Should Scotland games be back on terrestrial TV?

[Scary Bear]

I’m contemplating paying Now TV a tenner for their day pass for the Scotland v Israel game. I got to thinking about what a shame it is that Scotland games are no longer on terrestrial TV.

President Eck was bringing this up as an issue a decade ago back in 2008. 

Mr Salmond said: "Let me simply say that when it comes to getting the national team back onto the screens of all our citizens - it can be done and it should be done." he never managed it. 
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7267706.stm

More recently the man in the Union Jack suit, Ian Murray was fighting for Scotland games to be returned to the air waves. He never managed it.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leader-bring-scotland-football-games-back-terrestrial-tv-1481853
 

What are your thoughts? Are the BBC/ITV doing us a favour by keeping them off the telly or was taking them off terrestrial telly a poor decision which has eroded support for the national team.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Scary Bear

[Bing.McCrosby]

Just now, Scary Bear said:

I’m contemplating paying Now TV a tenner for their day pass for the Scotland v Israel game. I got to thinking about what a shame it is that Scotland games are no longer on terrestrial TV.

President Eck was bringing this up as an issue a decade ago back in 2008. 

Mr Salmond said: "Let me simply say that when it comes to getting the national team back onto the screens of all our citizens - it can be done and it should be done." he never managed it. 
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7267706.stm

More recently the man in the Union Jack suit, Ian Murray was fighting for Scotland games to be returned to the air waves. He never managed it.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leader-bring-scotland-football-games-back-terrestrial-tv-1481853
 

What are your thoughts? Are the BBC/ITV doing us a favour by keeping them off the telly or was taking them off terrestrial telly a poor decision which has eroded support for the national team.

There's plenty of options for watching it.

Cheapest and best is getting an iptv account.

If your using nowtv, don't buy straight for them. Search around online, other company's offer their codes. I got a wk of sky sports for 7.99 one time. So you could see all the games for that.

Personally I have a small hotair balloon and a telescope. I hover over the games and watch them all free in the flesh. Craig Killie comes and talks directly into the balloon during the game to keep us in the air. Were often stuck up for hours after tho.

Edited October 4, 2020 by BingMcCrosby

[Scary Bear]

5 minutes ago, BingMcCrosby said:

There's plenty of options for watching it.

Cheapest and best is getting an iptv account.

If your using nowtv, don't buy straight for them. Search around online, other company's offer their codes. I got a wk of sky sports for 7.99 one time. So you could see all the games for that.

Personally I have a small hotair balloon and a telescope. I hover over the games and watch them all free in the flesh. Craig Killie comes and talks directly into the balloon during the game to keep us in the air. Were often stuck up for hours after tho.

The plenty of options for watching the game weren’t immediately obvious to me. I don’t even know what an iptv account is but I’ll look into it. Cheers.

However, this seems to be getting away from the point. I’d have to go out my way to come across a Scotland game. I don’t think that’s right and I think the games should be back on BBC or ITV. I’d even take Channel 5 again.

[BFTD]

It's blinkered thinking from the SFA that their only interest has been money with regard to TV rights. You'd only need to poll the users of this site to see the decline in interest. No doubt decades of consistently mediocre performances have had an impact, but when folk who regularly turn up to see...well, any club other than Celtic...are saying that they don't care about the national team anymore, it's not just due to being sick of losing.

It shouldn't have taken a genius to see it coming - we've had a generation of kids grow up with Scotland games being for kids whose parents who can afford expensive Sky packages or, more recently, hopping about between poor quality streams if they're really dedicated. It should be of no surprise to anyone if youngsters think the national team isn't something for them, because it isn't, and the SFA's desperation has made it so.

The worst part has to be seeing our neighbours ensure that their nation's home games (at least) are transmitted live to the nation. Over the past twenty years, we've all watched more England matches for the price of the TV licence fee than those of our own country. There's something wrong with that, and the answer isn't to stop England games being shown.

[craigkillie]

The SFA don't sell the rights, UEFA do.

[Carnoustie Young Guvnor]

18 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

The SFA don't sell the rights, UEFA do.

Nah that's pish.  The SFA sold them to Sky.

[Scary Bear]

2 hours ago, craigkillie said:

The SFA don't sell the rights, UEFA do.

How did ITV manage to get the rights to England games? I’m surprised they managed to outbid the likes of Sky and BT.

[Scary Bear]

2 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

The worst part has to be seeing our neighbours ensure that their nation's home games (at least) are transmitted live to the nation. Over the past twenty years, we've all watched more England matches for the price of the TV licence fee than those of our own country. There's something wrong with that, and the answer isn't to stop England games being shown.

That doesn’t sit well with me either. England games being broadcast in Scotland on ITV, and on this occasion at the same time that a Scotland game is being shown on Sky. 

