EPL TV deal: a way forward for Celtic

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Some thoughts to the 70% increase in English Premier League TV income:

Our financial strategy

Stop feeling sorry for ourselves.  We are not part of the easy-money league, so instead of complaining about Burnley’s financial strength, exploit the massive inefficiencies in England.  Lazy recruitment strategies, unscientific risk-taking and chronic managerial processes put a lot of money on the table for those who know how to run a football club properly.

If your forward business model involves selling players, better to be close to a rich, lazy, unscientific and chronic league.

Player values

After the last increase in TV income in England was announced transfer fees appreciated markedly, even before the increase came into effect.  Forgive the impersonal language, but player commodities are more valuable this week than they were last week, not just in England, but in Scotland and everywhere else.

The goalkeeper we sold for £10m last summer would command a higher fee, if we sold him next summer.  A player we ‘hoped’ to earn £7m from selling should now have his target value adjusted to £10m.

More than ever, it is important to manage playing assets.  Buy assets with development potential, hoard their registrations if necessary – Benfica employ and loan-out players to top leagues who would easily get into their first team.  It helps build the player’s value, which helps build Benfica.

Player trading velocity

If player trading is important going forward, my hunch is that trading velocity should increase.  To do this properly, it is absolutely crucial we invest more in the scouting process.  Scouting and recruitment is as important to the club as tactics and team selection.  Resource it accordingly.

SPFL TV deal

I’ve read lots about what we should do next in Scotland with regards to our TV deal, some ideas have merit, some not.  What is perfectly clear is that the current deal is practically worthless.  We must change.  The potential downside is almost immaterial, as we’re starting from such a low point.

Bin SKY and BT, go it alone, or get one of the new media players involved, or better still, collaborate with the Dutch league, which has its own TV channel, have learned some lessons, have many of our challenges, and would benefit from the fresh content we could provide.  There are more leagues in Europe with exactly the same challenges, if a pan-European league is a step too far, a collaborative TV infrastructure is a good start.

In football TV terms, we are the Straw Man, with nothing to lose.  Lead a path away from Sky and BT, educate fans on how to link up with Virgin, Amazon or an equivalent, do something genuinely radical.

The Bubble

It’s a bubble.  Just because the English TV market has not burst, doesn’t mean it’s not going to. Ask yourself a few questions:

Is this level of contract affordable by Sky or BT?

Will this new cash make the downside of relegation from the EPL any easier?

Will this cash make EPL clubs any more likely to change their business model, specifically, will they be more likely to spend less because they no longer fear relegation?

No, no and no.  The downside of relegation from the EPL will become more onerous and clubs will fear relegation more.

Sky are enjoying enormous market power but the entrance into the market of Amazon Prime, Netflix and others, while the offerings from Virgin and BT have matured, leaves Sky open to competition in the TV and film market in the future which they have never experienced before.

You no longer need Sky to watch multi-channel TV, round-the-clock news, recent or legacy films.  Their failure to maintain future Champions League rights, together with the fact that they are legislated out of the World Cup and European Championship rights, reduces their assets down to one lucrative prize: English Premier League football.

English Premier League football is the asset they are betting the farm on.  They need this and as long as the ‘farm’ exists in the form of a nation uniformly consuming TV through them, they will pay whatever they can to retain these rights.

BT are in the process of buying market share.  They are vastly better funded than Sky and need a strategic place going forward (which traditionally telephony isn’t).

It’s not a case of if Sky’s ability or desire to pay changes but when.  Then the bubble will burst, then football will plunge into a reverse gear.

Until then, we play the system.

Busy week for CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner bookings (Friday 13 March, Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park).  Email me for booking details, celticquicknews@gmail.com

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  1. timbhoy in spain

     

     

    00:28 on 14 February, 2015

     

     

    Joe Miller 1989 to stop another false treble, I had £1 on wee Joe at 16/1 and bought the the Bhoys a couple of bottles of some old England Sherry, it was torture but the pickled onion crisps helped…….but what what made wee Joe’s winner evene better was the fact we played Saturday mornng fitba and the linesman at Hampden that day was a ref in our league, he was actually a decnt Rev at our standard BUT was a total Hun, he even said he referee’ed Saturday morning football because of that……..they are all hurting !

     

     

    Long may it continue

  2. Frantic

     

     

    Great photo. Wish you were coming to Belfast with me tomorrow. Hope the treatment is going well big yin.

