Lots to pick up on today but a Bloomberg article on “Soccer Pirates” grabbed my attention. The US business news broadcaster focussed on a recent fundamental technical shift which has seen high quality and reliable feeds of Sky and BT broadcast football games illegal appearing on TV sets across the globe.
The days of illegal content consumers scavenging around their laptop for a feed in the minutes leading up to kick off are on the way out. Now you can subscribe to a feed of your chosen content in Eastern Europe or China and it will be streamed to a device attached to your TV, where it will appear pretty much as it does direct from Sky.
This is important for several reasons. Subscription football is expensive. Thousands of Scottish football fans pay a significant portion of their monthly disposable income to Sky and BT to follow their team on television. They also get English and Spanish football as part of these subscriptions, but there is a dysfunctional market for football content.
While Sky earn 8% of their UK subscription income from Scotland, they send only 1% of their football outlays north of the border. English Premier League football is the key to entry into the UK subscription TV market, own this content, and you have market control. Cost per eyeball paid for Scottish football is a tiny fraction what is paid for English football (or English rugby league, for that matter), which has fostered a feeling among Scottish subscribers that they are being exploited by an oligopolist.
For some time now the comments section of CQN has seen discussions on how to organise a boycott of Sky, with many making the unilateral declaration “Just cancelled Sky Sports”, but there is a fundamental truth: if we have the money, we are going to watch Celtic.
Scrambling around for an illegal feed minutes before kick-off, fighting pop-ups or coping with lags is not how I want to watch my football, however, as the Bloomberg article makes plain, these issues are irrelevant if, like 2.4 million others, you subscribe to an Eastern European or Chinese feed. To force an oligopolist to change, you either need regulators to step in (they have abandoned us to a fragment of the UK market), or you need to find a way to take your business elsewhere.
One of the main advantages of being paid a pittance is you can take bold steps; Scottish football has nothing to lose by burning bridges with those who collect revenues here and pour the money into the coffers of clubs elsewhere.
The more fundamental question, even than losing Scottish subscribers, to Sky and BT, is the risk this technology poses to the value of their English Premier League broadcast rights. Viewers in England (and across the globe) also pay a substantial levy to watch English football. If the pick-up rate of Eastern European subscriber numbers continues, and assurances given to Bloomberg that prosecutions for use are unlikely, Sky and BT will see collapsing revenues – and maybe then we’ll see the English football bubble burst. Indeed, if Scottish viewers prove the concept and move en-mass, English viewers will not be far behind.
This is an important subject, we’ll talk more about it. I’m not going to advocate breaking even an unenforceable law, although others will, but there is no point playing TV money-victim anymore. This technology will eventually remove the enormous discrepancies in our game, so I’m off to buy one of the boxes, just to take a look, of course.
4-in-1-row DVD, £10.99, on CQN Bookstore, still available for Father’s Day (Sunday)!
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Am here.
think they have all popped down govan to see their new hero sign on
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
08:19 on
18 June, 2015
Sounds like some US nutter has been celebrating his right to bear arms by shooting down 9 people in a church in S. Carolina.
May their souls rest in peace.
Can any American CQNr explain just what is the obsession with guns and the refusal to countenance social medical care.?
America is one of the greatest countries in the world.
Americans are very friendly people for the most part.
Cease this irrational and illogical hatred of America.
Stop trying to dictate people in other countries how they should live their lives.
Guns are illegal in Ireland – didn’t prevent thousands of people from being shot dead.
HH.
Good Morning CQN
antipodean red
Sorry I could not make it to see you and delaneys dunky on
Saturday night
Hope you enjoyed your stay in the old town
Safe journey home
Hope to meet you some other time
Take care
Hail Hail
Mt
reading about the impending doom in greece and the knock-on effect on the rest if us
i just dont really get it, so can some “capeeetaleeest peeeeg” explain to me why financial problems in, what is after all a minor player in the financial world, have such a seemingly disasterous effect on the rest of us.
i could get my head round it if it was germany or france going tights up, but greece?
its a bit like you having to declare your family bankrupt and selling off the family home because your 10 year old son lost his pocket money
seems ridiculous
quonno
10:28 on 18 June, 2015
They need guns in case the King of England tries to attack them.
Doesn’t prevent them being abducted by aliens though.
