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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Why Germany's top football league is turning to this man
The growing popularity and reach of the Premier League globally is leaving rival European football competitions struggling to compete. Not only to find an audience, but to find outlets to even show the matches. So German football had to think differently - going to where Gen Z is engaging with football through content creators. And that's why tonight, Harry Kane's Bayern Munich will begin their defence of the Bundesliga title live to 1.4 million subscribers on the That's Football channel on YouTube. It's run by Mark Goldbridge, known for passionate but often provocative, punchy commentary about players on streams going viral. His brand was built by being filmed reacting to watching Manchester United matches. "People need to appreciate that we have a certain content style, and that's very, very popular," Goldbridge told Sky News. "That is an area that needs to be catered [to] and that's why, without the rights, we've had such big, big audiences." Goldbridge revealed he isn't paying to show his 20 Friday night matches this season - reinforcing how the Bundesliga struggled to find a buyer in Britain. Sky Sports previously had a four-year rights deal to exclusively show those German matches here, but will now only show the prestige Saturday evening slot live. European leagues are finding it increasingly difficult in this market to sell their rights because domestic football is so dominant and appealing. The focus of football budgets is on domestic games for Sky as well as Discovery-owned TNT Sports, which also focuses its European football coverage on men's continental competitions, including the Champions League. More Premier League matches will be shown live than ever before - with at least 215 on Sky, the parent company of Sky News, and others on TNT. Sky Sports also has live men's rights to the English Football League and Scottish matches, as well as sharing the Women's Super League with the BBC. The Bundesliga is also making the games broadcast by Goldbridge's channel available to the BBC to stream online. They will further be on The Overlap, a YouTube channel part-owned by Gary Neville. 'A progressive step' Bundesliga International CEO Peer Naubert said: "Our approach is as diverse as our supporters: by combining established broadcasters with digital platforms and content creators, we are taking a progressive step in how top-level football can be experienced. "This multi-layered strategy allows us to connect with more audiences across the UK and Ireland, giving every supporter the chance to engage … in the way that suits them best." While the former England and Manchester United player is a star pundit on Sky, he could also be seen as a rival to the Comcast-owned broadcaster by attracting fans to newer outlets of his channel. Goldbridge doesn't see himself as a rival yet to long-established broadcasters. "We're not looking to replace what you can find on Sky or the BBC or anything like that," he said. "This is a community that will be live with us, watching the Bundesliga, learning about it. "And if I get a pronunciation wrong, or I don't know about a player, then I've got my community there to back me up. I don't profess to know everything." 'This is the future' But he can be relatable to audiences, with more than two million subscribing to his The United Stand channel, earning him millions of pounds over the last decade. "We've been there growing in the background and I think certain media outlets have ignored that, maybe hoping it would go away," he said. "I certainly think synergy and collaboration need to happen more because there are things in the mainstream that I don't like and there will be people out there that really don't like the way we watch football, but a lot of people do. "And it's about offering that choice to people and there are different ways people listen to football on the radio, people watch it with a commentator, some people turn the audio off completely, some people watch things like this (watch-a-long).
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Enzo Maresca's request for Chelsea to replace the injured Levi Colwill with a new centre-back remains unanswered. The club's position is straightforward: there are no suitable defenders on the market and, in any case, it is up to Maresca to find internal solutions. The Italian can call upon Josh Acheampong, who performed well against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend. The 19-year-old started with Colwill's long-term absence complicated by Tosin Adarabioyo's minor injury. Adarabioyo may return for Friday night at West Ham but there is a case to give Acheampong another chance next to Trevoh Chalobah. Acheampong, who counts Manchester City as one of his many suitors, stood up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the goalless draw with Palace. It is worth having another look at whether he can cope as the central centre-back when Chelsea morph into a back three in possession. Replacing Colwill's line-breaking passes will not be easy but Maresca has options. Jacob Steinberg West Ham v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times BST) Tottenham ride into the Etihad Stadium in the wake of the Eberechi Eze farrago. Perhaps Thomas Frank can use the crimson embarrassment of Arsenal gazumping his club for the Crystal Palace forward's signature to inspire his men. Last November, under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs trounced Pep Guardiola's champions 4-0. A repeat may seem unlikely given Eze's morale-sapping choice plus Manchester City's 4-0 opening-day victory at Wolves. However, Frank and his players' job is to be able to show fight and spirit and tenacity precisely when it is difficult. So at lunchtime on Saturday, we will find out how much of these qualities they possess. Jamie Jackson Manchester City v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm Things started appallingly for Keith Andrews in his new life as Brentford head coach. In the first 45 minutes of his senior managerial