The majority of the country will not be watching England’s world cup qualifier against the Ukraine today. Following the collapse of Setanta, and this being something on a non-game now England have qualified, this is to be an internet-only broadcast. At £5 for the game, I for one will find something better to do with my Saturday.
The main reason I mention this, is a delightfully spin-tastic comment reported by the BBC: Andrew Croker, executive chairman of Perform, who have paid (surely too much) for the rights to the game, believes that “people want a choice – the chance to watch football in a different way. This is pioneering, very exciting and I think people will enjoy it”. I can’t disagree that people want a choice, but even he must realise that this claim in relation to a match being made available to a smaller proportion of the country at a much higher cost than ever before and with no viable alternative given that pubs are unlikely to show the match, stands up to no scrutiny at all.
This is an experiment that is bound to fail. Watching England can be drudgery at times, and if you’re paying a premium to be watching a nothing game in front of your computer screen with no one to share the experience, it loses pretty much all the joy it may have had. Anyone out there watching and want to prove me wrong?
