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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bournesouprecipe
15:19 on
13 February, 2015
Too right, stuff the sheep.
Why not? It worked for Dolly.
Any chance you Ghuys could put a heading of “POLITICS” on your ‘political content’ posts, so that I can bypass them quickly ….!!!!…..as far as I am concerned, modern day politics are a load of old shoite, where power and money are the only criteria / motivator……..pathetic
When they sing about child abuse we should respond by singing “you’re sick in the mind!”
I, too, would like Aberdeen to have 7,000 supporters at Celtic Park. I didn`t like the rivalry with Rangers for many reasons. Rivalry with Aberdeen, in spite of some obnoxious songs and chants from their support, is primarily a football rivalry. There is something exhilarating in atavistic, tribal meetings . Bring it on !!
JJ
I Think at the end of the day.ditching Sky for either BT or Virgin is not on .because im sure them 2 rent from Sky so in a sense we will still pay Sky.I’m sure its up to our Club to tell UEFA and Sky that we are going it alone to Broadcast all Celtic game on our own Channel. If its supposed to be a free marketing don’t see how it can’t happen.also BT is another con they and virgin use all existing telephone cables that were laid with the tax payers money yrs ago.surprised somebody hasn’t looked into it.between Sky and B T I pay them about 96 pounds a month I like thousands of others would that money going to Celtic
Due to recent behaviour in and around CP,the less the better.
Just seen Scott Marshall on SSN,need to go and lie down…..
1800 Woolly Huns is enough for me
Turkeybhoy once claiming that you have accepted the vote and then saying there will be another is not accepting the result. Creating a neverendum until you get your way is not democracy.
I never said that events in Westminster was perfect, far from it. However that does not mitigate the OB act not thr morning side curtain twitching legislation they scottish govt are so keen on. I had a hilarious episode today where a shop had to tell me they had to charge me for the bag that the flowers I was buying were already wrapped in. Or perhaps that my wife no longer wants to have a drink on a Saturday cos she’s so worried about driving at 12 to go to mass.
I was listening to the news today and the coppers who have been caught searching youngsters when they said they wouldn’t. These are the guys who routinely armed themselves without telling anyone. Their answer? Give us more powers to search people and arrest youngsters for drinking?
So you want a real a government do you? What they going to do next? Arrest youngsters at dawn for singing………..oh wait…..
Maybe the wearing of green will be outlawed for being offensive to some?
It’s funny though that,min a stunning act of a lack of self awareness you accuse me of having blinkers on.
Those passionate about independence should simply go about answering the questions which caused the referendum to be lost? Isn’t that the best way to eventually win? Isn’t that the most constructive approach. Belittling and bullying those who disagree with you really doesn’t seem like a good tactic to me.
Then again maybe the SNP government will make it illegal to vote against independence. Dawn raids for no voters……sounds catchy.
dearie me, some are scared of the opposition bringing bignumbers of fans with them now.
revel in it, it makes it a game.
not like big pete to miss the £ opportunity
timbhoy2
As far as I am aware Sky rent their phone lines from BT and I was told they had them over a barrell with the ECL bidding. BT are real players and are building their TV portfolio slowly. They are going to broadcast ECL games free to air at least one game a week. I await with interest how they go about that. I think it is only a matter of time before they enter the movie market.
TV is changing and Sky may have a head start but their dominance of the subscription TV market is under threat now from 2 very serious players in Virginmedia and BT. If bT and Virginmedia join forces, merge companies or indeed one takes over the other then there is a serious challenger to Sky TV going forward.
LB
stebhoy 14:50
Lots of futile debate on Scottish football value – bottom line, nothing creative or inventive will happen as long as Doncaster and regan are ruining our game. His way of promoting the game is to threaten Armageddon. Who would invest in a product you disrespected
———–
Maybe we could try to ship Doncaster off to the EPL…….?
