Many people argued that the arrival of television would mean the end of radio or at least of talk radio as distinct from a dj playing music (or perhaps no dj at all). However, radio remains important to football, particularly keener fans.
Many people argued that the arrival of television would mean the end of radio or at least of talk radio as distinct from a dj playing music (or perhaps no dj at all). However, radio remains important to football, particularly keener fans.
They listen to it driving to and from the match, particularly on long trips to away fixtures. Phone ins like Radio 5’s 606 attract a big audience as fans slag off their own teams, rivals or the referee. You can listen it online while working on the computer, in the shower, or while doing jobs around the house. Local radio stations provide in depth coverage of their clubs.
So although radio rights produce a fraction of the revenue of television rights, there is still intense competition for them. In 2010 the BBC suffered a blow when it lost a third of its live Premier League games to TalkSport and Absolute.
In the latest three-year deal announced yesterday, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and Absolute Radio have retained their current package of rights. 5 Live won four of the seven packages on offer, most importantly first pick of Saturday afternoon matches, but also those on Saturday lunchtime, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. TalkSport gets Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime matches while Absolute Radio gets second choice of the Saturady afternoon kick offs.
There had been speculation that with the BBC sports budget under pressure, TalkSport might win more Premier League football and Absolute might move away from football.
Elsewhere, the Radio Scilly sports show has held on to exclusive rights for the smallest league in the world. It is rumoured that station manager Keri Jones sealed the deal with a pint for the captain of each team. The writer of this page has been retained as mainland football correspondent. The sports show is on air at 10 a.m. each Saturday (tides permitting).