Is Today The Day The Wheels Start To Come Off?

[Dan Sarf]

Loveable Cockney Michael Caine is worried Sky Sports might close down.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2011/jul/18/michael-caine-sky

Are you?

[Keith_M]

Not really, no.

For one thing Sky Sports/Television is a viable operation for which there is a great demand from consumers. Regardless of the ownership, that demand will still be there. I think Michael Caine is getting his knickers in a twist over nothing.

FWIW, if they did go bust, and the EPL got less money from someone else for TV rights than they do currently, it would be good for football outside the EPL. The effect on other leagues of the money currently in the EPL is quite disastrous. If they no longer had this money, it might be bad for them but a good thing for everybody else. The Arsenals, Chelseas and ManUs of this world don't care about the smaller clubs so why should everyone else care about them. In the unlikely event of this happening, it would be a real GIRUY moment (from me at least :wink:)

[joe breezy]

I have a love / hate relationship with Sky. Mostly hate.

I pay a fortune to subscribe to it as even though movies isn't great I still like to have it, have to have Comedy Central for South Park, like Current TV.
then I end up mostly watching the BBC and i get very angry at all the cuts that are being made to that.

Anyway, Sky is mostly not owned by Murdoch so i don't think there will be an effect? It's very profitable.

I get Sky sports and ESPN as I like to get the chance to watch football...unfortunately the Scottish games are so poor I only watch those when it's Hibs

[Jack]

I have a love / hate relationship with Sky. Mostly hate.

I pay a fortune to subscribe to it as even though movies isn't great I still like to have it, have to have Comedy Central for South Park, like Current TV.
then I end up mostly watching the BBC and i get very angry at all the cuts that are being made to that.

Anyway, Sky is mostly not owned by Murdoch so i don't think there will be an effect? It's very profitable.

I get Sky sports and ESPN as I like to get the chance to watch football...unfortunately the Scottish games are so poor I only watch those when it's Hibs

It is controlled by him though, is it not?

If control moved to, say a German, American, Italian or Russian, would they still want to basically bankroll a foreign league?

Might UEFA / FIFA take the opportunity to step in, while there's a power vacuum, and curb the influence of TV and its money?

[Malthibby]

I detest Murdoch & all his works & am lucky I can use Virgin & not have to worry about SKY. Don't take the sports or films because I wouldn't give them the money & I'm not interested in English footie anyway.
Be like Xmas for me if the Murdich's lost control.
GG

[Beefster]

I detest Murdoch & all his works & am lucky I can use Virgin & not have to worry about SKY. Don't take the sports or films because I wouldn't give them the money & I'm not interested in English footie anyway.
Be like Xmas for me if the Murdich's lost control.
GG

Even the basic Virgin TV package includes a fair number of Sky channels so, whether you like it or not, you're giving money to Sky.

[greenlex]

I thought Murdoch only has a 30% stake us Sky. He eants to control it all but has withdrawn that interest recently after the police in estigatio s into phone hacking at o e of his papers.

[basehibby]

Loveable Cockney Michael Caine is worried Sky Sports might close down.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2011/jul/18/michael-caine-sky

Are you?

I've never had SKY - don't need it and have always had issues with Murdoch's involvement anyway. From what I can gather, although the sports and movie coverage is of a very high standard, the news and other channels have a sort of dumbed down approach which doesn't appeal to me much (correct me if I'm wrong).

If they were to bite the dust I don't think I'd shed any tears as I'm sure other broadcasters would step into the breach and plug the gap.

As far as football's concerned our clubs would obviously miss their money in the short term. That said, the EPL benefit to a vast degree from SKY money and a change to that situation could have some benefits for the Scottish game. Much of the reason we pay top dollar to watch a less than top product in Scotland is the influence of our immensely wealthy neighbours on the expectations and aspirations of players plying their trade in Scotland - our clubs get a fraction of the TV cash English clubs get which results in the need for high ticket prices to be even at the races in terms of attracting players.

[joe breezy]

Murdoch doesn't control sky that's what he was trying to do but it's been blocked, and he says he's given up, I think he has in the region of 40%

[Dan Sarf]

Murdoch doesn't control sky that's what he was trying to do but it's been blocked, and he says he's given up, I think he has in the region of 40%

In the hearing today, he also said he has no plans to launch a replacement for the News of the Screws!

They don't call him the Dirty Digger for nothing.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

It is controlled by him though, is it not?If control moved to, say a German, American, Italian or Russian, would they still want to basically bankroll a foreign league?Might UEFA / FIFA take the opportunity to step in, while there's a power vacuum, and curb the influence of TV and its money? Messing with Brazilian footie tv right over there now over the last maybe 2-3 years used to be globo showed the matches free now sky subs AND ppv. Surprise Corinthians can afford Tevez. Are they not guilty of manipulating the markets? And where there's mad money there's corruption. Sick sick sick. If that's all Caine-o is worried about maybe he's losing a grip like Murdoch

[joe breezy]

His wife is quite a fit Asian woman who looks at least 40 years younger, I wonder what attracts her to him? :)

[Viva_Palmeiras]

His wife is quite a fit Asian woman who looks at least 40 years younger, I wonder what attracts her to him? :) caine Murdoch or both?