Football and broadcasting are literally merging

It's one of those situations where everyone seems to have become an expert. In this case it's football media rights, telecoms, and EU law all at once. And the context being pub football renders the issue more appetizing - apologies for the bad pun.

A lot has (already) been written and said about the Murphy case. I had made a mental note of the 4th October and looked forward to the Preliminary Ruling. And yet, after a couple of super busy days I already find myself commenting on reactions, rather than the ruling itself (something I hope to be able to do anyway soon). 

Most of us have an eager sense of anticipation to see how the 'post-Murphy' scenario will unfold. Out of these, I can see one which could literally merge football with broadcasting, namely that   of having a Premier League TV network, and eventually similar endeavours by the Lega Calcio, the Bundesliga, and so on. I see few other ways to maximize the benefits (read profits) of a single market of half a billion Europeans. UEFA's Champions League model is the best example.

It's not as easy as it sounds. And it may not be the best of news for the proverbial good of the game. Such a model could prove successful for the big leagues but the situation in the smaller or even the micro leagues (like Malta) could be way more complicated. Then again, it could be an opportunity for development. Not necessarily at the same speed and through the same model, but as basis economics the bigger the market the bigger the potential a product has to grow.

My take is that the ruling was a much-needed pronouncement. In one way or another the grey area had to be addressed for a myriad of reasons.

Valletta TV

Interessanti l-proposta tal-Belt. Sa ċertu punt se nidħlu f'għalqa ġdida, dik tax-xandir.

L-ewwel li ġewni f'moħħi kienu dawk il-programmi tar-radju, li ssib minnhom speċjalment l-Italja, li jagħmlu ġranet sħaħ jiddibattu u jitmasħnu fuq il-futbol u jieħdu t-telefonati tas-supporters. Ta' Ruma, per eżempju, ma jieqfu qatt.

Tista' wkoll tara kbir u taħseb fil-varji MUTV, Real Madrid TV jew Milan Channel. Imma ejja ma ngħaġġlux.

Li qed naħseb fih jien hu fuq kollox il-fatt li l-klabb se jkun il-produttur tal-programm, b'linja editorjali (jew xi ħaġa simili) u x'naf jien. Tgħiduli, anki s-Sliema kellhom xi ħaġa hekk fil-passat, imma - ngħiduha kif inhi - il-Belt ħaġ'oħra.

Qed naħseb per eżempju kif tista' żżomm standard biex l-eżerċizzju minn pass innovattiv biex ikattar l-introjtu fuq livell kummerċjali ma jsirx xi ħaġa li taħdem kontra l-klabb innifsu. L-immaġni tal-klabb hija imprezzabbli. U programm fuq it-TV idaħħlek fid-dominju pubbliku. Li jfisser li ma jistax kulħadd jibda jgħid li jrid f'dak il-kuntest daqs li kieku qiegħed jgħid l-istess diskors fil-bar tal-każin. Distinzjoni li ħafna ma jirrealizzawx li tapplika wkoll fuq l-internet!

Inħoss li dak hu l-element li batew minnu l-Belt fl-aħħar snin, minkejja s-suċċessi fil-ground. Minnu li tim li jirbaħ ta' spiss isir awtomatikament 'mibgħud' sportivament mill-avversarji. Imma l-Belt m'għenux ruħhom lanqas. Jiġu f'moħħi l-inċidenti wara l-final tat-Trophy.

Għandi kurżità biex nara l-esperiment hux se jirnexxi. Jekk hawn klabb li għandu following li jippermettilu jimbarka fuq xi ħaġa hekk, żgur li huma l-Belt. Għandi ftit riservi għall-fatt li l-platform magħżula hija dik ta' Smash TV. Imma m'għandix idea tal-ispejjeż involuti, jiġifieri ftit nista' nikkummenta dwar dan.

Insomma, pass ieħor ġdid. Nistennew u naraw.

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