67Heaven
RESPONSE TO OTHER POSTER
I know where you are coming from but I find I can spot in a second when a post is political and I zoom past. No need for a heading.
JJ
Saint Stivs
The main issue is Aberdeen cutting our fans allocation. Pete is standing up for the away supporters. I think he has taken the right tact here but if Aberdeen allow us 3,500 for the next game up there I would give them 7,000.
Any damage would be paid for though.
LB
Will we be at full srength tomorrow v st johnstone? or will he rest a few,looking forward to inter milan taking the young lad over hoping its a special night like barca a few years ago.
Hail Hail
James Forrest
14:29 on 13 February, 2015
Sevco fans seem to think the EGM is the answer to all their problems … a Happy Ending is still a long way off. http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/a-happy-ending/
But but but they ur ra people :)))).
Seen an interestin tweet last night by one of our own .
“We know why Dave King claims he stayed on Whyte board . What we don’t know is why Whyte never fired him ! He fired all the others . Hmmm”
Saint Stivs
Who has said they are scared? Genuine question. I haven`t noticed that.
JJ
back in the 80’s I have firm memories of aberdeen, united , hibs and hearts being allocated half of the east terracing at celtic park.
at a time when our average was around 20 – 25, 000 , these games would spike with 30,000 plus, and even the mythical official attendance of 37,000 (meaning there was probably up wards of 50,000).
sometimes even smaller clubs would bring a big crowd, diunfermline and dundee i remember after getting promoted.
there was something very fulfilling about beating a team who came to celtic park with a large following.
i thik hearts and aberdeen actually had the whole end allocated to them a couple of times.
i would give any visiting team that wants extra ticket as many as they can sell, let them in, why not, it creates atmosphere, its not armageddon after all.
What’s the point of discussing a tv deal while the SPFL and SFA seem hell-bent on a product NOT based on honesty, fair play and Sporting Integrity?
Who wants to watch that kind of “competition” anyway, apart from WWE fans killing time till “Wrestlemania”?
Before Sevco get wangled into the same division as us, Doncaster better retract his ” same club ” garbage, or resign, and that includes getting his official website to stop peddling its Rangers, founded1872, guff.
And the SFA better finally clarify their stance, or, as threatened when they tried to shoehorn the cheats into the top,then second tier, supporters will vote with their feet, and their eyes, and spend their money elsewhere.
We can handle the Truth.
Let those that can’t go elsewhere.
sunnysouthDerry
Kris & Mikael Lustig Out I think.
Livi,
i said the same last night, if its a trade off, i will give you this, if you give me that (forwaht might well be league decider up there, then thats smart tactic offcourse.
whos afraid ?
anyon that says, limit their tickets as we dont want t give them an advantage.
67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar / Neil Lennon.. Ipox belongs to the creditors
16:02 on 13 February, 2015
Any chance you Ghuys could put a heading of “POLITICS” on your ‘political content’ posts, so that I can bypass them quickly ….!!!!…..as far as I am concerned, modern day politics are a load of old shoite, where power and money are the only criteria / motivator……..pathetic
=====================================
With the greatest respect this needs a political solution otherwise we are simply dicking about around the edges and not dealing with the issue.
LiviBhoy
16:13 on
13 February, 2015
Saint Stivs
The main issue is Aberdeen cutting our fans allocation. Pete is standing up for the away supporters. I think he has taken the right tact here but if Aberdeen allow us 3,500 for the next game up there I would give them 7,000.
Any damage would be paid for though.
LB
=========================================
Spot on, tactics correct here in my view.
Truth for Sky will be when they put up the subscription costs. They will lose some people but they will have calculated that they will maintain enough to keep their place in the market.
Even if we did get TV fee rises in Scotland, it would still be a fraction of the EPL revenues as it will never be pro-rata to population. . We need to develop our own model – one which is not based on buying success as Sir David Murray tried to do .
I have listened to years of debate about how to reorganise Scottish football and it is all about league structures etc. Managers get praised for “keeping it tight” – i.e. boring the customers rigid..
