Topic: Al Jazeera-Apple could challenge Sky for TV rights

[SMD]

didnt mean in terms of money, everyone (almost) have that.  I was referring to knowledge and market share in sports broadcasting.  Apple/Google do not have that at the moment.  It is a special skill to be able to use all those cameras around the pitch and tv replays.  I dont know if you noticed when ITV or any other tv stations broadcasting during world cups, you get the wrong replays or the camera aint in the right place at the right time...and this probably bothered you at the time.

You know that's just from the host broadcaster, right?

[kapil08]

Nobody should doubt Al Jazeera, they are backed by the Qatari government. In 2009, they wanted to show the 2010 World cup so they outright bought the competition network which has the rights to broadcast the WC for $2 billion. They want to be the number one sports network in the world and have the money to do it.

Jazeera's coverage is superb. They show just about every match in the world

[Torpedo Tommy]

Do not want. I pay for Sky grudgingly I fucking hate Apple.

If it brings unbiased coverage of footy news and games in this country then fair do - I'd happily bin anything to do with Rupert Murdoch!

[macca007]

Jazeera's coverage is superb. They show just about every match in the world

Except for the odd adverts they have going.

[McPepe]

A close family member of mine is a director at sky and i asked him if ESPN are a threat to their TV deal (this was a few years ago when they first got involved). His answer straight away was "No, Google are" and went on to say that ESPN games are done by sky but badged as ESPN. I dont know if this is still the case or just when they first got involved but does seem to explain why Sky advertise live matches shown on a so called rival channel.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

I went yesterday to Al Jazeera sports forum and I found someone who is working there saying that the higher ups at the channel are confident that they will broadcast the EPL in the Middle East starting from 2013-14 till 2015-16 and will get about 92 games in England.

They have bought a new studio in London and began negotiations with former players to be their pundits, Gary Lineker is already the presenter of their CL studio and they have some names as pundits like Alan Shearer, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Ray Clemence, Trevor Francis, Graeme Souness, Ruud Gullit, Terry Venables & Glen Hoddle doing punditry in the CL games as well as  Liga, Serie A and the FA cup for them and they are already lining up to sign these to new contracts in time for when they begin broadcasting PL games.

[DanFromMars]

Bullshit, BBC's coverage when it has the money and the inclination is fantastic. F1 was brilliant.

Live footie commentary on the beeb is dire though.  And Eddie Jordan is a fucking retard.  Only sports coverage I really like is HBOs boxing ones

[StormyDog]

Fuck that shit, Apple will probably charge more and then only give quality service to yet to be released Apple pc's or some shite like that...

Apple are like Sky, They have the goods, but they charge a fortune to use them.

No they are not.
Apple don't compromise on quality of product to keep the costs to a minimum (ie Dell). If apple did get involved in football I guess that they won't provide coverage in the UK cause the streaming infrastructure is too poor to support the quality of service they would be prepared to offer.

If they did offer a service in the UK then it'd be wifi based and they go into partnership with a mobile phone company IMO.

I'd be happy to pay apple prices for apple quality rather than SKY for the biased bollox they provide. as to streaming in the Uk it's a waste of time for almost anyone outside of the Major cities who religh on BT in stead of cable speeds..

[SMD]

Live footie commentary on the beeb is dire though.  And Eddie Jordan is a fucking retard.  Only sports coverage I really like is HBOs boxing ones

Live footy commentary on Sky is beyond dire. And Eddie Jordan gets access to teams that no one else can rival. He pulled Ferrari's team principal out of a meeting for a quick chat, whereas on Sky you have the likes of Geoff Shreeves completely unwilling to even pose a question that might cause disdain, let alone a difficult question pertinent to events on the sports field.

And that doesn't really deal with the fact that the BBC can do amazing things if they're given the money, whereas Sky have all the money and still serve up a steaming slice of turd. But hey, the graphics look nice (it's not even theirs).

[Surprise me.]

And Eddie Jordan is a fucking retard.

As SMD says, having Eddie around means they can get interviews with whoever they want. He owned his own team and the majority of the paddock knows him as a result. Plus some of the stuff he says is actually spot on, he just goes around the houses to explain it. One thing Sky are going to have a problem with is getting interviews when they want them, with Eddie he could literally walk up to them and it's more in his hands on when an interview should take place, no waiting around for whoever they want to talk to. Brundle will be a big help to them and will probably help a lot more as a result.

[Blue Coop]

Those who argue Apple and Google don't have the resources to provide good matchday coverage then I think you are underestimating the two companies. Infact, I would go as far to say that should they end up providing the coverage, it would be just as good if not better. Apple in particular with the way the handheld device, cloud computing and general technology is advancing would soon have live games coming off devices you can take anywhere with online connection. The whole industry is going to develop sooner or later and if Sky don't make it happen then somebody else will.

Next year is not that time, mind. In my opinion ofcourse.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

Al Jazeera bid for Premier League TV rights is a realistic prospect, says ESPN chief
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:09 PM on 28th February 2012

Disney-owned ESPN will not get involved in a bidding war if Arab TV channel Al Jazeera takes on Satellite broadcaster BSkyB for exclusive live coverage of Barclays Premier League football.

