back to article Fifa, Uefa lose free-to-view footie challenge

Upcoming World Cup and Euro football tournaments will not be shown in the UK by pay-to-view services like Sky, the European Union's General Court has effectively ruled. The Court this week judged that the European Commission (EC) had been right to approve a list of games, including all 64 World Cup and all 31 Euro matches, …

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  1. T.F. The Magnificent, Flying Trapeze Gumby Brothers and Furniture Removals.
    Go

    Great news

    I heartily endorse this event/product.

    One in the eye to Murdoch.

    Side note... is it possible to have a Murdoch Halo/Horns options??

    1. Richard 120
      WTF?

      Halo

      When the fuck would that be used?

  2. David Neil

    Hmmm

    The qualifiers for both events are open to all round bidding and have appeared on Pay TV in the past.

  3. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse
    Unhappy

    Proof, if any is needed...

    That governing football is, now less important to UEFA/FIFA than wringing out every last penny that can be EARNT from governing it.

    Can't seem to find an icon for "where's my baksheesh..."

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Fifa

      The ONLY thing that FIFA, UEFA and our very own FA are interested in is money. Pure and simple. Their interest in the game of football is a long and distant memory.

    2. Oliver 7

      Hear, hear!

      FIFA, UEFA, etc harp on about inclusion and the unifying 'language' of football in their PR but then they want to parcel out the rights to events like the World Cup, excluding the poorest and most marginalised? Is it possible to find a better example of hypocrisy?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    isn't

    All tv in the uk, pay to view?

    If you don't pay your tv licence and you're not allowed to view it.

    1. The BigYin

      No

      I suggest you read the rules - they are available on-line.

      In a nutshell; if you have a tuner (e.g. tv, vcr, pvr, tv-card...) that is capable of receiving *live* TV broadcasts, then you must pay - even if such devices are not connected.

      There are, however, a few wrinkles:

      ---If you "knobble" said device (e.g. break aerial sockets) you do not need to pay.

      ---If you watch lots and lots of DVDs and can prove that, you can avoid paying even if the tuners can easily be made active (there is precedence for this).

      If you have no tuners and only watch catch-up (no live TV) then there is no need to pay either.

      1. Aquilus
        FAIL

        Completely wrong...

        No, I suggest -you- read the rules. Having a device capable of receiving live broadcasts is not illegal. Using them to receive live broadcasts without a license is. You don't need to 'nobble' the aerial sockets, or 'prove your innocence' by harping on about your extensive DVD collection. Just refuse the inspector permission to enter your house, revoke his implied leave to pass onto your property to get to your front door, and ignore the dozens of threatening letters accusing you of being a criminal that you'll get from the TV Licensing offshoot of Crapita, and you're good.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Thumb Up

          "Using them to receive live broadcasts without a license is. "

          It isn't even illegal to watch BBC programmes on iPlayer as long as you don't recieve at them at the same time as they are broadcast on television.

          Like Aquilus says go tell them to go fuck themselves. Same as you would if Tesco came around and asked to look in your kitchen because they didn't believe you only shop in Asda.

  5. Mage Silver badge

    ha ha

    Nelson points --->

    The silly money has nearly destroyed football and the exclusive "rights" distorted Pay TV market.

    1. Oliver 7

      Let's hear it for Karen Murphy!

      Thanks to this tenacious landlady, a new era of football rights is being ushered in. In fact if she wins her case in the European Courts it may have serious implications for other media rights:

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2011/feb/03/bskyb-news-corporation

      The annoying thing is, why do we always need the European Courts to do these things for us? Of course, 'Dave' wouldn't want to go upsetting Rupert now, would he?

      (Meanwhile I long ago gave up any sense of guilt about streaming sports on my PC)

  6. Andy Barker
    Grenade

    flame on...

    I'd prefer it if they were only available on premium channels, that way they would be kept off the channels I tend to watch!

  7. Snake Plissken

    Excellent decision.

    You could say the EU smashed it.

  8. ratfox
    Thumb Up

    Good

    One thing that Football does not need is more money thrown at it.

  9. s. pam Silver badge
    Coffee/keyboard

    Football sucks, real men prefer Rugby

    Football in the EU is now as bad if nowt worse than the USA with the salaries, namby pamby nonsense, etc. As a result it sucks more than all of Amsterdam on a Friday night in the Red Light Quarter and should be avoided at all costs, or freebies!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Real men prefer Rugby

      Do you mean the type of real men who like to watch other men scrumming together. Grabbing each others gonads and sharing showers together at the end of the match?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @AC - I Hope you're joking, but...

        Yes, like the original poster said: Real Men.

        Real Men are comfortable with their sexuality and don't resort to tedious X Y or Z is "gay" jokes.

        Just look at the state of Premiership Football how many players? A hundred, maybe more. Yet staggeringly not one of them is gay, or worse, not one of them who is gay feels able to come out. Rugby isn't much better, having said that. It's pathetic and needs to change.

  10. ttuk
    Flame

    title

    Cue yet more anti-eu drivel in the murdoch media tomorrow then

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    There's only one F in football.

    As one of the majority of the UK residents who does not like/watch football, I am happy for it to be hidden away on Sky - I don't have Sky.

    Keep football from wasting the air time of all the other crap I could be watching on BBC/ITV.

