Article body analysed
By SIMON JORDAN Published: 03: 00 AEDT, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 04: 22 AEDT, 3 April 2025 11 View comments Sky Sports were a key component, arguably the single-most important, in the unprecedented success of the Premier League. In 1992, when Rick Parry, David Dein, Alan Sugar and the Big Five clubs created their breakaway, Sky were the broadcast partner who showed live games behind the paywall in a way that created glamour, excitement and insight. Because of them, the Premier League lured huge wealth, ambition and opportunity, which facilitated the arrival of the world’s best players and managers, and became a global force whose popularity and revenues soared year-on-year. The irony is that after more than three decades of undeniable power and influence, Sky themselves appear to be at a crossroads. Decline in viewing numbers is significant, in no small way because of the rise in piracy and the prices broadcasters have to charge customers, but also due to elements of their content. Once pioneers, their model may have run its course against a forecast of further deteriorating subscriptions and the rising cost of being a rights holder. Sky's current schedule includes The Baller League, a six-a-side indoor football event in London It brings together You Tubers like KSI and Angryginge (centre) with Gary Lineker and Ian Wright TV presenter Maya Jama (left) and Juventus player Alisha Lehmann are among the managers These realities could well exclude Sky from being at the table for future negotiations and fuel the argument, which I’ve made for a long time, that the Premier League become their own broadcaster; the Netflix of football. In recently separating themselves from using IMG as a production house, they now direct overseas broadcasts and their content distribution. It looks like a starting point to greater universal control of their product. So, where does that leave Sky? I find it difficult to believe they will be the dominant broadcaster in British sport in a few years. It is hard to see how they arrest the falling numbers with so many different streaming services. Piracy appears almost unstoppable given the software and coding available to hijack other people’s content, and then there's the main driver for people seeking alternative ways to watch – the cost. Maybe the new additions to the Sky Sports portfolio – radically different from the events on which they built their reputation – is a sign they are trying to fireproof themselves against relying on Premier League content alone. The current schedule includes football derivative The Baller League, a six-a-side indoor event staged at the Copper Box Arena in London, usually associated with extreme sports and Esports. Alongside so-called legends such as Gary Lineker and Ian Wright, drafted in as team managers, are You Tubers KSI, Angryginge and Chunkz, seemingly hugely popular with an entirely different generation. Gaming and simulation is another growth area where Sky have invested. The TMRW Golf League (TGL), involving Tiger Woods and Rory Mc Ilroy, is played in indoor arenas with the latest interactive technology. Rory Mc Ilroy and Tiger Woods are involved in the new TMRW Golf League broadcast by Sky TGL features six teams of four players competing against each other in a tech-infused arena Influencers such as Jake Paul (right) and brother Logan know how to challenge the orthodoxy Content is all relative and while I am sometimes amazed by what passes for watchable content, it does have traction. The term You Tuber shouldn’t be used with an underlying derogatory nudge and a wink. Influencers such as Jake Paul challenge the orthodoxy and know how to communicate a message, as their vast audience proves. Outside of sport, social media personalities such as Gary Stevenson or Jordan Peterson are simply alternative broadcasters dwarfing mainstream viewing numbers. The ultimate media monster Piers Morgan has joined their ranks, unfiltered and playing to a different narrative from traditional media. My talk SPORT radio colleague Jim White is doing a new You Tube show under the auspices of News UK. He will be the circus master but the bringer of viewing numbers is an influencer called Expressions. The world is changing and people want content quicker and in bite-sized chunks, portable opinions that are rat-a-tat-tat. It may not be what I want to watch – but it appeals to others. I don’t want to deny a You Tuber a platform on mainstream broadcast platforms or even deride their validity. It would make me not only a dinosaur but someone protecting their own interests. But I also have to be honest and say a lot of things Sky are doing at the moment aren’t great, with their virtue-signalling on different subjects and dictating what pundits should say and think. I find the best opinions are informed, which comes through experience. I like to listen to someone who gives me pause for thought. Sky are filling their coverage with younger digital personalities who don't carry much gravitas Piers Morgan is a key figure in the new broadcasting landscape challenging traditional media Influencer and You Tuber KSI is a big player in The Baller League and there is talent in that group Do younger digital personalities carry enough gravitas? In the end, I guess good opinions are good opinions but, that’s just it, I don’t find the current raft of observers on Sky’s platform particularly good or insightful. Sky use technological innovations but in terms of on-screen personalities, they are miles off. Instead of a bolder cutting edge, it’s blunted and vacuous. But, hey, maybe the new meme or buzzword is the cut-through that will keep the next generation of viewers engaged! I understand we’re in a disposable society where You Tube children’s entertainer Blippi can become a billionaire by making funny little shows wearing an orange hat and specs. But while you have to evolve, I’ve been reluctant to engage with these digital warriors who call me out as traditional media in order to pretend they are the voice of the people, or that they have the zeitgeist and will put my mainstream media nonsense to bed. I cannot help but live by the somewhat harsh mantra that there is no point in getting into arguments with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience! I’m not tarring KSI and all those involved in the Baller League with that brush. There is talent within their group. At the same time, if Sky believe stockpiling influencers will stop their decline and help them return to a one-time Golden Age, they are mistaken. I can see why they are trying to jump on the next generation bandwagon but it's unlikely to succeed if - as is currently the case - it looks contrived, orchestrated and about as cool as dad dancing at a family gathering. Why mid-ranking clubs have the power now Crystal Palace have succeeded in holding onto Eberechi Eze for longer than many anticipated Eze may not stay for ever but he has two years left on his deal so Palace won't be pushed about We’re in a cycle where mid-ranking clubs such as Crystal Palace are in the ascendancy. It’s partly due to holding onto stars like Eberechi Eze longer than previously considered possible. The reason may lie in the growing differential between buyers and sellers in valuing players. Big clubs think there is an unfair price premium on English players and shop abroad if the asking price is too high. Paradoxically, clubs of Palace’s size often feel Premier League giants try to discount the true market price by using the player’s ambition to exert downward pressure. It’s unlikely Eze will be at Selhurst Park for ever but he has two years left on his contract so if any suitors want a deal, Palace won’t be pushed around. If Manchester City, for example, offered Jack Grealish in a direct swap, the response would be swift: one word with two letters, beginning with N.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group