Sports had been tipped to be a shoo-in for the rights to the Eight Nations, which will take place in November, but according to the Daily Mail, Amazon has expressed interest in a deal.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Rights owner speculates on Amazon bid to extract greater revenue from Sky. Straight from the Scudamore playbook.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

New options for BT Sport. Won't change anything for VM subscribers though.

"Now more ways to watch BT Sport than ever before!

- Fire TV
- Android TV
- Roku streaming players and Roku TV models

We've added three new places where you can access the award-winning BT Sport App!

And all in time for the new Premier League season"

Source: https://twitter.com/btsport/status/1303287107033718784

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

All Premier League matches to be televised in September

Where can I watch my team this weekend?

Saturday 12 September
Fulham v Arsenal (12:30 BST - live on BT Sport)
Crystal Palace v Southampton (15:00 BST - live on BT Sport)
Liverpool v Leeds United (17:30 BST - live on Sky Sports)
West Ham v Newcastle United (20:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Sunday 13 September
West Brom v Leicester City (14:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)
Tottenham v Everton (16:30 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Monday 14 September
Sheffield United v Wolves (18:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)
Brighton v Chelsea (20:15 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Another nail in linear TV coffin - Prime has indeed been awarded the broadcasting rights for an estimated £15m as a one-off deal for this season only.

Ireland games including the England game at Twickenham will also be on CH4.

Rugby trying to get interest from other PPV sources before taking the 6 nations tournament off free to air TV when current contract comes to an end after 2021 tournament?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Surprised Sky or BT didn't bid more than that but it sits quite neatly with Amazon picking up rights for peanuts.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Exactly as that is how l see it.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Sky has already indicated that it will not keep bidding upwards for sports rights. I think they have calculated that this has gone far enough, and further huge hikes will not be profitable for them.

As for Amazon, I think you underestimate them massively, but we will see where this leads.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Perfect business sense for them at Christmas. Likely to align well in November with their Premier League games in December. Far from an all out assault on sports rights creating a compelling 12 month offering.

That would obviously mean billions in sports rights. High risk, what reward?

---------- Post added at 12:06 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------

They correctly guessed that Premiership rights had fallen, yes, and Netflix/Amazon were nowhere to be seen in that bidding.

Where do these huge hikes come from? Where is the business model that will underpin them?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

As before it leads to them picking up the lesser sports rights for peanuts and nothing since has proved otherwise.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The thing is I don't underestimate them - they're a hugely profitable company with a load of resources at their disposal. However, where's the return on investment coming from? They're not a charity.

Old Boy will doubtlessly say I lack 'vision' - but the facts are they didn't bid for a single package in the first round of bidding for Premiership rights last time out. Their small packages, and this rugby, will drive Prime subscriptions at minimum cost. Lots of low hanging fruit to cash in from at Christmas.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

To be fair is it good business to get into a bidding war for a one off tournament? And one that can not be proven will draw subscriptions? Better reserving that money for longer term deals

---------- Post added at 14:16 ---------- Previous post was at 14:09 ----------

I would be surprised if they went big for premiership rights in the next auction - as you rightly say, how do they return that investment outside of a new subscription package? I think they’ll remain targeted but maybe make an attempt at at least one season long package.

My opinion is that if Amazon do something big in the world of sports rights, I’d be looking at the NFL in the U.S and something like taking the rights for Sunday Ticket... they can charge a premium and those deals usually run for a number of years... Directv’s last renewal was for 8 years.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

There current policy seems to be get cheap packages for a limited period.

It would be a big step to commit larger amounts for as long a period as 8 years - especially on a minority sport such as NFL which only runs for a limited amount of time a year. Of course it may not have to pay much to get the rights from Sky.

Their current EPL deal can be covered by people taking out a free months trial so hardly makes them much money.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Sunday Ticket is a rights package in the US itself. At the moment Directv are paying something in the region of 1.5 Billion a year for it and it’s the one most speculated to be attracting the interest of the tech giants in the US.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Do anyone know why is both Man. City and Man. United games are off this weekend for?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

But NFL is big in USA - not so in UK.

As far as I am aware Amazon would be bidding for the UK rights not those in USA -so totally irrelevant to this discussion

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I’m just saying that IF Amazon make any massive outsized play for sports rights in the immediate future I’d expect it to be in the US and not over here... that’s all - Im just using Sunday Ticket as an example... I never mentioned NFL rights in the U.K.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

They played European games in August. The League guaranteed everyone a month off so this got postponed.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Oh. Being an Motherwell fan that will not happen anytime soon.:D

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Spawny yesterday. One chance and took it.