Listed to the radio tomorrow and see how many times you hear the word “skill” amongst all of the talk.
Whilst I would have loved to see Martin Odegaard have a year or two at Celtic, I was genuinely worried that he would have been kicked out of football by the “hardmen” in our game.
Crowds will come back if people are watching good play. Ronny has the right ideas.
Let Ronny flourish.
Saint Stivs
Agree. I would love to see bigger crowds from away supports. Some of the so called big clubs in Scotland at Paradise is frankly embarrassing. Hearts would bring 100’s and then take thousands to other grounds. They are afraid though due to their treatment of Celtic fans in and around Tynecastle.
LB
Team v Saints.
Flash,
Matthews; Denayer,van Djik, Izaguirre
GMS Armstrong Biton Joe Hansen Stokes
Guidetti
Save Broony for Inter and bring on Fisher,Forrest and Griffiths for Matthews,GMS and Guidetti or Stokes.
JJ
POLITICS –
the collapse of the oil price as been magic for me. filling up the two cars is cheaper than it has been for years
i just cant get my hear around how it would have led to a collapse of scotish new government which would have happend for another 18 months ?
surely its impacting the UK economy now.
am i dreaming ?
Strongest possible team tomorrow,if we get a few goals,sub guys with Thursday in mind.
ps,
all this handwrinign about north sea jobs from doon south, they couldnt care less about any other part of scotland.
did aberdeen vote NO by chance ?
stebhoy
14:50 on 13 February, 2015
Lots of futile debate on Scottish football value – bottom line, nothing creative or inventive will happen as long as Doncaster and regan are ruining our game. His way of promoting the game is to threaten Armageddon. Who would invest in a product you disrespected ?
________________________
Agree. Marketing suicide. Right up there with Gerald Ratner
By the time they grass munchers roll up at Celtic Park we will be double figures ahead in the league anyway, won’t matter how many are there , I just hope the come via Irvine. Ma grass needs a wee trim
Sky had a wee clip o snake mountain on there, 1 man and his dug outside, roll on 3 hours and I bet the dug has long gone
The bubble’ s gotta vgo sometimes – getting millions to give to average players isn’t a good thing.
Proposals for next TV deal.
Offer All Scottish games KO off 1pm.
Change the culture.
2 live games 3pm Saturday & 5.30pm. That means that it is usually us.
No Sunday matches unless Europe dictates.
Friday night football for teams if they want it. Fans should be canvassed.
Anyone buying a season ticket gets a free subscription for that season to the TV channel.
Cap the ticket prices. No game should be over £25.
Stop clubs selling season tickets for 3 stands at once. Sell main stand and one other stand and a 3rd stand should be used for surplus for home or away fans and if and when required a dedicated family section to allow youngsters the chance to go to more away matches. A game can be on in your own town and you can;t take your kid. That is wrong.
Live TV matches should have cheaper entry prices than non Live Tv games. As someone alluded to earlier watching a live game on TV with half empty stands looks awful.
There must be a clear strategy and I fear this will have to be driven by the fans or the clubs.
There are some fairly savvy business people in our football these days and also in the ranks of the fans. I think something needs to be done to push this forward and at least get people talking. As Ronny has said if people are not learning and improving they are going backwards. This is the main problem with Scottish football. We have a ‘That’s the way it’s always been’ attitude and it is turning fans away.
LB
lvibhoy,
lots of good thinking there, and one more
lets demote sevco for a laugh.
Livibhoy – brilliant post – agree with everything you said. Common sense.
Very rare kinda political post from Geordie…..
Any split from the UK would take years to finalise.
The current oil price would be having close to zero effect at the moment if the vote went the other way last Sept.
HH
I like the idea of a big crowd AND a big away support at CP but not in this instance.
Home fans would have to be moved and I couldn’t stand to read screeds on here from the panty wetters at the prospect.