The current three-season TV deal which saw Sky and ESPN pay a total of £1.78billion to screen 138 top-flight live games per year ends in May 2013.

It is understood that senior figures within Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari royal family, are contemplating a bid for the rights when they are put out to tender next year.

The move would be a serious blow to Rupert Murdoch’s Sky TV service which is heavily dependent on the revenues it earns from the millions of subscribers who tune into its exclusive football coverage.

At present ESPN is a junior partner to Sky showing 23 matches, for which it is believed to have paid in the region of £160million.

And new head of ESPN for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ross Hair told the London Evening Standard: 'We’re expecting another Premier League auction in April or May. An Al Jazeera bid is a realistic prospect.

They have done something very interesting in France in buying first division football against the incumbent satellite broadcaster Canal Plus and we’ve also looked at what they’ve done in other markets.

'You can draw parallels with the upcoming auction in the UK. Al Jazeera have the ambition to grow further in sport and into other markets.'

Sky and the American broadcaster ESPN currently share UK pay-for-view coverage following the £1.78 billion deal for the rights to cover matches between 2010 and 2013. Sky holds five of the six 23-game packages.

Qatar’s interest in football has mushroomed since last December when it won the right to stage the 2022 finals. Some purists were angered by the decision to award the event to a nation with so little interest in football. There were also claims that the country’s hot temperatures could even pose a health and safety risk to players.

But since then Qatar has become the shirt sponsors of Spain’s best club, Barcelona, and a Qatari investment firm has bought one of France’s most famous clubs, Paris St Germain.

Al Jazeera has already established itself as a major player in the market for televised sports.

In the summer it bought some of the domestic rights to screen matches from France's top division, Ligue 1.

The broadcaster also owns regional TV rights for the next three World Cups and to the Champions League, with the BBC’s Gary Lineker fronting their coverage.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2107652/Al-Jazeera-bid-Premier-League-TV-rights-realistic-prospect.html?ITO=1490

[Trada]

Al Jazeera could challenge Sky for Premier League TV rights

Published 16:16 28/02/12 By MirrorFootball
Sky-tv-camera cropped.jpeg

Premier League clubs could be in for another massive television cash windfall with a serious challenge to Sky's domination of top-flight domestic TV coverage by Al Jazeera now a "realistic prospect", according to the European head of ESPN.

The possibility of the Qatar-owned broadcaster going head to head with Sky has been speculated on ever since it beat Canal Plus to the French Ligue 1 and Champions League rights.

Now Ross Hair, head of ESPN for Europe, Middle East and Africa, believes Al Jazeera are likely to challenge Sky - a move which if successful would pose a serious threat to the Murdoch-owned satellite broadcaster.

The spin-off of a bidding war for the clubs could be a lot more cash for the 2013-16 domestic rights - the current three-year deal is already worth £1.782billion.

Hair told the Evening Standard: "We're expecting another Premier League auction in April or May. An Al Jazeera bid is a realistic prospect.

"They have done something very interesting in France in buying first division football against the incumbent satellite broadcaster Canal Plus and we've also looked at what they've done in other markets.

"You can draw parallels with the upcoming auction in the UK. Al Jazeera have the ambition to grow further in sport and into other markets."

ESPN are also set to bid as they are desperate to retain their foothold in the Premier League market - they currently show 23 live matches a season.

Premier League football has been the driving force of Sky's satellite TV success in the UK but they have not had a challenger of such potential threat before.

The financial muscle of Qatar has seen Al Jazeera become a major player in football rights, a process that accelerated when the Middle Eastern country won the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Al-Jazeera-could-challenge-Sky-for-Premier-League-TV-rights-article872081.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[my name canged back to tucker?]

could be very interesting if they do,

[lionel_messias]

If this gets Jamie Redknapp off our screens I am all in favour.

[Flinstone]

the qataris now own

malaga
PSG
canal rights to broadcast champions league games in france
just secured rights or are bidding for the ligue 1?
confirmed interest in united and now this

money really does talk

[DutchRed]

I can't be against any proposal putting Gary Neville out of a job.

[Vinay]

If they win, it could also mean no more late kick-offs and even earlier kick-offs. Perhaps even Friday night games?

[-Willo-]

How would we then watch the footy? If it weren't on sky

[Juan Loco]

Anything that gives those lovely Qatari's more influence can only be good.

[Heighwayondawing]

I can't be against any proposal putting Gary Neville out of a job.

I hate him, but he talks more sense than 90% of the so called experts.

[macca007]

How would we then watch the footy? If it weren't on sky

Is it not sky sports itself buys the rights rather than just sky? And I'd be surprised if they didnt make al jazeera channels on sky or virgin like they did with setanta and espn

[Juan Loco]

How would we then watch the footy? If it weren't on sky

I imagine Al Jazeera would do something really radical, like set up their own sports channels for obscene amounts a month.

[Trada]

How would we then watch the footy? If it weren't on sky

I imagine they will start their own channel up.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

If Al Jazeera really wants to buy the PL, nothing would stop them, not even Murdoch's money.