So,the Dublin Hootenanny…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pAKaxt8cp8o
(Fella at 2’50” and at 10’50” will take some beating,mind!)
foghorn leghorn
10:51 on 18 June, 2015
It’s because the economic system is built on confidence. A pack of cards.
Foghorn,
You asked for a capitalist pig?
So, the Greeks spent too much. Bunch of clowns.
Their solution to economic madness? Elect the loony left. That is akin to a depressed person having plastic surgery in order to look like Davie Dodds.
As long as Sammi is ok, I couldn’t care less.
Hope that helps.
foghorn leghorn
10:51 on
18 June, 2015
reading about the impending doom in greece and the knock-on effect on the rest if us
i just dont really get it, so can some “capeeetaleeest peeeeg” explain to me why financial problems in, what is after all a minor player in the financial world, have such a seemingly disasterous effect on the rest of us.
i could get my head round it if it was germany or france going tights up, but greece?
its a bit like you having to declare your family bankrupt and selling off the family home because your 10 year old son lost his pocket money
seems ridiculous
————————————————-
UK is not part of the Euro so no direct exposure but has lent about £15.B through it’s rolw in the IMF. Chances are the IMF debt will be paid back first so the financial exposure for us is relatively low. There is a fear in some quarters that, if they exit the Euro this will have a political impact on the whole European project – some demonstration that it’s isn;t such a good idea for example. Some geopolitics that would make some worry that they might cosy up with Russia. Whether that’s a genuine fear or not, who knows. Bottom line – if you’re going to Greece on holiday, take some cash in case teh ATMs stop working.
Captain Beefheart
11:04 on 18 June, 2015
‘So, the Greeks spent too much. Bunch of clowns.’
###
Who lent them the money?
What sanction do those who lent them the money face?
The Greek PM is meeting Putin tomorrow for talks.
Personal responsibility Mr Lynchios?
They had a crackpot economy for years. it is about to become even more crackpotted.
Bring Sammi back.
All orders for the new 4 IN A ROAR DVD were sent out yesterday first class post, so should arrive today at UK addresses.
If you want a copy for Fathers Day on Sunday or if you want a book delivered order at http://www.cqnbookstore.com and we’ll get it there.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART
But an imposed Rightwing government which took austerity to the extreme and killed the economy was a good idea?
Ok then.
16 roads – Celtic über alles…
10:41 on
18 June, 2015
America is one of the greatest countries in the world.
Americans are very friendly people for the most part.
Cease this irrational and illogical hatred of America.
Stop trying to dictate people in other countries how they should live their lives.
Guns are illegal in Ireland – didn’t prevent thousands of people from being shot dead.
HH.
—————————————————————————————————————-
Agree 100%
We, together with the rest of Europe, would be speaking a mix of German and Russian, if not for the USA.
There would be no NATO – no effective defence against, first, Soviet and now, Russian expansionism.
Of course the USA has it faults – however go to ANY Middle Eastern/Far Eastern country, those whose totalitarian governments call America “The Great Satan”, and you will see large queues ’round the block’ and ’round the clock’ out side EVERY USA Embassy and Consulate.
We are lucky that we have our special relationship, although the SNP tried to scupper it by release a mass murderer for their own self-publicising agenda – “look what we can do, we lead the Scottish Assembly”
foghorn leghorn
10:51 on 18 June, 2015
Situations like this set the World FInancial Markets CONFIDENCE ball rolling down the panic hill …..
Off to Greece on Saturday.
Having read as much as possible about the situation my belief is that short term tourists like myself will have little to fear as long as we carry some cash and a credit card guaranteed by UK banking.
In the event of an emergency Drachma being introduced. It would be over 18 months before such an event could become applicable.
In the meantime, the tourist Euro will much sought after and indeed one may even gain preferential exchange rates and reduced costs as the Greek people reduce prices to attract the tourist trade.
Greece is even more dependant upon tourism at this time. Ekfaristo polee!
Parakalo
EC67
Banks and money manipulators drove the whole financial system over a cliff, taking folks jobs, property and money with them.
These ‘Fred the shreds’ and assorted Shylocks walked off into the sunset (like Murray and McCoist closer to home) leaving us taxpayers to suffer ‘austerity’ to bail the banks out.
They should be stripped of every penny and eat porrage for years.
captain beefheart
11:04 on 18 June, 2015
Foghorn,
You asked for a capitalist pig?
So, the Greeks spent too much. Bunch of clowns.
