EU against

[Gromit]

// The Premier League have lost their case in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against a pub landlady who used a foreign decoder to show live matches at 3pm on Saturdays. //

http://www.telegraph....Court-of-Justice.html

The Premier League sell their packages to territories, creating monopolies. Sky and ESPN (in the UK) are then able to sell to UK viewers uncontested, and therefore at a high price. This has now been ruled against (not yet quite a victory). We should now be able to shop around Europe for the cheapest football packages.

A victory for UK football fans from the ECJ.

Unless you disagree?

[New Judge]

“The true supporter of the event” eagle eye?

What, like those who do not pay for a ticket to see the event live, possibly do not pay for their own Sky Sports subscription at home, but instead go into a pub with a load of their mates, ruin the atmosphere for a couple of hours for all those out for a quiet pint by shouting and chanting at a TV screen whilst swilling and spilling pints of tasteless lager.

Yes, truly “The true supporter of the event”! So long as they’re watching it in the pub via Sky, but not if they watch it via a cheaper foreign source.

[eagle eye]

NJ - By 'True supporter of the event' I mean those who actually go to the event and contribute to the atmosphere, whose hard-earned money is going directly to host club. I am sure a match played infront of empty seats is less attractive to the broadcaster.

And how Gromit can say 'A victory for UK football fans from the ECJ' is laughable. UK Football fans go to watch at the stadia. The "victory" is for the TV supporter, the idle asses, too lazy to get involved in anything.

[eagle eye]

Another way of looking at this is - if you were a performer, say an illusionist/dancer/singer-songwriter/poet/ban
d,
and you had signed a deal with a broadcaster to show your performance live. Would you be happy if a local pub found a way of showing this cheap, without paying the full rate. Would you be happy eh????

Too many people these days think they are 'owed' something and can get something on the cheap or for free. Look at the riots. If you really want to watch something you pay the going rate. If you're not that bothered, you don't.

Why don't the moaning minnies complain about film stars/pop stars/models earning millions for a few minutes work. Footballers seem to be an easy target.

People keep going on about the lower/non-leagues. Where do you you think they aspire to play?? Only a few like Rooney/Lampard/Torres/Tevez are paid millions. The majority of premier league footballers are not.

As with most things in life, if you think it's worth it, you pay the going rate. If not - don't. No-one is forced to pay for Sky. No-one is forced to pay for Premier League football.

The only thing you HAVE to pay for is a TV license, which goes to the BBC for their rubbish. This, I think, is wrong.

[New Judge]

If I “...had signed a deal with a broadcaster to show your performance live. Would you be happy if a local pub found a way of showing this cheap, without paying the full rate.” I would not be in the slightest troubled, eagle eye. Because I would have still received what the broadcaster I had dealt with agreed to pay me.

And that’s exactly what is happening with Premier League football. The League is still getting the agreed sum from Sky regardless of people getting a cheaper service from abroad. Sky and the Premiership want to dictate where viewers buy their product from. What this does indicate is that UK customers of Premier League football are daft enough to get ripped off by Sky. If the League are prepared to sell it cheaper elsewhere, what puts the price up in the UK? (Answer: greed of Sky and the League and gullibility of the customers).

Customers of goods and service within the EU are entitled to buy from wherever they like within the EU. They can shop around for the cheapest deal. And that is one of the very few advantages of the EU