Games moved for Live TV

**pete** · 11/04/2007, 4:56 PM

Setanta have a tendency to move game for live tv coverage.

e.g. last week Derry City v Cork City moved from Friday to Monday, up coming Cork City v Pats moved from friday to thursday.

Is this a good move (no pun intended) to increase tv viewing figures or are Setanta taking advantage of the clubs?

I don't object to moving games away from fridays so more people can see the games but the compensating to the clubs for lost revenue is pitiful.

I know the Cork City v Pats game will definitely have smaller crowd on a thursday than a friday so ultimately the home side will lose out financially. I suspect will mean much smaller Pats travelling support too...

**OneRedArmy** · 11/04/2007, 5:14 PM

Moving the Derry v Cork game certainly impacted the crowd negatively (both Derry and Cork). The weather was a lot worse and deterred a lot of the walk-up crowd. I would've expected at least 700 more on Friday.

If I was a Cork fan I'd have been livid. Extremely inconvenient to have it on Monday as opposed to the Fri night.

We were so accomodating we put a clown in nets to make up for messing up your travel arrangements.

**GavinZac** · 11/04/2007, 5:29 PM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

We were so accomodating we put a clown in nets to make up for messing up your travel arrangements.

That was good! The angry midget on the sidelines was hilarious too.

**don ramo** · 11/04/2007, 5:43 PM

this is the way it will go until setanta is happy with how its schedual works, sky done the same when they took control of the premiership in the 90's, id expect setanta to take a similar path to sky and juggle games for maybe 3-4 years, hopefully it wont take that long, but it may, this is the price of having live games, they want bigger audiences but the clubs want attendance so they will have to meet halfway id suspect,

**Dr.Nightdub** · 11/04/2007, 6:15 PM

Originally Posted by pete

I suspect will mean much smaller Pats travelling support too...

Not 100% sure about that, it's normally only our hardcore who travel down, the sort that'll move half days off work around to accomodate Setanta's crazy whims. Not as if we had a cast of thousands at the Setanta Cup game anyway, just made up for lack of numbers with "liquid enthusiasm".

Incidentally, ORA, how come the travelling Cork fans were put in what used to be the away section of the stand in the Brandywell last Monday, whereas we were put out in the open on the terrace on the opposite side?

**Dodge** · 11/04/2007, 6:44 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Not 100% sure about that, it's normally only our hardcore who travel down, the sort that'll move half days off work around to accomodate Setanta's crazy whims. Not as if we had a cast of thousands at the Setanta Cup game anyway, just made up for lack of numbers with "liquid enthusiasm".

Incidentally, ORA, how come the travelling Cork fans were put in what used to be the away section of the stand in the Brandywell last Monday, whereas we were put out in the open on the terrace on the opposite side?

We haven't played in Cork on a friday in a while with a decent team. We got about 150 to go a few years ago on a Monday when things were looking good. The Thursday before a bank holiday weekend isn't ideal and will impact on the away crowd

**OneRedArmy** · 11/04/2007, 7:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Incidentally, ORA, how come the travelling Cork fans were put in what used to be the away section of the stand in the Brandywell last Monday, whereas we were put out in the open on the terrace on the opposite side?

Was it raining for the Pats game (poor memory)? I suspect they don't want away fans to stand in the rain if they can get away with it.

There were also very few Cork fans given the game was on Monday.

**CharlesThompson** · 11/04/2007, 10:06 PM

Is there not a bigger picture regarding games being rescheduled? I mean, having the game on TV is a fabulous advertisement for your club and your 'new' ground where multiples of prospective fans will get a chance to see your team in action. The more TV the better IMO and if teams have to reschedule their matches to accomodate this free advertising then so be it. How much would it cost Cork (or anyone) for a 90 minute advertisement on prime time TV any night of the week?

**Theskinloyal** · 11/04/2007, 10:32 PM

I think Setanta are in a league of their own regarding domestic soccer coverage. It's not perfect but it ****es on RTE and TV3 coverage. So if they have to rearrange the games then so be it, it's a great advertisement for the league.

**Dodge** · 11/04/2007, 10:33 PM

spot on IMO

And remember I'm probably most affected here as its looking unlikely I'll get the Thursday half day

**pete** · 11/04/2007, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesThompson

How much would it cost Cork (or anyone) for a 90 minute advertisement on prime time TV any night of the week?

I understand the advantages of live tv which is why I started the debate. Setanta is not prime time tv like RTE2 would be.