  3. timbhoy in spain on

    Gerryfaethebrig,

     

    Was at the gemme,

     

    Luved every minute of it.

     

    Travelled up fae England,was unbelievable game.

     

    They’ve always been cheatin f*ckers.

     

    Long may they rot in hell.

     

    Burn burn burn ya bassas.

  4. Not posted in months, life gets in the way of living sometimes! Celtic have started 2015 in rude health. The winter break has allowed Ronnie to cement his ethos amongst the squad. Paul posted a while ago that we’ve had only one free midweek sine July. Ronnie used the break to it’s full potential I reckon. On top of that, the January window their was as successful as we could have hoped for. Kris signed, VVD stayed, two best young Scottish talents signed.

     

     

    Someone posting a bit of Marvin earlier? Turn up your bass.

     

     

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wkzy5clEjxs

  5. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Timbhoy in Spain

     

     

    Definitely 4-2 game, but there have been so many. Blackburn away was particularly good as well. Was also at tynecastle when Ronnie Glavin made it 4-3 in last minute from 3-1 down. I could go on all night, it’s one of those questions that make you feel so lucky to have been a Celtic supporter all your life. Goodnight to all Tims and hope we all have a good one tomorrow

     

     

    HH

  6. timbhoy in spain on

    DD,hope ye have a great time in Belfast but jist watch yourself.

     

    Don’t get too drunk @n wander intae the wrang area.

     

    I know Belfast very well,1st wife was fae there.

  7. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Capt Haddock (formerly known as tomcourtney) 23:45

     

    ————–

     

    Brilliant stuff! Like bleeping the swearing out of Reservoir Dogs!

  8. delaneys dunky

     

     

    00:45 on 14 February, 2015

     

     

    I was stupid enough to question my mothers faith, (my faith now) my mother didn’t drag me anywhere her stare was enough of a scare…. I used to think her faith was just to get her through bringing up a family, little did I know, ….she was a cleaner in my high school, she never ever mentioned her job as a kid I just put the chairs on the desks so she could mop, but now if anybody tries to talk somebody down for being a “cleaner” I now think of her….. Simple things make you learn more

  9. Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    Well done with your 16/1 that day……I had £20 on wee Joe but only got 8/1for first Goalscorer…..should have doubled it up with 1/0 like you did.

     

     

    I spoke to the wee man,as I got his autograph for my nephew,about 3 days before the final and he told me he would score….seriously.

     

     

    Still embarrassed about singing Mo Mo super Mo all day that day….I think most of us are now.

     

     

    It was incredible to be a Tim at Hampden for those 2 years 88 and 89

     

     

    Hail Hail

  10. DD, the body’s not quite ready! Went oot tae watch the tribute act in the local pub, two pints, was my limit! Hope it’s a great couple of days over in Belfast, jealous as feck. Remember…drink responsibly! But smoke yer lungs oot!

     

    To all hootenanniers or CQN ambassadors, enjoy it.

  11. TIS

     

     

    I am placing my trust in 16roads. Just off the phone to him & ACGR.

     

    Sounds like Belfast is Green & White tonight! :)))

  12. timbhoy in spain

     

     

    Thought I’d seen it all, Dundee 3-0 centenary, Cup final v Dundee Utd centenary again, then Scott McDonald stuck one in to beat a top class AC Milan 2-1. Barca 2012 made me rip my vocal chords recently…

  13. Keeping The Faith on

    Fred Colon, re Fran and Anna..they are related to Tony Watt somehow and were regulars at St Augustines.

     

    Odd pair but who am I to judge.. Eh Alfie ?

  14. Gerryfaethebrig on

    rudicantfail

     

     

    00:59 on 14 February, 2015

     

    Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    We played St Mirren the week or 2 weeks before, we all went to Paisley going bonkers, Mo Mo Super Mo was sang all day, if Judas had came back we could hav been magic but David Murray paid his “Nantes Tax Money” that Bill MCMurdo pointed out……..poignant they paid the French but not their Majesty !

     

     

    IRONY……….

  15. Gerryfaethebrig on

    rudicantfail

     

     

    00:59 on 14 February, 2015

     

    Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    Just read your post, I had £1 at 16/1 with Tote bookies, the £17 was shared with a cargo for 3 of us, back then if I had a score I would have been out for the weekend

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    I love watching Friday Night Rangers on the telly. I’m quite partial to watching Sunday Afternoon Rangers on the telly too. You just know they’re going to get beat these days, don’t you? :-))

  17. timbhoy in spain on

    meansong, Like I said so many great memories.

