[Archived] Isn't it Sky we should be boycotting?

[rovertakenmb]

People have said to me that they are boycotting games to hit Venky's in the pocket - not sure how much it will hurt them considering the vast amounts of money they already have and the fact that Matchday Revenue is 4th in the list of Major Sources of income at BRFC behind Television, Player Trading and Commercial Activity,

There are more up-to-date figures out there but I think that this table gives as clear a picture as any as to how heavily reliant the club is on money from Sky.

Obviously now we have been relegated from the Premier League that Television figure will come down but even the first installments of the parachute payment (£16 million a year for the next two years and then two installments of £8 million the following 2 years) dwarf what the club receives from Matchday Revenue and Commercial Activity.

I think people need to think really carefully about what they want to achieve from boycotting games and how effective this is going to be long term. I was all for the boycott but it was actually a message from another poster on BRFCS that got me thinking - have the owners become rich through mis-management or have they become rich through executing a long term plan? Were ticket prices not known until last week because the owners want to drive attendances down for whatever reason?

Personally, I have come to the decision that I am happy to boycott food, drink, merchandise, etc. I am happy to boycott individual games (Sky games perhaps - would people boycott the Burnley game?) to take part in peaceful protest outside the ground but I still need to be convinced as to what boycotting every home game until Venky's leave actually achieves.

Having said that - I have cancelled my subscription to Sky TV - so that is another £1000 a year they need to find from somewhere.

[whatdial]

You £1k boycott of sky is really going to make a difference mate. What have sky done other than give the premier league vast sums of money?

Venkys won't be leaving, kean won't be leaving,

All the fans need to get behind the players or a downward spiral will set in and we won't come back for ages.

[gumboots]

Which players? Will there be any left other than kids and Keanites (along with a few past its on a big final pay day) to get behind? After Singh's admission that unhappy players can leave how many do you really expect still to be here, or did you believe what Kean kept spouting about it being a happy dressing room with no dissent?

[whatdial]

The ones on good wages will stay, not like they can get better elsewhere.

Olsson, yak, hoillet and nzonzi will go in my opinion.

[OJRovers]

The boycott was never going to hit them massively financially, its a protest that they can physically see. At most clubs who are looking at losing 75% of their fans the owners who do something. Unfortunately we're stuck with venkys/sem's grand plans.

[rovertakenmb]

You £1k boycott of sky is really going to make a difference mate. What have sky done other than give the premier league vast sums of money?.

If 50% of Rovers fans stop going to games little will change. If 50% of Sky subscribers cancel Sky football in this country will change.

[Hasta]

Venkys won't be leaving, kean won't be leaving,

All the fans need to get behind the players or a downward spiral will set in and we won't come back for ages.

A downward spiral has set in. Fans supporting the players through Kean's first six months in charge or fans supporting the players through all bar about 4 home games last season didn't stop this spiral.

Hate to break it to you but unless we can force change at the top we ain't coming back for a very, very long time.

[PAFELL]

Pointless. Many supporters get rid of sky when their team is relegated. Often football is the only reason some have a sky subscription. Same as espn - I got rid of that.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

All the fans need to get behind the players or a downward spiral will set in and we won't come back for ages.

Yea thats right mate. Cheer on our team and we get promoted, don't and it's another relegation. I mean we always had a really vocal support as well before Kean. Unless I imagined the opposition chants of "your support is f#cking sh1t" and "shall we sing a song for you". No offence meant to any fan as we are as passionate as anyone and in my opinion teams shouldn't rely on fans to help them win games.

[rovertakenmb]

Pointless. Many supporters get rid of sky when their team is relegated. Often football is the only reason some have a sky subscription. Same as espn - I got rid of that.

Yeah, I see your point. No doubt Sky losing my £1,000 a year will be softened by the thousands of new subscribers they get in and around the Southampton, Reading and East London area. I just thought it was worth making the point to a lot of the people who are thinking of staying away in an attempt to try and hurt Venky's financially, I very much doubt that Venky's were drawn to Rovers by the prospect of selling 10,000 season tickets at £225 a year. It is (pardon the pun) chicken-feed to these people and unless there is a major plan of action related to the boycott that is about to be unveiled I can see Rovers as a club and Rovers fans being hurt more by staying away than the owners will be.

LIKE THE NEW LOOK WEBSITE BY THE WAY - VERY SLICK BRFCS!!! Keep up the good work!

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

I was about to say this topic makes no sense whatsoever and looks like a poor excuse to have a go at the non-renewers. But then you just admitted as much in your last post.

