Supporters Direct Scotland research – Fixture rescheduling

Earlier this week, Ofcom announced that they had opened an investigation into the way the Premier League in England sells its TV rights. This could have far-reaching implications, opening up the possibility of live football on a Saturday afternoon for the first time.

The investigation is a result of a complaint made by Virgin Media, which claimed that a lower proportion of matches (41%) was shown on television in England than in other major European markets and that as a result, consumers paid higher prices.

Ofcom said that the investigation was still in its early stages and it was too early to say whether there were sufficient grounds to issue an official statement of objections under the Competition Act.

Whilst this only applies to England and the Premier League, it should be of notable interest to supporters in Scotland. Supporters Direct Scotland has conducted research along with fans from Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hibernian, who approached SDS with their concerns over fixture rescheduling. The results from this research will be published – along with SDS’s recommendations – early next year.

This will form just one part of our extensive research programme, which will cover topics such as the use of 3G pitches, kick-off times and fixture rescheduling and the impact of television on matchday attendances.

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