The modern world of communication technologies has influenced the game. In the season 2002/2003 Manchester United television revenue was as high as Ł175m. But this applies to the limited top section of the Premiership clubs. The television games firstly threatened the FA representatives. The football authorities thought that a majority of common spectators would stop attending the matches. The final effect meant no fatal harm for the attendance at the clubs’ matches but the truth is that it brought even more strength to already strong clubs. It has lured many people away from the local clubs in low divisions on the Isles. The television gave people the world of illusion. The image of football you are presented with in TV matches make you feel football is full of characters like Ronaldino, Beckham, or Zidane, but these football characters are mostly exceptions.
Although the involvement of money in the top leagues or international leagues could be criticised, money became an important factor which is expected to result in success bringing attention of more people. The attention means more people coming which equals to more money again. More finance allows the club to sign new contracts with better quality players. Another cash flows from revenues and advertisements. It is a circle. Even though in 2003/2004 the statisticians tallied little decrease of the clubs’ costs in Premier League, still great sums are being paid for transfers and wages every year. The decrease could have been caused by ITV Digital collapse which stopped the revenues’ payment.
This digital television started in the UK in 1998. Because of the piracy and weak signal at some areas of the land , ITV digital ,having suffered by aggressive marketing of another corporation BSkyB, had to re-establish the faith on the market. The ITV Digital tried to become again profitable with launching among others the ITV Sport Channel broadcasting the Premier League’s matches. The step taken has proved to be a wrong decision. The money demanded by the Premier League Clubs were too high and after the league did not accept the pay cut , ITV digital collapsed. The idea of the direct partnership of a big club and media is not forgotten at all, though. Some of the clubs have their own channels dedicated to the clubs.
Recent years have seen discussion of the establishment of a European Super League and multinational media conglomerates have sought partnerships with globally-recognised clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United (GARLAND and ROWE., 2001, pp. 21).
The popularity of the sport has risen and we can hear about clubs moving from old stadium to the new one with bigger capacity. The recent decade have meant great changes in information technologies which resulted in press becoming more tabloid than ever before. The violent hooliganism in football is no more as interesting issue as it was, hence the newspapers have been trying to find new things to write about. The private lives of famous footballers seems to be a good target. This type of journalism does not require having reporters all around the world and consequently cost much less. The early motives of the growing number of tabloid newspapers is the competition of other media. If we take a close look at the process of the information, we would find out that the internet and TV news coverage has stolen the news element from the newspapers (British Study Web Pages, 2003).
Every single match in the league is watched by several thousands right on the stadium. Others are paying in their houses for their media access. The possibility to be seen by 19 so many people means a great allurement for companies. Multinational marketing campaigns used famous footballers to promote their merchandise in combination with a political message of toleration for all peoples. As the sport is very popular , every single space suitable for an advertisement or commercial is offered to be sold. Big international companies like Nike or Adidas have been paying for a long arrangement with FIFA and the World Cup. There is usually a certain group of sponsors producing various products. The group of companies pays to be exclusively connected with a football event such as the World Cup. The products does not to have necessarily any connection to the sport.
In 1993 Bass Brewers spent 3 million pounds to connect the Premier League with its products. The league name was changed to support the sponsors trademark into: Carling Premiership. The company reported increased product sales and renewed the sponsorship once again for longer time for the 1997/98 season. The crucial commercial role was and is still played by TV channels and commercials in it. Sky Sport , the company which have been broadcasting the sport in Britain since 1990s, is usually subscribed by young males with a good income. The connection of commercialised football in TV , on one side, and young male consumer on the other side seems to work well for both. Manchester United Football Club decided to step further and together with BSkyB and Granada Media Group set up its own TV channel in Autumn 1998. The paid TV channel tied to the club is supposed to attract new customers.
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