by Gaizka Mendieta

Created on: April 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

On a business sense, this 39th Match concept will absolutely propel the EPL as the most popular league in the world. As though they are not popular enough. Currently there is no contest as to which is the most popular league. I say popular, but not necessarily the best, well it is the most exciting for me but for them to capitalize on this by suggesting a 39th match is genius for the businessman but not for the viewer. There will be no end to the repercussions of the 39th Match going to the highest bidder as this will definitely increase prices for viewers significantly, as though the prices aren't steep enough. There can also be another debate altogether to discuss whether this 39th Match concept should even go through.

Countries should not, and must not allow themselves to be involved in bidding for matches, as the bidding war for the rights to televise these matches is already crazy enough. Lets say country A bids the highest for a Liverpool/Manchester United game, then what about the bidding for rights to televise the game within it's own country. Further to that what about the rights to televise the matches to other countries. However, I question the motive for the countries that win the bids. Is it to allow sixty maybe seventy thousand country A citizens to see and be a part of the EPL, how much will they profit from that, or to take advantage of the ability to dictate the prices for the rights to televise. As these matches will span many countries, there will be no regulator to control the prices. I may be wrong, maybe the EPL will be the authority on the prices but what good will it do? Every 2 to 3 seasons there is a price revision for the sports channel, for the country where I come from at least, just because of the bidding for the EPL rights. The prices will just spiral upwards should this be allowed to go through.

So, even though this is very good business, ethically this is nonsense. Should this go through and the prices go beyond control, I will just stop watching and instead force myself to be interested in another sport. That is why I say no, no to the highest bidder and no the the 39th Match.

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