career, the Bees showed no identity to make life easy for Nottingham Forest. Clearly, the lack of Yoane Wissa and the failure to replace Bryan Mbeumo will cause problems but a key absence in the East Midlands was Mikkel Damsgaard, missing after his wife gave birth. Andrews spoke of his importance to the team; unsurprising because he won of the players' and fans' player of the year award last season. The Dane's return to the midfield will be imperative because Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White dominated proceedings, unthreatened by anything akin to pressing. Alongside Damsgaard, Jordan Henderson may start after coming off the bench for his debut on Sunday. Experience will be helpful to Andrews, because he lacks it as a coach. Brentford were certainly better in the second half at Forest and the greater assurance of Damsgaard and Henderson can help their colleagues settle and forget that poor start. Will Unwin Brentford v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm This feels like a game Burnley need to win already. The Clarets conceded almost a third of the entire tally of their goals-against column last season at Tottenham last weekend. Burnley were always going to be more porous at the back by the nature of stepping into the Premier League but on that basis, they need to find goals at the other end. Last season's top scorer Josh Brownhill has departed and replacing his threat will be difficult. Lyle Foster started as the main striker at Spurs that was a struggle for Burnley, manageing just four shots on target. Armando Broja is waiting in the wings but needs to work on his physical condition before he can be considered for selection, understandable after his history of injury problems. A lot of pressure is placed on the Albania striker's shoulders in the medium to long term but there is an immediate issue this weekend. If Scott Parker does not find goals, it could set the tone for what is to come. WU Burnley v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm Bournemouth's season is never going to hinge on results at the best teams in the division but an opening-day defeat at Anfield offered plenty of positives. A typically buccaneering performance by Andoni Iraola's side suggested a summer of change has not been as damaging as perhaps feared. Adrien Truffert, the left-back signed from Rennes, was particularly impressive and they have since augmented their squad with addition of Amine Adli, who was part of Xabi Alonso's double-winning Bayer Leverkusen side in 2023-24. Ben Gannon Doak – who wishes to reflect both of his parents' names – is another exciting arrival before hosting Wolves. Last week Dango Ouattara became the latest player to exit, for Brentford, in a deal worth up to £42.5m. A buzz does not breed guarantees but Bournemouth appear to have taken the summer exodus in their stride. Ben Fisher Bournemouth v Wolves, Saturday 3pm Amid all the excitement about Eberechi Eze's impending arrival at Arsenal, spare a thought for Mikel Merino. The Spain midfielder's prospects in his favoured position already looked bleak after the signing of compatriot Martín Zubimendi meant he started the season on the bench after spending the second half of the previous campaign filling in as a makeshift No 9. The knee injury suffered by Kai Havertz means Merino could find himself back in that position over the next few weeks given that he is the only other player in Mikel Arteta's squad capable of replacing Viktor Gyökeres through the middle. Eze is expected to compete with Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of Arsenal's attack but can also play in midfield. The new man is unlikely to be available to face Leedsbut Merino could have an important role to play. Ed Aarons Arsenal v Leeds, Saturday 5.30pm It is the dawn of a new era for Everton as the £800m Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts its first competitive game and 52,769 fans adapt to plush modern surroundings. There will be pre-match events to mark the occasion, a special edition programme priced £10 and wide-eyed astonishment at the complete lack of obstructed views. It is a momentous day for the club and the city but Everton will be trying to tread a fine line between celebrating their new home while ensuring the focus remains on, and the fervour behind, David Moyes's team. Monday's performance at Leeds was chastening for those Evertonians who had approached the new campaign with unusual optimism. Perhaps not for the Everton manager who has spent all summer calling for more improvements to his squad. Everton were fortunate to lose their opening home game of last season 3-0 against Brighton, such was the second half dominance of Fabian Hürzeler's side, and soon lost the positive momentum they had built up in the final weeks of the previous campaign. Everton require a fresh start all round. Andy Hunter Everton v Brighton, Sunday 2pm We are only a week into the new season but Oliver Glasner already has concerns about a lack of squad depth at Crystal Palace. The expected departure of Eberechi Eze means Palace must act quickly to find a replacement, with Leicester's Bilal El Khannouss and Tyler Dibling of Southampton among those considered. In the meantime, a knee injury to Daichi Kamada – who often played further forward under Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt – could rule him out of the grudge match with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, meaning that Palace may turn to Community Shield penalty shootout hero Justin Devenny. The 21-year-old Northern Irishman signed from Airdrieonians in 2023, just four Premier League starts last season has very big boots to fill. EA Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Sunday 2pm Flashes of positivity for Manchester United during their defeat by Arsenal are all well and good but Ruben Amorim could do with improved results. United must also improve in both boxes. Will Amorim tweaks his attack on Sunday. Does Mason Mount continue as a false No 9 or is Benjamin Sesko ready to lead the line from the start? There was a feeling United were not quite as effective after Mount went off against Arsenal. He