Potential PL TV deal: Late Sunday KOs would “wreak havoc”
From the official FSA.Org website:
Reports appeared in the Telegraph this week about the potential for a new Sunday 6.30pm kick-off slot in the Premier League’s next TV deal.
At this stage we don’t know how much truth there are to the reports but even suggesting such a thing has led to a significant backlash already. Sunday evening KOs would cause havoc for the average matchgoing fan’s schedule and the FSA 100% oppose the prospect.
It’s a shocking idea but not one we’re unfamiliar with as fans in the WSL have put up with this for years.
Only last year we wrote that WSL supporters “fear that the range of early and late games, particularly on a Sunday midday or Sunday evening, are driving down attendances and discouraging families with children from attending.”
The football authorities and clubs like to showcase their green credentials too, but this seems to go out of the window for TV. Sunday evening KOs mean more fans travelling by car, as public transport is scarce, which undermines aims to reduce the game’s environmental impact.
One of the most positive steps the game could take is to put far more thought into how clubs and supporters travel to games, maximising public transport options with sensible fixture scheduling and putting on subsidised coach transport where affordable.
We’d encourage all top-flight supporters’ groups to raise this ASAP in their upcoming supporter engagement meetings. Ultimately clubs own the rights and selling out their own supporters is a choice.
‘Chelsea Supporters Group’ can also be found on Twitter and Facebook
