Chelsea v Manchester is the early game today - and I shall attend.

However, over 12 million others humans will also be watching worldwide.

In 212 territories - carried by 80 broadcasters, who pay about $15 billion for three seasons rights.

The growth of the game has been phenomenal and there is no place on earth where it isn't played, and followed avidly.

My colleagues tell me that 20/25 million people will have watched this excellent game (2-2), because of the global popularity of the individual teams.

And that the early kick-off was to facilitate viewers in the Far/Middle East, China etc. Is it any wonder that players can earn £300k+ a week?


Perhaps Murdoch's best decision ever - seeing the EPL potential, and closely linking Sky Sports - who remain pivotal to its success.

Barney wrote:
My colleagues tell me that 20/25 million people will have watched this excellent game (2-2), because of the global popularity of the individual teams.

And that the early kick-off was to facilitate viewers in the Far/Middle East, China etc. Is it any wonder that players can earn £300k+ a week?


Perhaps Murdoch's best decision ever - seeing the EPL potential, and closely linking Sky Sports - who remain pivotal to its success.





If everything is to be judged by money then football is bigger and better than ever, however I feel that it has lost something. Football teams used to represent their local communities formed mainly of players from local schools and youth teams, with a few bought in from local lower leagues, now they are all bought in from around the world having no connection with the town they are playing for getting paid massively whilst the punters pay ticket prices that have increased well above inflation in the past 20 years. I can watch Liverpool now, and it has nothing to do with Liverpool the city except that the players play there this year, then probably go somewhere else in a year or two.

I agree - local players simply aren't good enough.

Of the 518 EPL players, 352 are foreign - almost 70%.

And it has detracted from the game, considerably, on a local level.


Worse still, State Teams are the future - with PSG, Manchester City, Milan etc., now owned by countries!

Many other teams are just a business interest of non-resident billionaires.

Like the two teams in the game I watched yesterday - Chelsea and Manchester United.

Barney wrote:
Chelsea v Manchester is the early game today - and I shall attend.

However, over 12 million others humans will also be watching worldwide.

In 212 territories - carried by 80 broadcasters, who pay about $15 billion for three seasons rights.

The growth of the game has been phenomenal and there is no place on earth where it isn't played, and followed avidly.






Is this an advert??? A message from Gordon Gekko? '12 million humans' - worldwide - isn't that impressive. The pomposity of the game, the corruption of the game, the increasingly bombastic aspect of the game, the cynicism of the game, yes, all of that's grown, but many don't admire it, let alone in this kind of happy clappy puffery.

Yes terrible - like McDonald's

Although we all eat them, billions of us


More people participate in the beautiful game, than any other

It's the only sport played in every country on earth


No - the sport is not perfect, because of profiteering

But, most of the world watches it, on a daily or weekly basis