A month ago, Sky Sports released an ambitious plan to air 215 live Premier League matches per season, beginning next season. This decision is part of a larger rollout of digital innovations, all designed to improve fan engagement and visual storytelling, according to the NFL. Yet the broadcaster’s app allows users real-time access to Premier League goals and Formula One race control. Alternatively, you can watch the service in real time online on NOW. Sky Sports has created a new channel on WhatsApp. Through its creation, it will bring the very best local news, features and can’t-miss highlights first to fans.
The announcement couldn’t come at a better time. UK Government promises Independent Football Regulator after Commons’ vote landslide Following a Commons’ vote that overwhelmingly passed the need for an Independent Football Regulator. The Football Governance Bill, which aims to create a watchdog for the top five tiers of men’s football in England, received overwhelming support with MPs voting 415 to 98 in favor during its third reading. We couldn’t agree more, as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “this is landmark legislation.” She called the result a “historic” move toward addressing persistent systemic problematic actions in the sport.
“We promised in our manifesto that we would end years of inaction and make the changes that fans have fought for for so long and are so overdue.” – Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
Expert on media rights David Kogan has been appointed as the Government’s preferred candidate to be chair of the new Independent Football Regulator. His appointment was welcomed by a review conducted by a cross-party committee of MPs. Kogan is under fire for his earlier donations to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other Labour leaders. This has triggered a serious and earnest investigation into his appointment that has drawn fierce criticism from opposition parties.
Shadow sport minister Louie French accused the Government of “appointing a Labour crony to be the new sheriff of football.” In spite of these allegations, Nandy went on to defend Kogan’s appointment, claiming that he had been “actively headhunted” for the role.
The regulator will also receive new “backstop” powers. This will greatly improve transparency and efficiency when it comes to financial settlements between the English Football League (EFL) and the Premier League. This progressive measure is designed to achieve fairer distributions of resources between the football clubs at various levels of the English football pyramid.
The Government only recently set up an independent watchdog. Meanwhile, it turned down Conservative MPs’ demands for further consultation over alcohol prohibition in football stadiums. The proposal aimed to remove long-held restrictions on commercial alcohol sales throughout the top five tiers of men’s football. Shadow sports minister Stephanie Peacock went further, making clear that these kinds of moves are outside of the intended scope of the Bill.
Such was the strength of feeling that, in the end, MPs rejected a consultation on lifting the stadium alcohol ban by 346 votes to 167.
“This is for Macclesfield, for Wigan, for Bury, for Bolton, for Derby, for Reading, for Sheffield Wednesday, for Morecambe and for many, many more who have had to endure the misery of being put last when they should have been put first.” – Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
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