:p:

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The return on investment comes from football subscriptions, jfman, just as that is how Sky make their profit from it (+ advertising, of course).

I don't know why you are so fixated by the fact that Amazon only picked the bargain basement matches. It was their first toe in the water, and a relatively inexpensive way of judging the success of sports streaming in the UK and their ability to attract subscribers.

They were reported to be pleased with their little experiment, so it remains to be seen what will become of it. As you correctly pointed out, they have very deep pockets, so anything is possible.

---------- Post added at 19:15 ---------- Previous post was at 19:09 ----------

I don't quite get your reasoning. Why can Sky and BT do this but not Amazon?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

So it's entirely hypothetical at this stage?

I'm fixated by reality Old Boy - the bargain basement rights purchase exists in actual reality. The £5bn+ blow Sky/BT out the water bid exists in your dreams alone.

You do realise that there has to come a limit somewhere where revenues can no longer be extracted from football rights - whether the value is too high, or the revenue streams have become exhausted at the optimum price point. If the market is at that point - as Sky seem to think by bidding less for football rights this time than last - why will Amazon make a success in 2022 when they did not bid in 2019? What changes?

If Amazon do make a roaring success of the bargain basement rights they pick up - and get Prime into the majority of homes - where's the incentive to take the risk of a football package on top of the basic package? At what price point does such a service exist? More expensive than Now TV I'd suspect.

It's debatable whether BT are profiting from their sports rights alone, or offsetting losses elsewhere (e.g. improving market share for broadband).

If it was as easy as "if Sky can do it anyone else can" why have we the graveyard of ITV Digital, Setanta, ESPN and others who have exited the market?

Sky have an established customer base and significant market power in the market. It's far from easy for someone else to just rock up, commit to billions in expenditure and emulate their success from day 1.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I’m not saying they can’t but I also don’t find it realistic they would make a bid for the majority and somehow absorb that cost into Prime... I’m just speculating based on their current strategy of having enough to make a Prime sub worthwhile (or retain those subs). I fully expect Amazon to be in the mix but I think they’ll be after a package or two across a season that would help retain year long Prime subs.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

They would have to pay a lot more for one of the 5 season long packages - they were virtually given the package they currently have as the EPL created it specifically for a streamer.

I agree, a season long package would help retain year long Prime subs - however the cost would outweigh the benefit, unless they charged extra for the football (this of course would defeat the object)

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Ah, that’s where you are coming from!

No, they would not absorb it, that would definitely not make commercial sense. They would put a separate charge on for the football, of course they would! But it might still be cheaper than Sky, who are focussed on drawing everyone to their channels.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat, as they say.

---------- Post added at 00:09 ---------- Previous post was at 00:08 ----------

Why on Earth would they NOT charge extra for the footie?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

8 quid a month for amazon prime just for premier league football would get a ton more people subscribing in the UK. i dont think they'd make a profit even slightly or even break even but its one hell of a selling point for a company with billions to soak up debts in

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

So it might be cheaper than Sky, which means obviously that it might not. How is this glorious future good for consumers if it drives up prices?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Butbutbut did not somebody say it would all bring us a cheaper future that was lighter on peoples pockets.;)

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Your post doesn't make sense. I have not suggested football on Amazon would be more expensive.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

They may be meaning that some fans will be inclined to buy services from every provider that broadcasts their team's matches. The more providers the more money it will cost, as they will all be showing different matches. It's not like they are all offering the same content.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

You’ve not provided any comfort or reassurance in that you’ve only gone as far as it “might” be cheaper. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, yes, but no cat was worth skinning in 2019 either.

The reality is there’s no obvious business model where it becomes cheaper. Otherwise someone would have done it by now. That’s how capitalism rolls.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Aren't football fans already paying more than one provider? It is the nature of the current bidding process rules that there will always be more than one provider.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

There is a way competition could lower prices - all interested parties to pay for rights to cover all games that are being broadcast, the customer then gets to choose who to get coverage from dependant on price, quality etc.

Of course this will never happen as the likes of Sky and BT would want to pay a lot less as they weren't getting exclusivity.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Amazon may well have ideas which will mean that football is cheaper for the consumer.

