How much are you prepared to pay for Football?

[dom9]

This thread would probably get more traffic in the LFC section, but it's probably better suited here.

Anyway....

Having dropped the sports channels from my TV package before last season, and having been quoted about £50 extra per month to reinstate them for this season, I have decided that enough is enough, for me at least. A line has to be drawn. A stance has to be maintained. A point has to be made. To me, watching football legally at home does not represent any sort of value for money, so I'm now refusing to pay a penny more.

Personally, I'm not prepared to pay £600 per annum to help fund Raheem Sterling's 400% pay rise (or whatever obscene wage example you wish to insert here instead). I have today got my apparently 'above average' pay rise of about 2.4% (I **** you not) so why should I hand it over to Raheem - barely out of childhood (or any other wage example you wish to insert here instead)?

Replica shirts retail at about £60 and have a maximum shelf life of about 9 months. Built in obsolescence in its purist form.

Match day tickets when all else is considered are probably the best value for money method to watch a game these days (transport, accommodation, ancillary costs aside).

I get market forces. I understand the fans' obsession, and that rational thinking often goes out of the window. I don't have a problem with either. I'm not jealous of footballer wages - they're welcome to them. But I'd genuinely surprised that there isn't more of a backlash with people spending their hard earned cash subsidising this frankly quite ridiculously obscene industry.

So I'd be interested to know how much you guys spend on watching football at home, in the pub, in stadia, buying branded goods? And how does that compare to what you think is an acceptable amount to spend? Are you happy with this? Do you begrudge it? Is it the necessary price to pay? And how much will be too much to pay for you personally?

Personally, last season I spent about £80 in total watching a handful of games in pubs. I didn't see any games live in the flesh, and I didn't buy any merchandise. I would be happy paying £20 per month for all Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup games. I don't watch other sports, so I have no interest in subsidising them either. So for me there is a big gap between what I am willing to pay, and what I am being asked to pay. So no deal.

Over to you.

[Kenneth]

Not mauch.

[Reece]

Firstly apologies because I've not actually read your post.

In terms of paying for football, my preference would be that I could choose just to pay for the Liverpool games. I'm not talking about a crappy unreliable stream on the offal, I'm talking about HD on satellite/cable. That is the model that would suit me best as these days I don't to watch that many other PL games. That and a highlights packages (i.e. MOTD).

[Rich]

I'd happily visit Anfield a couple of times a season: say £200 all in.
If the Sports Channel was £20 a month I'd probably pay that.

As it is I don't visit Anfield and I don't pay for watching it on TV.

[dom9]

Firstly apologies because I've not actually read your post.

In terms of paying for football, my preference would be that I could choose just to pay for the Liverpool games. I'm not talking about a crappy unreliable stream on the offal, I'm talking about HD on satellite/cable. That is the model that would suit me best as these days I don't to watch that many other PL games. That and a highlights packages (i.e. MOTD).

It's a good idea in theory. But then you would be well on the way to implementing a model similar to the one in Spain where Barca / Real take about 80% (this is a guess) of all the TV revenue, leaving very little for everyone else (Why should Stoke get an even share of the revenue when only about 20 people subscribe to watch their tedious games)?

That would be very bad for English Football imo. As it is in Spain.

[dom9]

Not mauch.

[Saveloy]

I'd happily pay for Sky, primarily for football but also F1 and cricket. But the wife is exercising her veto. Consistently. Over the last 5 years.

If I could just get her to produce a son I could start to establish a voting bloc.

[ChesterDave]

Not much, to be honest.

I'd rather spend twice as much over the month in the pub than sit at home in front of the telly.

The fact that Sky has other sports though (Cricket, Rugby, Darts) makes it a decent enough price.

[Exiled_red]

I pay for sky because I get a complete package and watch other sports on it, in terms of football I'm basically the same as Reece I watch our games and highlights.

I do get annoyed that they have brought in other companies such as BT that also have PL matches, so I don't pay for that, but if BT or someone else got more PL games I would seriously consider getting rid of skysports.

[Fosterbloke]

I watch it on the internet or at the Casino. I refuse to be conned into paying for the rest of Murdoch's ****e.

[Liverpool]

First year uni we never bothered with sky, yet going the pub cost us loads more.

Second year we got a good deal that worked out at £2.50 a week per person.

Currently got sky from krade £25 a month

In terms of match tickets I always said £50 was breaking point for me, yet I find myself paying £59 this season, but i'd say without a season ticket i'd try to get to 15/20 games but will be about 10 this season, not that they care.

[cannotmakeit]

Works out about £450-500 pa for me and that is for all the league games, all champions league and Europa cup, all FA cup, some championship, and most of the major European league games.

[Vermilion]

50p.

[OConnor_LFC]

I think a fair price would be £15 per week. That would have to include all our games. Otherwise for the games I am not going too I would simply go to the pub and watch it there. On another note ticket prices are extortionate, pushing £50 is out of touch with the city the club represents, £30 is plenty.

[Rigadon]

I think a fair price would be £15 per week. That would have to include all our games. Otherwise for the games I am not going too I would simply go to the pub and watch it there. On another note ticket prices are extortionate, pushing £50 is out of touch with the city the club represents, £30 is plenty.

£15 per week seems steep. Do you mean £15 per month?

I think it's good that Sky finally has decent competition. However, the price for Sky Sports and BT Sport is too high (especially for a lot of **** sport).