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Sky TV, brand affinity, masquerading insight

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Do you remember the early days of Sky Sports?  They raised the bar for football coverage on television, which had been limited in the scope of cameras deployed, production skills and incident analysis.  When Sky arrived, the number of cameras at a game went from two to 12.  Time was dedicated to the pre-match build-up and you were learning things about the game from analysts, who knew more than you.

We liked Sky, they put money into our game and gave us a more enjoyable viewing experience.  There was what media people call brand affinity with the broadcaster.  Let’s remember where we were before that time.  As recently as 1995, Charlie Nicholas co-commentated for 15 minutes telling us the score was Rangers 1-1 Celtic, when the Rangers goal had been disallowed for offside.  An entire match production team at Ibrox didn’t know the score.

While Sky continued to improve the quality of their premium output, their efforts at delivering Scottish football content has dropped off a cliff.  Even those who work with the broadcaster tell me they are not interested in our game, an insight that scarcely needs to be stated.

Yesterday’s announcement by Sky that they secured rights to the SPFL for five seasons, pushing out BT Sport in the process, was Ratner-esque in the delivery of a business message.  The graphic featured Brendan Rodgers, a Celtic crest, Steven Gerrard and a Newco crest.  The message was clear: there are only two teams in this league we care about.  Even I was offended, despite my team featuring.  Consider where brand affinity is now.

We will all miss BT Sport, especially big Chris, but I’m not sharing the love with them.  Their production standards were excellent, but if they were not prepared to pay for the product, they cannot retain the rights.  The League only has discretion on these matters if the difference in bids is marginal, which it was not on this occasion.

So we are left with Sky, who still employ Charlie Nicholas, and who has never been short of a word (unless asked to contribute to a cause by Celtic), but has never provided insight into anything. Ever.  And there’s Andy Walker, who sent viewers off air telling them Celtic still had work to do to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, despite the whole of Europe knowing they secured just that.  People who do not know the score of a game they are commentating on, and do not know why 60,000 people are celebrating a result!  This is their business, and they know less about it than you.

I hope the money Sky have put in means they will take us more seriously but I remain to be convinced.  Stay tuned for five long years of mindless stating of the obvious, or ill-informed speculation about schisms masquerading as value-added insight.  Is it any wonder the new media find such a fertile audience?  Andy Gray must be spinning in his misogynist-bordello-themed 7am pub.

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  2. Dbhoy on

    DD

     

    You’re welcome. I’ve been listening to the Verve’s music for years including their b -sides. I’ll post some more when I get a chance.

     

     

    Work to do .

     

     

    HH

  4. Delaneys Dunky on

    DBhoy

     

    Thank you. I love The Verve and reckon Richard Ashcroft is a poetic genius. Loving his new Natural Rebel solo album.

     

    Richard Ashcroft CSC

  8. Tontine Tim on

    Any accolades handed out for the development of James Forrest must be handed to Lenny as it was he who spotted him in the youths and promoted him tae the first team squad

  9. stephbhoy on

    Always good to see celtic players doing well for national teams as it hopefully filters into their club football.

     

     

    Lots of talk about television deal agreed with sky,

     

     

    Firstly i have not always enjoyed sky’s production of scottish games but their bid was far greater that any other.

     

     

    it was stated that all deals announced i.e. sky, bbc etc… are individually and collectively larger that any previous deal, so sky must have paid over 31 million per year for spfl rights as that was the best deal we had previously.

     

     

    If it is around the 33 million mark that is a 50% increase on the current deal and for fewer games that current deal as well.

     

     

    Scottish football is worth a good bit more in my opinion, but a 50% increase is significant for the clubs. We only have a top 12 division and only about 22 full time clubs in scotland.

     

     

    With all the new contracts completed just about every premier clubs will be about 1 million a year better off. Not huge for celtic but for a lot of spl terms that is a lot of money. 1 million is about the wages for 4 hearts, aberdeen or hibs players,

     

     

    Alsi worth notung the efl deal is a 35% increase so in relative terms the deal secured well close the gap a little i.e. hopefully our city clubs can start to retain/ sign players from further up the fiod chain which well improve the product

  10. fan-a-tic on

    TONTINE TIM

     

    Brendan has revived JF after his career was derailed by Ronny.

     

    Lennon gave him his start and developed him but Brendan has taken him to the next level.

  11. David66 on

    Good morning CQN from a dark, very wet, and cold Garngad

     

     

    Great to see our Celtic Bhoys doing well at international level. Even better if they all come back with no injurys.

     

     

    Bring on the Accies.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    D. :)

  15. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DAVID66 on 21ST NOVEMBER 2018 6:07 AM

     

    Ps and free the BMCUWP 1

     

     

     

    D. :)

     

     

    ====================================================

     

     

    Yes , please.

  16. hashadenough on

    Excellent report on what Celtic contributes to Scotland’s economy.