Their solution to economic madness? Elect the loony left. That is akin to a depressed person having plastic surgery in order to look like Davie Dodds.
*******
And what is this Greek “loony left” saying? That the austerity imposed by the troika has reduced the tax take in Greece to such an extent that the Greek debt has risen by 50% since it was imposed! They won’t get their money back unless they help Greece to become a healthy economy again – cutting the amount of money in people’s pockets makes no sense. There are fundamental issues to be addressed in Greece obviously but yhat has to happen as part of an effort to relaunch the Greek economy.
Incidentally I know a girl in Glasgow who had to sell her flat to help her dad out when his pension was reduced by three quarters! Imagine that happening to you?
so a great deal of it is to do with market jitters? tell them all to chill out and take a holiday – to greece maybe
i would love to be going there today for a couple of weeks with a case full of euros to help them on their way
Bobby,
Common sense was required. The crackplates in charge now are incompetent idealists.
See ‘warbs’ is heading out the u-21 tournament to look for fresh talent, apparently all the top managers will be there according to the orcs.
I would have thought all the top clubs would just send there chief scout as I imagine Celtic will do as its his job HH
Speaking German or russian.
Maybe a bit like most Irish and Scots speak english as a first language.
Try ordering a pint in gaelic in Glasgow and see how far you get.
As for the mass murderer bit you might want to check out how some of the victims relatives feel about that
Correction – UK exposure via IMF is circa £1.5B not £15B. Just as well I’m not doing their books…
Captain Beefheart
11:21 on
18 June, 2015
Bobby,
Common sense was required. The crackplates in charge now are incompetent idealists.
———————————————————
Democratically voted in by the people. Just as Scotland has returned 50-odd SNP MPs to “Lock David Cameron and the Tories out of Downing Street”. The public gets what the public wants.
Greece ? .
Minty Moonbeams land .
Captain Beefheart
11:13 on 18 June, 2015
‘Personal responsibility Mr Lynchios?
They had a crackpot economy for years.’
###
And yet someone, somewhere lent them money.
You talk of personal responsibility. Does that apply to those who lent them money?
First Lynch.
Then Chavez.
Who is next? Pol Pot?
.
In 1981 when I was First Told that if a Greek Did Not paint their Front the Were Not Liable for Land Tax..
Then in 82 was Told the Tax Max was Running around at Night Painting Doors..
Somewhere between 83-85 there was a Land Tax overhaul to stop the Tax Dodging..
If You has Re-Bar sticking out of the Top of Your House and it was Painted White.. You did Not have to Pay Land Tax.. The Unfinished-Hoose Tax..
There are Literally.. And I am Saying this Literally..
Billions of Dracmas hidden in Olive Groces around Greece..
Mines are in the Pelleponese.. Near Argos.. (Not the Shop)..
When the Greeks Used to Deport me (On the Brindisi Ferry) then 36 Hrs later ask me for a Bribe to come back in l had a Funny Feeling the Dracma was God..
This Of Course was 1BG (Before Georgious) in 84′
Summa of SamarasSummersInHellenikaCSC
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART
Very good. But you did ask for it,bringing everything back to your hatred of anything remotely left-of-centre.
ThompsonTwin
11:15 on 18 June, 2015
‘We, together with the rest of Europe, would be speaking a mix of German and Russian, if not for the USA.’
###
The war would have been lost if it wasn’t for the role of the USSR.
And the USA would have remained neutral if the Japanese hadn’t attacked them. Their economy benefited enormously from the war. They weren’t involved out of altruism.
Hopalong Cassidy.
Gabby Hayes.
Just saying.
Oh and Roy Rodgers whom I saw sitting astride Trigger on the steps of the Central Station Hotel in the early fifties.
REAL make believe cowboys.
Chavez, jesting aside, I wish your friend well.
ERNIE LYNCH
Yep. Then they damn near bankrupted us post-war by demanding their money back while lavishing considerably more on rebuilding Germany. Very strange.
I have a lot of relations in the USA. Mostly around New York. I honestly don’t understand them at all. Pro guns. Anti abortion. Dead against gay marriage. Pro Israel and pro the Iraq war (as long as none of their kids got sent there) When I speak to them politics is a dangerous subject. Most were big fans of George Bush. It’s like trying to have an open and honest conversation with a Hun on the subject of Rangers. BTW some of them came from Glasgow. I swear I think they must brainwash you when going through customs.
..
*Must enter Spelling Bee
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