[Alf]

If somebody else gets the Premier League then Sky are Fucked. Forget about everything else they give coverage to as the primary reason people subscribe is for the football. Provided Al Jazeera can find a platform such as freeview to broadcast the games via PPV or monthly subscription and Sky could find themselves in big trouble.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

I imagine they will start their own channel up.

This is what happened in France and this is what I imagine will happen in England if they take the PL rights.

[Enemy]

If somebody else gets the Premier League then Sky are Fucked. Forget about everything else they give coverage to as the primary reason people subscribe is for the football. Provided Al Jazeera can find a platform such as freeview to broadcast the games via PPV or monthly subscription and Sky could find themselves in big trouble.

This would be nice

[Babel Time]

Really hope this implies that both sky and al-jazeera would be showing the matches. The only the highest bidder gets to air all matches system is ridiculous. A little competition in this market would be quite positive for consumers.

[Garstonite]

Really hope this implies that both sky and al-jazeera would be showing the matches. The only the highest bidder gets to air all matches system is ridiculous. A little competition in this market would be quite positive for consumers.

Yeah. Much like getting shat on from a great height while a second party comes in and punches you in the bollocks.

[Cpt_Reina]

Premier League football made Sky. If it wasnt for that it would never have reached the heights it currently has.

Dont expect them to go down without a fight, losing the Premier League would start the very slow death of Sky and they know it.

If Al Jazeera are serious about it though the next deal could be huge.

[Brian Blessed]

Really hope this implies that both sky and al-jazeera would be showing the matches. The only the highest bidder gets to air all matches system is ridiculous. A little competition in this market would be quite positive for consumers.

Not unless they radically change what they do now.

[greenone]

Really hope this implies that both sky and al-jazeera would be showing the matches. The only the highest bidder gets to air all matches system is ridiculous. A little competition in this market would be quite positive for consumers.

What like Setanta and then ESPN showing 20 games a season so you have to subscribe to 2 sports packages? That benefits me in what way? I don't remember the sky price going down when they lost exclusivity.

[SalisburyRed]

Really hope this implies that both sky and al-jazeera would be showing the matches. The only the highest bidder gets to air all matches system is ridiculous. A little competition in this market would be quite positive for consumers.

Competition would be two or more broadcasters showing the same games. That's never going to happen, of course.

[Mouth]

Premier League football made Sky. If it wasnt for that it would never have reached the heights it currently has.

Dont expect them to go down without a fight, losing the Premier League would start the very slow death of Sky and they know it.

If Al Jazeera are serious about it though the next deal could be huge.

A fight with Al Jazeera? Ooh that could get messy.

[Prof]

Sky's technology is their biggest strength now.  It used to be all about the football, but not now.

Sky Plus, the HD channels etc. are their biggest USP's.

If another channel had the rights, they would need cable and satellite broadcasters to air their channel, so people would still sign up to it, they would 'just' have to give the rights winner a fee for each subscription.

The effect it will all have is that prices to view all premierleague matches would be ridiculous (if they aren't already) as you'd pay for Sky Sports and the new channel.

The biggest threat to Sky is online streaming.  Broadcasting through their satellite network could become redundant, but I think we're some way from that yet, as the current internet structure couldn't cope with the quality of image that we get through cable and satellite.

In the short term, be prepared to pay out a load if you want all the football on your TV in 18 months time.

[Prof]

Competition would be two or more broadcasters showing the same games. That's never going to happen, of course.

Spot on.

The logic they use to encourage competition by forcing different packages is stupid.  If you want to watch Liverpool v Man Utd on the box, you have no choice but to watch Sky.  It should never have been allowed, buy where would sport get its money otherwise?

[Cpt_Reina]

Would be most interesting if Al Jazeera won if they decided to not go down the ESPN/Setanta route of having a channel on Sky and instead decided to fuck off Sky all together and went to BT and or Virgin with their channel.

Doubt it'd ever happen as there's probably nothing in it for them unless they want to completely break Sky all together, but it'd be fun to watch.

[Jimmy Conway]

Sky's technology is their biggest strength now.  It used to be all about the football, but not now.

Sky Plus, the HD channels etc. are their biggest USP's.

If another channel had the rights, they would need cable and satellite broadcasters to air their channel, so people would still sign up to it, they would 'just' have to give the rights winner a fee for each subscription.

The effect it will all have is that prices to view all premierleague matches would be ridiculous (if they aren't already) as you'd pay for Sky Sports and the new channel.

The biggest threat to Sky is online streaming.  Broadcasting through their satellite network could become redundant, but I think we're some way from that yet, as the current internet structure couldn't cope with the quality of image that we get through cable and satellite.

In the short term, be prepared to pay out a load if you want all the football on your TV in 18 months time.

Apart from the fact Sky use a 3rd party to film matches.

You dont think they've got HD, red button, 3D in other countries via other broadcasters? I think they had 3D in USA in March 2010, Sky didnt launch till Oct 2010.

[CHOPPER]

Alaaaaaaaaaan Shariar to present it.