How Far Is Live Television Hitting Crowds? - 25/09/2005

One of the explanations advanced for the decline in football attendances this season is extensive live television coverage of matches. However, the relationship is quite complex and difficult to isolate from other factors. Armchair fans are watching Premiership matches in greater numbers than last season, suggesting that the country has not lost its fascination with top flight football to the extent that has been claimed. According to figures collected by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board and supplied by ZenithOptimedia, the average audience for 10 matches screened on the main BSkyB channels between the start of the season and 19 Drptember was 1.1m. This compares with an average of just more than 988,000 for 15 matches shown up to 20 September 2004. The trend for matches shown on Sky's PremPlus pay-per-view service was also positive. So far this season eight matches have attracted an average audience of 230,000, against 170,000 for seven matches in the comparable period last year. In both cases, however, figures remain below equivalent 2003-4 audience averages (1.29m and more than 250,000 respectively). However, figures for a particular time period may not offer a valid like-for-like comparison. Matches shown so far this season on Sky Sports 1 have included a high proportion of potentially attractive fixtures, e.g., Arsenal v Newcastle on 14 August and Liverpool v Manchester United on 16 September. In spite of this, no match this season has yet attracted an audience of 2 million or more. Last year's top audience was more than 3.1m for Manchester United v Arsenal in October. On the basis of this season's statistics it is difficult to establish a direct link between live coverage and smaller-than-expected crowds. Of the 18 televised games, 11 have attracted above average crowds, though this could be partly explained by the calibre of the games. On the other hand, the televised derby between West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City attracted below average crowds, although it was an early kick off. Perhaps all this shows is that you can interpret stats to tell you anything. Many will be more impressed by the common sense of Charlton manager Alan Curbishley who hinted at a broader link between televised football and empty stadium seats: 'How can anybody sit down on a Sunday and be entertained by a Premiership game at 12 o'clock, a Premiership game at two o'clock, a Football League game at three o'clock, a top Spanish game at six o'clock, another top Spanish game at nine o'clock, then throw an Italian game in as well. If you are lucky enough to see Ronaldinho, Eto'o or Figo go past players on the TV and then your players don't do it on a Saturday, and you have paid for the privilege to watch that, I think that is a bit of a problem.'