Source: REUTERS/Phil Noble
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the cost for British fans to watch matches has increased by nearly 60% compared to five years ago. It was reported that about ten years ago, British fans only needed to subscribe to Sky Sports, BT Sport, and BBC to watch 15 top matches, including the five major leagues, the FA Cup, the Champions League, and Major League Soccer. However, since then, the rights for many events have become fragmented, partly due to the competition from streaming services, which has led to British fans now needing to subscribe to eight media outlets, in addition to BBC, to watch all matches. Currently, the number of broadcasters in the UK has increased from four to ten, with new participants including Amazon, Apple, DAZN, and OneFootball, and Ligue 1 has now launched an official subscription service. A survey by Ampere Analysis found that the monthly cost for British fans to watch matches on TV has risen from £89.23 to £140.21, an increase of 57%. The survey also revealed that only 1% of fans are willing to pay all subscription fees to watch all 15 top matches. Additionally, if British fans watch the 15 top matches via streaming, the cost would be £111.22 per month, whereas through traditional pay TV, it would be £140 per month.