    1. Robert E A Harvey
      Alert

      and

      There's only one F in Murdoch.

  12. Dr. Mouse

    Good for the most part

    I am not into football at all. When the World Cup was on last, a reversal happened: it was my girlfriend forcing me to watch the footy. So I don't particularly care about this WRT football.

    What I am into is Formula 1. I can see a day when this ends up on Sky Sports. At that point I will be faced with a problem.

    I don't mind paying to watch it. What I do mind is having to pay for all the other stuff (football etc.) that's shown on Sky JUST to watch my F1. I don't want to watch ManU play Arsenal or whatever else, just F1, but I would be forced to subscribe to the Sports package and shell out a big chunk of my hard-earned just to see the one sport I am interested in.

    I am sure many people would be prepared to pay to watch the sports they want, but don't want to pay for those they will never watch.

    1. MJI Silver badge

      Don't worry

      The car makers do not want F1 on pay TV they and Bernie INSIST it is shown on free to air TV.

      If it is not shown, the public will not see the cars and the team sponsors.

      1. Da Weezil
        Grenade

        WRC...

        Shame the WRC guys didnt take that view. If they think I'm shelling half as much again (because I don't have sky sports there is a "penalty" price hike) for ESPN just to watch WRC.... FORGET IT!

        1. MJI Silver badge

          That reminded me

          Unfortunately I forgot to follow the WRC after the triple things of brain tumour, helicopter crash (RIP to both) and the ruining of the RAC rally.

          I think I last saw it on an ITV channel.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      title

      I agree.

      I have this dilemma this year with WRC now being on ESPN. It's a lot to pay for 3hrs viewing a month.

    3. ########
      Grenade

      re: Good for the most part

      I can see your point, but football fans are paying for other sports currently. For example, I absolutely loathe cricket (it's entirely pointless... how can a game last for weeks, then be declared a draw, and why are games between Sri Lanka and South Africa shown on British TV, when, say, a European Qualifier between Holland and Germany isn't?). I also loathe Rugby League.

      In fact, sod it, I loathe most football. Sky's "Super Sunday" a few weeks ago was Bolton vs Everton. Hardly super. Sky rammed two games down my throat on Tuesday night - I watched neither. It transpires I'm paying £20 a month to watch the one or two games that interest me.

      At least, as an F1 fan, you'll be shelling out your £20 for two races, two practice sessions and two qualifiers.

  13. Luther Blissett

    "corporatist-fascist"

    the term would be vacuous unless once in a while the corporatist element subordinated to the fascist element. this seems as innocuous an opportunity as any to validate it, to an audience of fanbois too drunk on good cheer and beer to care.

  14. Shane Orahilly
    Big Brother

    Lord Lieutenant

    Who cares about the football that much?

    It didn't matter which way the decision went, it's just not Cricket!

    Big Brother, as it's something we all wish HAD been confined to Pay TV.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Wish this would happen in Malaysia

    That way, the stupid Astro would stop dedicating a dozen of channels for exclusive Pay-Per-View football and bring in more useful channels, like say Discovery HD and bring back BBC Entertainment.

    I'm still having Dr. Who and Red Dwarf withdrawals two years into those bastards dropping the channel from their lineup.

  16. moonface
    Grenade

    Who is the sore loser now Blatter!

    from Fifa Mission statement:-

    FIFA World Cup™ and the various other world cup competitions; it extends to safeguarding the Laws of the Game, developing the game around the world and to bringing hope to those less privileged. This is what we believe is the very essence of fair play and solidarity.

    Great way to develop the game by denying it to the majority of viewers, who are less privileged and are unable to pay for "pay to view services".

    I just can't wait for Sepp to pass on. Hopefully, the next bung chokes him!

  17. Richard Porter
    Stop

    Drat!

    That means another 95 football matches forcing everything else off the schedule.

  18. Francis Offord
    Welcome

    Acquisitiveness

    Right on. It's about time the thieving bastards got their come-uppance and were made to realise that we, not they, pay their wages and WE say, stop digging into our pockets in order to exert your maximum pressure for maximum income which you have NOT earned. You've got me all of a doo-dah. After all, it's one thing being a nation of shopkeepers but totally different to be one of the forty (?) thieves.

  19. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Thumb Up

    There's the money shot!

    "generally pay more for transmission permission than the free-to-air services do."

    I don't think I have read or heard a discussion about footy that has not involved the money-side. It's not a game anymore, it's an industry and money-circus.

    Good see the consumers finally getting something useful for once, rather than getting shafted again by Murdoch.

  20. cs94njw
    WTF?

    Sky Sports

    Which must be the only place where you pay a premium to watch sports, which has advertising all over it, and then they still make you watch Sky adverts.

    You pay for something, you get no adverts. You don't pay for something, you get adverts.

    That's the way it should be.

    1. kingosticks
      WTF?

      If only

      When I pay for my DVD I get adverts AND a lecture about how I should continue to do so. It's all a joke.

      1. Dr. Mouse

        Thats really anoying...

        Get a Pirate film, in a standard DVD player, and you can normally watch the film you didn't pay for straight away.

        Buy a legit copy, and you have no choice but to sit through adverts and lectures on piracy. So you pay more for an inferior product.

        Sound good?

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