I still don't understand the moving of Derry City v Cork City as it put it up against live Premiership involving popular oirish bandwagon team Reading.

I believe Cork City v Pats attendance will be reduced by 1000 when moving to thursday. Our crowds suffer badly when moved from fridays & that includes Monday night games.

**dcfcsteve** · 11/04/2007, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Moving the Derry v Cork game certainly impacted the crowd negatively (both Derry and Cork). The weather was a lot worse and deterred a lot of the walk-up crowd. I would've expected at least 700 more on Friday.

Don't Setanta pay �5k to the home team for every game they broadcast ? In which case, you'd need to lose more than c.350-450 off a gate for a rescheduled game (depending on balance between adult and child tickets) before it started to be financially detrimental for the clubs involved.

The weather you can't legislate for, so shouldn't be factored in. It could just as easily been sh!tty Friday and brilliant Monday, so is pointless worrying about.

Also - over on the Irish league threads, they're saying most people in the North are off Easter tuesday as well (?), so it's not like people had work to worry about next day.

I would say our rubbish form would have had a bigger impact on the crowd than having it on a Bank Holiday Monday. We're due a slump, given that our poor performances are starting to trend. I wouldn't be surprised if losing to Glentoran Reserves at home wasn't the start in such a slump.

**mypost** · 12/04/2007, 1:23 AM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Extremely inconvenient to have it on Monday as opposed to the Fri night.

Monday night-Friday night = weeknights. No effect on away support.

**GavinZac** · 12/04/2007, 1:43 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Monday night-Friday night = weeknights. No effect on away support.

maybe when your average away trip on friday is across town.

**Red4Eva** · 12/04/2007, 1:49 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Monday night-Friday night = weeknights. No effect on away support.

a lotta ppl get off early on fridays or will at least find it easier to get off early. if it's a big journey home on a friday night who gives a sh*t cos what else u gonna be doin on saturday, also applies to overnight stays.

**mypost** · 12/04/2007, 2:20 AM

Originally Posted by Red4Eva

a lotta ppl get off early on fridays or will at least find it easier to get off early.

Maybe they do in your job. Schoolkids don't get off early, and like most of the adults, they can't travel to long-haul away treks on Friday nights. The poor away support at grounds on Fridays proves that.

**OneRedArmy** · 12/04/2007, 9:01 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Monday night-Friday night = weeknights. No effect on away support.

Good Friday was a holiday

**GuisaSaigon** · 12/04/2007, 9:13 AM

If Setanta show a game on a Friday night most LOI fans are at games and cant watch, if they show live games on other weeknights most LOI fans will watch them. It doesnt make sense to put on a show when the core of your audience is nowhere near a TV.

**Dodge** · 12/04/2007, 9:14 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Maybe they do in your job. Schoolkids don't get off early, and like most of the adults, they can't travel to long-haul away treks on Friday nights. The poor away support at grounds on Fridays proves that.

It proves nothing, Crowds didn't/don't travel on Saturdays or Sundays either. You may get a few more but loads work at the weekend. We get that you despise Friday football but it obviously works for the majority so quit trying to make out that everyone hates it

Oh and BTW Friday nights are far more favourable for those working Mon-Fri as they can relax all day Saturday. Getting back to Dublin at 2am and being in work at 8am on Friday is far from ideal.

**harps1954** · 12/04/2007, 9:17 AM

I think moving from a Friday night for live TV games is a good idea. Take the Drogheda v Derry game a couple of weeks ago - it clashed with 4 other Premier Division games and 2 First Division games. I'm sure it could affect attendances at these games (small and all as it may be) and it would also affect the number of viewers as the attendances at these other 6 games (say about 10,000) may also have watched the game on TV.

In England, it is illegal for Sky to broadcast live games at 3.00pm on a Saturday, as this is the time that the vast majority of games are played in England. Should a similar rule apply here re Friday nights??

There isn't a hope of RTE, TG4 or Setanta broadcasting live soccer on a Sunday due to the GAA coverage, Setanta are moving from Friday's at the minute because they are committed to the Magners League Rugby. Will they revert to Friday's again once the rugby has finished? Probably!! Monday night's are a good night for the live games in my opinion as they only thing they are up against is a second-rate Premiership game on Sky. I know it affects the number of away fans attending games, but the home team receives €5,000 compensation. More 'away' fans and 'neutral' fans will get to see the game though due to the TV coverage.