Who knows what impact attendances of below 10,000 could have? The media would be all over it like a rash, both matchday and commercial revenue would plummet and at the very least it would make damn sure Venkys ran for the hills once the 4 years of parachute payments were up.

But to repeat a much-repeated point, it doesn't matter to many doing it if the ST boycott has a significant impact or not. Most are doing it because they're tired of paying to be treated like idiots. Venkys completely ignore our opinions and constantly tell us ridiculous lies, to them we are gullible fools to be exploited.

[rovertakenmb]

.Who knows what impact attendances of below 10,000 could have? The media would be all over it like a rash,

Do you think they are going to be all over it like a rash in a way that reflects well on Rovers fans? I don't.

In terms of Commercial revenue plummeting then there is no reason why it shouldn't plummet anyway if people just go to games.

Seriously, I am happy to boycott if someone can convince me that it is going to be of benefit to the club. I dislike Kean, Venky's and company as much as the next man but they have shown over the last 18 months that what Rovers fans do or don't do is of little consequence to their long term plans.

It is a difficult situation to which there is no obvious answer but in my heart of hearts I don't see anyone from the Kean-Venky's set-up shedding too many tears if attendances drop below 5,000.

[he6rt6gr6m]

Having said that - I have cancelled my subscription to Sky TV - so that is another £1000 a year they need to find from somewhere.

Did this AGES ago, and feeling much more financial freedom than when I subscribed.

I'm stubborn and hold a grudge. I refuse to buy the Mirror after that "Is Racism To Blame for Paul Ince's Firing from Blackburn Rovers?" article. I refuse to buy the Scum for obvious reasons. And I refuse to subscribe to Sky due to their constant distain for Blackburn Rovers, the whole Sky Basic Channels scenario, and because of the influence News Corp have in this country.

Your idea makes so much sense on a massive scale, but your crusaide came to a grinding halt as soon as you posted the message because, quite simply, people are not willing to do it. Some are justified, because there's simply no alternative to Sky TV on the market if you're not in a cabled area.

I hope someone buys BSkyB and brings some bloody honesty back into it.

[purplegrover]

The hip pocket is not the way to affect Venkys. The average fan's input means nothing to them financially, and they wouldn't care about the financial impact of fans boycotting games. Its a fraction of their business.

However, I believe that they ARE influenced by the public perception of them. The whole reason why they entered the football market in the first place was to increase their public profile, and to get their name out there. Its all about marketing their wider business and the name "Venkys", both in the UK and overseas. That is why protests, empty seats, and sit-ins outside the ground on match days will be very effective (IMHO) - not for the finance side of it, but for the publicity side of it. That is where they will be embarassed.

[MarkBRFC]

Don't really know why people would get rid of sky if there side got relegated, they show more football league games than ever before.

[ossyian]

Don't really know why people would get rid of sky if there side got relegated, they show more football league games than ever before.

And there lies the problem doesnt it? Who is paying for the extra billions they are pumping in? Where will the money end up - Academies, grass roots - nah - players and agents will trouser most of it. Fast forward to 2014 World Cup - England out again in group or stage 2. Heroic England again!

[Mattyblue]

Whatdial is now a Rovers fan? He was talking about ' family who support Rovers' last week.

WUM.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Don't really know why people would get rid of sky if there side got relegated, they show more football league games than ever before.

Agreed ever since that "massive" club Newcastle went down. We are on first on Friday 21st September at home to Middlesbrough.

[FourLaneBlue]

Personally, I have come to the decision that I am happy to boycott food, drink, merchandise, etc.

Boycotting drinking at the ground would likely hurt the catering company that offers that service more than Venky´s, wouldn´t it?

[MarkBRFC]

Yes it would, folk dont realise/want to see that though due to the blind hatred of venkys. Understandabe i guess.

[whatdial]

Whatdial is now a Rovers fan? He was talking about ' family who support Rovers' last week.

WUM.

You wound up?

[Mattyblue]

Not at all friend, others may bite.

[thenodrog]

I've never ever subscribed to Sky tv. Isn't it just for people on benefits?

[Andy]

People think far too much.

Sky are fantastic for football coverage and the English Premier League's growth has been astronomical whilst Sky have been throwing subscriber's money at top flight clubs.

I'd find it far more depressing to go back to how football was before Sky, to be perfectly honest with you.

I've never ever subscribed to Sky tv. Isn't it just for people on benefits?

People on benefits?!

Have you seen subscription costs?

...oh yeah, good point.

Most people on benefits are somehow considerably better off than us hard working folk.