However, whether or not that is the case (and I believe that it is), that is no argument to suggest that Amazon will not try to take out Sky or BT next time.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Nor is it an argument that says they will - you keep trotting out the mantra that Amazon will compete with Sky/BT, it hasn't happened yet!

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I agree the cartel at the league want nothing to do with that idea as the value of the rights is the premium that companies will pay to be the exclusive broadcaster.

I do think that'd be a good approach though, even by bundling games - e.g. a club season ticket - differently does result to a genuine choice for end users and would remove this 'exclusivity premium'.

---------- Post added at 10:12 ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 ----------

Or any evidence that they can, or will!

You think £5bn is a good investment for football rights - and it may well be. However if Amazon could say, buy BT who are being looked at for a £15bn takeover, why would that not present better value for money and give a better longer term return on investment as we move to a full fibre future?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Yes, some of them. Some of them prefer to keep their money in their wallet and watch MOTD/Sportscene and listen on the radio.

The more providers the more expensive it is for those of the "must have access to everything" mindset. The other two aren't going to lower their prices to keep the overall cost the same just because a third provider comes to the market.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I’d also look at recent rights auctions... in Germany Amazon picked up 16 Champions League games... they got the top pick but the majority were picked up DAZN yet despite reported interest they didn’t make any significant moves for Bundesliga rights.

And don’t forget we only recently had a Champions League auction here before Christmas which would have been a prime (no pun intended) opportunity to make an impact yet they apparently ruled themselves out.

So it again does make me think why they would need to jump from a fairly careful, targeted strategy that appears to have been a success generating new Prime subs (which is the point of their strategy) to a whole new level? If shifting new Prime subs is indeed the goal, you’d have more success with one consistent game per week/round that builds Prime as an overall value proposition.

As I have said, I will never say never but I’d more minded to think DAZN will, assuming their financials can handle it, will be the ones attempting to spoil the party next year.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The NFL have a 20 year + relationship with SKY. A new deal was signed for the next 5 years I believe in August so Amazon will not be getting NFL rights in the UK.
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/...%20the%20sport.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Hence the dedicated NFL channel

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Is it that straightforward? Channel 5 has just announced Monday Night Football deal with NFL.
https://twitter.com/NFLUK/status/1303249214554603521

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

This is the free to air rights, BBC also have the Superbowl. Channel four, BBC and now channel 5 have all had these rights over the years.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I've said that one of the streamers may make a serious bid for the rights to Premiership matches in the next bidding round. It might be Amazon, or it might be one or more of the global streamers.

There's no 'will' about it. Maybe they will, and maybe they won't. The annoying thing is that some people find it hard even to contemplate it!-

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

You said that for the last round and it came to nothing despite the total value falling.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Indeed they do, and they will probably not alter their position on that, either.

If Amazon bought out the Sky or BT share, there would still be only two main providers.

---------- Post added at 18:09 ---------- Previous post was at 18:01 ----------

Indeed, there is no absolute evidence either way. That's why your constant aggressive denials that it will ever happen is so inappropriate. To infer that companies like Amazon could not do this to suit their own objectives is frankly laughable.

I am not saying it WILL happen, because I don't have that information. I am saying that I believe it may well happen, based on the trends and media information that is out there. The cost of doing so is not a problem for Amazon or the other big global players.

---------- Post added at 18:11 ---------- Previous post was at 18:09 ----------

Read the posts again. I said I thought it could be either the last round or the 2022 round. Twisting it, as usual.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Is this another of the famous goal post shifts from Old Boy?

The shift to linear being done moving to 2035
Amazon making football cheaper now only a “maybe”
Now they can only blow Sky out the water in 2022 or later because (as yet unnamed market conditions shift)

Let me know if I’ve summarised that correctly.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

You haven't, as usual.

Incidentally, I do not have inside information (and neither do you) so nobody can say anything with any authority about what will happen in the future. I have shared my thoughts, that is all. There are no guarantees either way.

But then, to most of us, that's pretty obvious, isn't it? But no doubt you will continue to argue the toss and claim that I have solemnly promised these changes, which we can (nearly all) see is a fat load of cods.

However...

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I’m not “arguing the toss” as you put it, I’m simply curious as to what you think changes between now and then? Consumer (and business) behaviour is driven by rational choices to generally drive up income (or profits) and down costs. Investments have to be weighed against all alternative uses - in the case of Amazon that could be engaging in almost any activity, anywhere in the world.