     

    Was lucky enough to be around in the 60’s to see the best of the lot.

     

    But I suppse memories fade a wee bit so far as I’m concerned 3-0 2012 was imprinted in my auld heid.

     

    Disnae matter anyway thing is the Hun is F*cking dead.

     

    As we used to sing in the old days,

     

    Die die die ya hun.

     

    Delaneys,i know you can take care o’ yersel but drink kin fuddle yer heid so

     

    WATCH YURSEL.

     

    Up the Ceklts

  18. My own mother was a school cleaner to

     

    Started at 6 in the morning till 9am .got 2 buses to take her over to Giffnock to clean houses .back at school for another few hours in the evening to clean.done them 2jobs for yrs.don’t know how she did it

     

    but alas all that hard work.eventually got to much .she died aged 63,R I P Bessie x

  19. Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    Was at Love Street that day too I think!!

     

     

    Did Andy Walker get injured that day and missed the final ?

     

     

    Only reason wee Joe played through the middle in the final with Mark McGhee perchance?

     

     

    My memories around that time are not so good.

     

     

    StrongbowandMerrydownCSC

  20. Capt Haddock (formerly known as tomcourtney) on

    2015’s looking like it could be memorable.

     

    Me and the dug will have our scarves on tomorrow in the hope the good times keep rolling in and another team in blue bites the dust.

     

     

     

    tintin’slookinforsnowy.csc

  21. timbhoy in spain on

    TheOriginalSadiesBhoy,Ah said the same thing mer or less ma self a couple o hours ago.

     

    How could anybody no enjoy that ?

  22. gerryfaethebrig

     

     

    01:08 on 14 February, 2015

     

    rudicantfail

     

     

    00:59 on 14 February, 2015

     

    Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    We played St Mirren the week or 2 weeks before, we all went to Paisley going bonkers, Mo Mo Super Mo was sang all day, if Judas had came back we could hav been magic but David Murray paid his “Nantes Tax Money” that Bill MCMurdo pointed out……..poignant they paid the French but not their Majesty !

     

     

    Was at that game. Aitken lost the rag at a St Mirren player (possibly Kenny McTrowel) near the touch line in front of Celtic fans. Someone shouted “Gaun big Shirley”. Aitken, in the midst of his red haze, turned for one second to face his taunter with eyes ablaze with anger before checking himself and taking a deep breath. As the chant of “Feed the Bear” swelled, Roy gamely twirled his curly locks and almost smiled. Almost as mad as his namesake Keane in his day. Love to see him back someday in some capacity.

  23. Jock Brown described it as ‘a great interception by Gough’…….a few seconds later…..hahahahahahaha…,,,we know the rest….

     

     

     

     

     

    ▶ 0:35

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfnT9aUw93A

     

    12 Feb 2011 – Uploaded by Gaudd

     

    Joe Miller scores the only goal of the 1989 Scottish Cup final, played on 20 May. Gloriously hot …

  24. TIS

     

     

    Cheers bud. Just booked a week at Benicassim FIB with my son in July. Best Rock Festival in Europe! :)

  25. Gerryfaethebrig on

    rudicantfail

     

     

    01:15 on 14 February, 2015

     

    Gerryfaethebrig….

     

     

    Was at Love Street that day too I think!!

     

     

    Maurice appeared that day I’m the old stand in Love Street, there was our fans behind the goals and the full side across from the tunnels, I cannot speak for any other Celtic fan but when Momcame back we thought he was going to destroy that mob, even typing this annoys me, my father loved George Connelly, later years some loved Dalgleish. Maurice Johston couldn’t have laced their boots but he could have scored loads of goals for us….. But again as that old saying goes….you live by the sword you due by the sword otherwise once a Hun you always be Hun, Tommy Burns always said “it would fit him better if he blessed himself at chapel”

  26. eddiegreenhillsbhoy on

    Roses are red

     

    Sevco are blue

     

    I’m a fenien

     

    I hope you are too.

     

     

    Roses are red

     

    Sevco are blue

     

    it’s not valentines day

     

    It’s rangers anew

     

     

    Roses are red

     

    Violets are blue

     

    We are the CELTIC

     

    Our priorties renew

     

    Ktf

  27. timbhoy in spain on

    Delaneys Dunky,

     

    Well I just might see you there wi; the wife.

     

    Ah’ll gie ye a shout if we can go.

     

    utfc, or as you would say UTLR.

     

    Up the Celts

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