The Premier League climbdown on PPV is such a disastrous piece of mismanagement. The concept actually made perfect sense- these were games that would not ordinarily be selected for broadcast, but fans clamoured for the option to be able to watch their teams in these circumstances

The fact that you wouldn't pay to watch two teams you're not interested in is kind of irrelevant, that wasn't the market these games were intended to reach. They were intended almost entirely for the fans of participating clubs with no other means to watch.

The PL were apparently surprised by the realisation that fans want to be able to watch all of their team's games- but having received that feedback they then repeatedly refused to work with supporters clubs to come to a compromise on price and delivery.

Most industries have to and do PAY for market research focus groups when they are trialling a product or service. The Premier League had one banging down its doors free of charge and the PL still ignored it! That's a staggering level of incompetence.

When supporters clubs approached the PL to complain about the price, all the PL did was hand wave the complaints away and insist "you don't understand" the market forces that drove the pricing. They never offered an explanation so that supporters clubs could "understand."

And now, having failed to engage with the very market they were trying to reach, they have to scrap the initiative amidst a lot of awful PR and the clubs lose a valuable and needed revenue stream in lieu of gate receipts. This has been disastrously handled.

I think this is a symptom of ‘the powers that be’ just assuming football fans are dribbling idiots but I think I know who looks really fucking stupid here- and it’s not football fans.