You seem to be rolling back your predictions for streaming fundamentalism on a regular basis now, and I do genuinely welcome that, I guess I’m just perplexed why you feel so strongly about the subject in the first place.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Not at all, that's what you have convinced yourself is the case.

Not only have I clarified from quite a long way back that I have no 'inside knowledge', I have been consistent in my views about which way I believe this is going. I have never waivered over 2035 - I still believe that by then the streamers will have taken over and most, if not all of the existing traditional TV channels will have disappeared. I still think that the streamers will take an interest in the next round of Premiership bidding. There is no inconsistency or backtracking. You just enjoy picking over the bones to try to derail the argument rather than having a sensible debate about it.

Yes, maybe I have miscalculated. Yes, I could be wrong. But so could you. I am at least prepared to acknowledge that. However, I am not yet shaken from my view that it will happen as I have outlined.

No need to get in a state about it. After all, it's just TV! :D

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

If there’s one thing I’m sure of Old Boy it’s that nobody on the forum believes your crystal ball gazing is based on inside knowledge.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Nor is yours, jfman. Nor is yours. Let's get back to the subject of this thread.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

LaLigaTV and PremierSportsTV extend free period until October 15th on Sky and Premier Player.

https://twitter.com/LaLigaTV/status/1309523304936423424

https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Hate to disagree with OB, but the telegraph reported (in the last 2-3 days) that Amazon have no interest in bidding fir the main EPL contracts held by Sky & BT

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I saw that article earlier...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...mp-tv-revenue/


“Experts say valuations peaked in 2016, and, while Sky and BT still consider the league their most valuable offering, Covid-19 has accelerated a gradual fall. Amazon, which bought up matches for the first time last season, is not expected to compete with the big two bidders.

...there is no suggestion that the likes of Netflix or Facebook are interested in tabling a bid due to the limits over syndication worldwide.”

Probably far too early to tell but some of the Telegraph’s media speculation is usually bang on the money (they were the first to report on the Sky/Disney Plus deal) so I’m not inclined to completely disbelieve it.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

This was always going to be the case and nothing OB opined was going to change it.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The article said Amazon ‘is not expected to bid’, which isn’t quite the same as saying they have no interest.

However,I accept that the impact of COVID-19 has changed everything and so anything can happen now.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Of course they're hardly likely to show their hand,are they? With fans still not being allowed into grounds,and who knows how long this will go on for,TV matches have become essential for all football fans who normally attend matches. I still think Sky and BT will be the main bidders though.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

True enough. With Sky and BT reducing the amounts they are prepared to pay, Amazon and others may be quite happy for reports to be circulating that they are not expected to bid -they could make a killing with a surprise bid.

However, the uncertainty that has been created by this pandemic might force Amazon to take a more cautious approach.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Not expected to bid isn’t the same as “no interest”?

I suppose if they can get more at the bargain basement they’d happily take them.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

As always your ifs , buts and maybes OB....

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Aren't we all just surmising though? None of us are privy to what BT, Sky, Amazon or anyone else are going to bid. It's fun guessing though, isn't it?

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Indeed none of us are proper experts apart from being armchair experts.:D

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

‘Not expected to bid’ is a presumption by reporters. ‘No interest’ indicates the way the organisation itself is thinking.

Your whole assumption seems to be based on what Amazon bid last time. Do you actually think that proves anything?

---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:29 ----------

There’s no certainty, Den.

---------- Post added at 23:37 ---------- Previous post was at 23:36 ----------

Exactly. Some contributors seem to think everything is black or white.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Well, yes. That’s an evidence based assumption. Some bean counter for Amazon decided £5bn wasn’t a price worth paying in that climate. It’s the same question I always ask. What changes?

More superfast broadband? I’m sorry I don’t accept that Amazon would be shelling out £5bn on the difference between 95% and 100% coverage. They could also offer a satellite or cable broadcast - as DAZN do in Germany for pubs and other venues. These aren’t cost prohibitive steps for a £5bn investment - they are firmly in the ‘loose change’ category - if you have a business model.

It’s all a presumption by reporters regardless of terminology used. None of these companies, on recognised stock exchanges, would engage in tittle tattle though the Telegraph.