[BFTD]

3 hours ago, craigkillie said:

The SFA don't sell the rights, UEFA do.

When did that start? It's not difficult to find articles with the SFA taking credit for signing bumper deals with Sky for the national side's TV rights. Whether they're currently responsible or not, they certainly started the process of selling to the highest bidder with no thought for the future, and there's no chance they'd take a hit to get the games back on terrestrial TV. Also, any idea why our games aren't on the Protected Events list, but England's games are?

1 hour ago, Scary Bear said:

That doesn’t sit well with me either. England games being broadcast in Scotland on ITV, and on this occasion at the same time that a Scotland game is being shown on Sky. 

It's a ludicrous state of affairs, but penalising English folk resident in Scotland isn't the answer. It shouldn't be an either/or situation. Simply, Scotland's games should enjoy the same status in Scotland as England's games do.

[David W]

Sky have a deal for the Nations league; even the England games are on Sky.

[craigkillie]

England's games aren't on the protected events list, it's just that ITV outbid Sky for them. The centralised sale of TV rights started in 2014. UEFA sell to the highest bidder for each country.

[BFTD]

18 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

England's games aren't on the protected events list, it's just that ITV outbid Sky for them. The centralised sale of TV rights started in 2014. UEFA sell to the highest bidder for each country.

I presume that changed in 2014 too? Should be fun to see the uproar when their qualifiers stop being free to air.

That's a nice cop-out that the SFA can use now, but they would do nothing differently if it was still within their remit, as they proved for years when it was their decision.

How are the rights for the World Cup/European Championship finals these days? I remember some discussion that they were going to end up going to the highest bidder here too, but nothing seems to have come of it so far?

[craigkillie]

I don't think England's games have ever been on the protected list. Plenty of their games have been on Sky for years. The only international games on it are Scotland, England, Wales and NI games at major tournaments.

[BFTD]

4 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

I don't think England's games have ever been on the protected list. Plenty of their games have been on Sky for years. The only international games on it are Scotland, England, Wales and NI games at major tournaments.

Well, shut me up.

That's even worse, actually. Terrestrial broadcasters are willing to stump up the cash to secure England games, but can't manage a much smaller amount for Scotland.

[Scary Bear]

The Wales games are often on S4C, which is the free to air Welsh language channel. How do they manage to get International games on there?

Edited October 4, 2020 by Scary Bear

[Scary Bear]

As the likes of S4C can presumably put together a winning bid for some Welsh games, how can the likes of the BBC Scotland channel not do likewise? What was the winning bid Sky put in for Scotland games? 

I feel a letter to an MSP coming on.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Scary Bear

[BFTD]

17 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

As the likes of S4C can presumably put together a winning bid for some Welsh games, how can the likes of the BBC Scotland channel not do likewise? What was the winning bid Sky put in for Scotland games? 

I feel a letter to an MSP coming on.

Wales are bound to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Depressingly, I wonder if some of the terrestrial channels might find a bit more money to bid if we actually qualified for something.

[John Lambies Doos]

I’m contemplating paying Now TV a tenner for their day pass for the Scotland v Israel game. I got to thinking about what a shame it is that Scotland games are no longer on terrestrial TV.
President Eck was bringing this up as an issue a decade ago back in 2008. 

Mr Salmond said: "Let me simply say that when it comes to getting the national team back onto the screens of all our citizens - it can be done and it should be done." he never managed it. 
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7267706.stm

More recently the man in the Union Jack suit, Ian Murray was fighting for Scotland games to be returned to the air waves. He never managed it.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leader-bring-scotland-football-games-back-terrestrial-tv-1481853
 
What are your thoughts? Are the BBC/ITV doing us a favour by keeping them off the telly or was taking them off terrestrial telly a poor decision which has eroded support for the national team.

He's Goal is your friend here

[John Lambies Doos]

RTE show all the Irish competitive games. Scotland doesn't push hard enough...and we just accept it.

[DA Baracus]

8 hours ago, Scary Bear said:

I’m contemplating paying Now TV a tenner for their day pass for the Scotland v Israel game. I got to thinking about what a shame it is that Scotland games are no longer on terrestrial TV.

President Eck was bringing this up as an issue a decade ago back in 2008. 

Mr Salmond said: "Let me simply say that when it comes to getting the national team back onto the screens of all our citizens - it can be done and it should be done." he never managed it. 
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7267706.stm

More recently the man in the Union Jack suit, Ian Murray was fighting for Scotland games to be returned to the air waves. He never managed it.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leader-bring-scotland-football-games-back-terrestrial-tv-1481853
 

What are your thoughts? Are the BBC/ITV doing us a favour by keeping them off the telly or was taking them off terrestrial telly a poor decision which has eroded support for the national team.

Google 'Now TV Sports pass' and you'll probably find one cheaper than the standard price.