     

     

    Published the day before a potentially heated AGM mmmm!

     

     

    Timing is everything…….

  18. David66 on

    It will be interesting to see how the club deflect away from resolution 12 and the summer transfer debacle today at the AGM.

     

    Because deflect they will.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    D. :)

  21. David66 on

    Jobo please don’t give up..

     

     

    You might have tried this already, switching off JavaScript, no jumping no adverts it’s bliss.

     

     

    Hahn

     

     

    D. :)

  22. David66 on

    HH even..feckin Hahn.. Wtf

     

     

    Ffs bloody site…. Only kidding just me the stupid poster.

     

     

    D. :)

  24. big packy 1 on

    morning bhoys, from another damp cold Cheshire., what can you say about wee jamsie, fantastic stuff,hh.?

  25. Jobo Baldie on

    David66, thanks for your concern but losing patience these last few weeks. Luckily Mrs Baldie,and me at airport on way to Lanzarote so not all bad news! Only on phone for next week and haven’t a clue how to switch off Javascript. Will research on my return. Another 20 minutes just to write this comment – hope it appears as most times they just disappear! Very frustrating. Espe ially with me being on such a high after last nights promotion clincher! ;-)

  26. Friesdorfer on

    Macjay,

     

    Read that Spectator article via a Facebook group. It has not improved over time. There is a reason why Abbott is a failed ex-PM of Australia. In fact he would be a prime candidate for leader of the Tory Party. A load of codswallop, imo of course. On the bus to Glasgow at present to attend the Celtic AGM, to hear more of the same I fear. But, hope springs eternal. HH

  30. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    FRIESDORFER on 21ST NOVEMBER 2018 8:12 AM

     

     

    Glad you read the article.

     

    Thanks for your comments. I found Abbott`s arguments impressive , particularly when I see the total disarray surrounding the whole Brexit process and the , imho , complete inability of PM May to deliver what the British electorate voted for.

     

    OUT.

     

    I feel she will be outed first.

     

     

    Incidentally ,the reason Abbott is a failed PM is because he was knifed in the back by the party room , not by the electorate , and was replaced by Malcolm Turnbull who was knifed in the back by the party room.

     

    Next please.

     

     

    Best wishes for the Celtic AGM.

     

    Please pass on my boundless gratitude to Peter Lawwell for the wonderful job he is doing.

     

    If you feel so inclined. :-)

  32. borgo67 on

    Jobo

     

    If you have an iPhone go to settings, scroll down to advanced click on that and you can disable java script from there.

     

    You will need java script enabled to use your phone for other purposes.

     

    Happy Holidays

  34. bankiebhoy1 on

    At well run agm’s nothing ever happens…………nowt.

     

    They are a sort of panto without the songs and jokes…perhaps the odd gag.

     

     

    Those expecting a rousing Town Hall rally type of affair will be disappointed unless of course

     

    they persist in seeing Big Peter as some kind of Dick, Dastardly……….

     

     

    Oh-Yes-They-Will CSC.

  35. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    If I was truly wanting my country back, I do not think I would be looking to those scions of privilege and The True Establishment, Nigel Farage (Dulwich College: son of a stockbroker, proponent of more widespread gun ownership and critical of our response to Dunblane, fundraiser for the DUP), Boris Johnson (Eton, son of a farming family whose dad was employed by The European Commission, Bullingdon club thug, and user of dog-whistle terms like “picaninnies”, and author of an article headed “Long Live Elitism!”) or Michael Gove (Robert Gordon’s, Critic of the NI Peace Process, serial backstabber and expense claim fraudster).

     

     

    Getting “Our Country Back!”, via immigration policy, is a Ploughman’s Lunch Myth. We will still be at the mercy of the whims of the true moneyed elite.

  36. Greenpinata on

    My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    The joy on the faces of the Celtic contingent should put to bed any thoughts of our players ” boycotting ” the Scottish team.

     

    It would be like shooting ourselves in the foot.

     

     

    As we go into the AGM today , Celtic on and off the park are in good shape.

     

     

    We rescued the National team.

     

    We sustain the Scottish economy.

     

     

    If only our local representatives and the Scottish government recognised our worth and acted accordingly.

     

    This economic report only puts figures to what we have been saying for years. It now gives us a mandate to apply political pressure to what matters to Celtic and her support.

     

     

    HH.

  40. What is the Stars on

    Macjay

     

    Spectator article

     

    Complete hogwash.

     

    Britain was never ruled from or by Brussels.

     

    Brexit….Rourkes Drift for slow learners.

  41. traditionalist88 on

    Celtic Mac on 20th November 2018 5:09 pm

     

    Seems like there are some people on here that are in the know.

     

    Maybe they could tell us what the BT bid was and for what.

     

    ===============

     

     

     

    ^Talk about in denial ffs.

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