Old Boy the only person on this thread that sees the world in black and white is you with your streaming vs linear future rather than recognise they are complementary, not competing, technologies.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Clearly, you don’t buy the alternative view that Amazon’s last bid was a ‘toe in the water’ move. You have discounted that without explanation.

You want an evidence based argument? Well let’s hear yours then, jfman.

I am not seeing anything in black or white, jfman,that’s how you seem to view everything. I fully accept I could be wrong. Nobody, but nobody can be 100% certain about the future. But you and some others seem determined to try to paint everything I say as being ‘predictions’ that I would die in a ditch to defend. I don’t. I’m just giving my opinion on how I see things developing.

This is a discussion forum, after all.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Well, no.

If that was the case they’d have won on the first round of bidding, possibly guaranteeing one game per week or at least one per month. Instead Scudamore went out in round 2 with the begging bowl for rights of no value to Sky or BT.

It is a discussion forum however it’s helpful if discussions are steered around actual events in actual reality, and not some fantasy that you envisage for the future.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Your view that Amazon or another global streaming service would not make a serious bid for the football premiership league is not based on actual events. It is merely based on your opinion.

And that is also what my views on this are - an opinion.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

It’s literally based on actual events. Something has to change to make it viable in 202x versus 2019.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

You may say that. Dream on.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

It’s a basic concept of capitalism Old Boy - if there’s no business model, as there evidently wasn’t in 2019, something has to shift. £5bn+ isn’t loose change regardless of who owns you.

It’s a huge risk, and a sum that could easily provide a greater return on investment elsewhere in the current economic downturn.

I don’t see what dreams have to do with it. It is clear objective reality if you step back from your all streaming fantasy vision.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

The football rights Amazon secured last time was designed to test demand for the service and to uncover any technical problems. It was a success, by all accounts.

I’m not sure where your information comes from that Amazon does not have a business model. Is that your assumption or have you seen evidence of this to which the rest of us have not been privy?

I really did not buy your idea that this was a bad risk for Amazon when this was first mooted on here, but I do agree that the pandemic has changed everything and perhaps that is enough to put paid to any plans there might have been considered to bid for the next round. However, they might just see it as an opportunity if bids are much lower from Sky and BT this time around.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

I think I trust Amazon to know if there was a business model or not. They didn't put their hands in their pockets despite the rights falling in value. I think that's pretty telling.

I'm not sure what they really need to test - the BBC, Sky and many others around the world have been successfully streaming football for many years.

Again - there's nothing stopping Amazon (or anyone else) launching channels to supplement the streaming service on Sky and Virgin if the capacity isn't there to stream to everyone and build up from there as the incumbent rights holder.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Judging by the reports of poor pictures for yesterday - it may have been a sucess uncovering any techincal problems but they didn't fix them.

Seem to be 25Hz still.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

You are the one saying they have no business model. Where did Amazon say they didn’t have one?

You don’t know what they needed to test? We’ve been through this before. With so much money involved, any streaming company would want to be assured that sufficient people would be able and want to stream live matches. They would want to ensure that the infrastructure would support such a proposition. Nothing strange about that at all. This is the UK, not the US.

I have also pointed out that Amazon could decide also to set up conventional-type channels, although whether they would actually want to do something like that is another question.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

Amazon aren't looking for the lions share they merely look for opportunities that arise to include with its Prime offering and make it look even more attractive.

If Amazon really wanted Sport in huge amounts it could of already blown a lot of the American broadcasters out the water.

The rights on a territory by territory basis also aren't as appealing for global streamers. Its also worth noting Amazon spent around $6 billion dollars on its entire content budget for the year so to spend more than that just on Premier League Football just for the UK would seem a little far fetched to me.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

They’re a capitalist entity Old Boy. It stands to reason - it’d be remiss of them in their duties to their shareholders to have developed a credible business model and then not press ahead with it.

We have indeed been through this all before, I’m not really sure how much evidence you want or need, now that what’s been apparent to me for ages is being picked up in the Telegraph.

The business model and/or delivery model just isn’t there. That could change, however I have my doubts. The UK has a well developed pay-tv market, and streaming isn’t the game changer you portray it to be - it’s only another delivery mechanism of the same thing. It doesn’t create from thin air millions of customers that Sky, BT or Virgin cannot reach.

Re: ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news
 

This reinforces why many of us think Amazon won't bid big for sports rights anytime soon:
https://videoadnews.com/2020/01/08/a...o-live-sports/