Comments on: French Will Have to Pay to See Ligue 1 Games on TV http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html League Football, Soccer News and Views from Around the World Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:24:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jon http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104130 Jon Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:41:14 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104130 "Whatever are you going to do when your beloved flounders play your beloved beckhams in a real live major league soccer match?" Stare at 60,000 empty seats along with the other couple dozen people in attendance? “Whatever are you going to do when your beloved flounders play your beloved beckhams in a real live major league soccer match?”

Stare at 60,000 empty seats along with the other couple dozen people in attendance?

]]> By: Lucas http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104121 Lucas Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:00:32 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104121 Since you put it that way Laurie, I guess I don't hate the sounders! Whatever are you going to do when your beloved flounders play your beloved beckhams in a real live major league soccer match? See you May 10th. Since you put it that way Laurie, I guess I don’t hate the sounders!

Whatever are you going to do when your beloved flounders play your beloved beckhams in a real live major league soccer match?

See you May 10th.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104117 Laurie Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:44:48 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104117 <em>Real “hate” hatred is reserved for the seattle sounders.</em> You mean those Sounders who kicked your Timbers' collective butts this year? Yeah, I hear an inferiority complex can create intense emotions. ;-) Real “hate” hatred is reserved for the seattle sounders.

You mean those Sounders who kicked your Timbers’ collective butts this year?

Yeah, I hear an inferiority complex can create intense emotions. ;-)

]]> By: Lucas http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104115 Lucas Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:40:58 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104115 @aja - I suppose I hate the bills more than the fans; I have one very lucid memory of walking through the parking lot at Joe Robbie after the Bills had beaten the Dolphins in the AFC Championship game (1989 or 90) and having hordes of grown men taunting me, a 14 year old kid. And I'm all "boo hoo hoo." Of course it's not real "hate" hatred, just, you know, sports hatred. Real "hate" hatred is reserved for the seattle sounders. @aja – I suppose I hate the bills more than the fans; I have one very lucid memory of walking through the parking lot at Joe Robbie after the Bills had beaten the Dolphins in the AFC Championship game (1989 or 90) and having hordes of grown men taunting me, a 14 year old kid. And I’m all “boo hoo hoo.” Of course it’s not real “hate” hatred, just, you know, sports hatred.

Real “hate” hatred is reserved for the seattle sounders.

]]> By: aja http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104113 aja Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:30:09 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104113 lucas, you're right, the comparison is not quite spot-on because of the sports' popularity. also, do you really you despise bills fans, or just love to hate them? corey, i'm not sure if, overall, the blackouts drove more people to games, though i'm pretty sure that was the reasoning. but i'm not sure it works quite that way. and with this deal in france, i think it would end up alienating some fans who can't afford to buy tickets. lucas, you’re right, the comparison is not quite spot-on because of the sports’ popularity. also, do you really you despise bills fans, or just love to hate them?

corey, i’m not sure if, overall, the blackouts drove more people to games, though i’m pretty sure that was the reasoning. but i’m not sure it works quite that way. and with this deal in france, i think it would end up alienating some fans who can’t afford to buy tickets.

]]> By: Inara http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104085 Inara Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:35:43 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104085 Someone over at the BS forums was doing a comparison of L1 and MLS ticket prices and came up with this table. Some teams are incomplete, but it's still an interesting look. L1: http://home.comcast.net/%7Erkane1226/ligue1.jpg MLS: http://home.comcast.net/%7Erkane1226/mls2.jpg Watching games in France are obviously gonna be more expensive, but the bigger the team, the pricier it gets. So it's pretty expensive to bring your family to a game when you have to pay like $50-60 a head. Laurie also mentioned in an earlier post that most people attending the games are men, so I'm guessing most women and kids who follow football in France watch it from their home. Given that Canal+ has only penetrated 40% of the market, that's a lot of people who can't even watch highlights. It's not much of a change than what it is now, but I was hoping that with the TV rights split, the free chains could have picked up one or two lots, which certainly would have been affordable. Someone over at the BS forums was doing a comparison of L1 and MLS ticket prices and came up with this table. Some teams are incomplete, but it’s still an interesting look.

L1: http://home.comcast.net/%7Erkane1226/ligue1.jpg
MLS: http://home.comcast.net/%7Erkane1226/mls2.jpg

Watching games in France are obviously gonna be more expensive, but the bigger the team, the pricier it gets. So it’s pretty expensive to bring your family to a game when you have to pay like $50-60 a head.

Laurie also mentioned in an earlier post that most people attending the games are men, so I’m guessing most women and kids who follow football in France watch it from their home. Given that Canal+ has only penetrated 40% of the market, that’s a lot of people who can’t even watch highlights.

It’s not much of a change than what it is now, but I was hoping that with the TV rights split, the free chains could have picked up one or two lots, which certainly would have been affordable.

]]> By: Jan http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104084 Jan Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:35:40 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104084 Corey: I don't think that the absence of a Ligue 1 highlight show will drive fans to the stadium. Full matches had only been on Canal+ before I think. But what about winning new fans? Corey: I don’t think that the absence of a Ligue 1 highlight show will drive fans to the stadium. Full matches had only been on Canal+ before I think. But what about winning new fans?

]]> By: Corey http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104080 Corey Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:15:03 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104080 aja, another Bills fan on the site! Awesome. I to remember the blackout rule, I missed quite a few games even in Binghamton. It was a sad ruling. But Ligue 1 needs money, and without free television showing, doesnt that drive fans to the staidum? aja, another Bills fan on the site! Awesome. I to remember the blackout rule, I missed quite a few games even in Binghamton. It was a sad ruling.

But Ligue 1 needs money, and without free television showing, doesnt that drive fans to the staidum?

]]> By: Lucas http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104077 Lucas Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:07:57 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104077 @aja - I didn't think about the blackout rule. I was also pissed as a kid when Dolphins games weren't shown (though we went to plenty of games, and I continue to despise bills fans). I still don't think it's a wholly fair comparison. @aja – I didn’t think about the blackout rule. I was also pissed as a kid when Dolphins games weren’t shown (though we went to plenty of games, and I continue to despise bills fans). I still don’t think it’s a wholly fair comparison.

]]> By: Lucas http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104076 Lucas Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:05:53 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/french-will-have-to-pay-to-see-ligue-1-games-on-tv.html#comment-104076 The comparison to the US is empty. Soccer in the US is the 7th or 8th most popular sport, maybe; thus TV availability is naturally limited (and ESPN2 is hardly a luxury package). US football, the #1 most popular sport by a long shot (as I assume Ligue 1 is most popular in France), is deeply entrenched on (free) network TV. I think a more apt comparison is EPL television rights in England, no? The comparison to the US is empty. Soccer in the US is the 7th or 8th most popular sport, maybe; thus TV availability is naturally limited (and ESPN2 is hardly a luxury package). US football, the #1 most popular sport by a long shot (as I assume Ligue 1 is most popular in France), is deeply entrenched on (free) network TV.

I think a more apt comparison is EPL television rights in England, no?

]]>