has endured a wretched few years but is a useful, influential team player when on form with the ability to create space for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Still, Sesko has not been signed to sit on the bench. The gargantuan Slovenian is a handful for anyone while a team who have struggled for goals under Amorim could do with a finisher in the starting XI. JS Fulham v Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm Matches involving Newcastle and Liverpool often contain a bit of an edge but this rerun of last season's Carabao Cup final will surely take things to a different level. Eddie Howe's team won that showpiece yet one of their heroes of the hour, Alexander Isak, is at war with Newcastle as he endeavours to, currently rather forlornly, engineer a move to Anfield. With the Sweden striker training alone the only certainty is that Isak will not be at St James' Park where geordie anger at Liverpool's perceived tactics in unsettling Tyneside's fallen idol should guarantee already febrile emotions run high. Howe is expected to field the former Everton winger, and boyhood Liverpool fan, Anthony Gordon out of position at centre-forward. Gordon, along with Isak and Fabian Schär, scored in last December's fabulous 3-3 Premier League draw between these teams. Back then Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scored twice in the course of a wonderful performance. The Egyptian's duel with Howe's likely left-back, Tino Livramento, could prove pivotal. Louise Taylor Newcastle v Liverpool, Monday 8pm
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Premier League may help overcome Australia's ‘petty' football code wars
Live coverage of the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Tottenham on Saturday is set to break audiences records one week after the competition's debut on Australian commercial television, drawing it inside the tent at Channel Nine and helping overcome what has been described as the country's 'petty conflict' between football codes. Last week's Aston Villa v Newcastle match reached close to 900,000 viewers in the Premier League's debut on one of Australia's commercial television channels, after Optus Sport handed over the rights to Nine and its streaming subsidiary Stan Sport in the off-season. The match out-rated Seven's evening movie blockbuster The Martian and was within 300,000 viewers of the NRL clash between the Rabbitohs and Eels beforehand. The live audience on Stan was also the largest for any football broadcast on the platform, which has welcomed former Optus customers since the rights changed hands in the off-season. After years of the Premier League appearing on subscription platforms and public broadcasters ABC and SBS, the response highlights how the move to the Nine conglomerate has taken football to a broader audience. While the sport's major events such as the Women's World Cup have performed spectacularly on Australian commercial television, club competitions have struggled to secure prime-time windows on main linear channels. This year's A-League Men grand final in March reached 815,000 viewers on Channel 10, with its slightly higher average than last Saturday's Premier League match aided by an earlier time slot. Former Premier League and Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, who is part of the Nine/Stan local broadcast team, appeared on the NRL coverage that preceded the Aston Villa game last week to promote the coverage. He said he recognises a 'resurgence' in interest in the competition. 'It's exponentially grown, and that has happened over the years, but I think the 'resurgence'-feel that we can sense is because of the visibility,' he said. Bosnich will again feature in a promotion during Nine's NRL coverage on Saturday, but this time live from Melbourne's Federation Square, where Stan has organised a watch party for the City v Spurs match which will immediately follow the NRL. Some voices in rugby league media have criticised the decision by Nine to prioritise live Premier League over an NRL post-game show, with the Daily Telegraph describing it as a 'snub'. However, Bosnich said being part of the Nine group has meant he is often promoting other sports, and Australian sports fans typically have cross-code interests. 'When I've been in this country I've always thought that sometimes it's OK to have competition with other sports, but I think sometimes it's turned into petty conflict, which I don't like, because I'm a great sport lover and I know the majority of Australians are as well,' he said. This Saturday's game is expected to outperform week one given the interest in title contenders City and Spurs, the club which sacked Australian coach Ange Postecoglou in June. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The programming decisions reflect Nine's strategy to use the reach of its free-to-air channels to drive Stan Sport subscriptions by targeting general sports fans. Nine is also screening the Wallaroos' opening World Cup match this Saturday, which overlaps with the end of the NRL coverage and the start of the Premier League, on both Gem and Stan Sport. And it has committed to showing next week's Chelsea v Fulham contest on free-to-air, which will follow the North Queensland v Brisbane NRL clash. More games could also find their way onto Channel Nine before clocks change due to daylight savings and matches are pushed later than the current 9:30pm kick-off time in the eastern states. This season's competition is then likely to go behind the Stan paywall, though Nine has screened Champions League and Europa League finals in recent years. If Nine persists with Premier League programming until daylight savings, the network could use the Wallabies' Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks on 4 October as a lead-in to the game between two of Australia's more popular English teams, Leeds and Spurs, which would create a combination of two of Stan Sport's most prominent sports properties. Nine is seeking to secure all of the rights to the NRL in its next broadcast cycle from 2028 – rather than partner with another subscription platform such as Fox Sports – and use Stan to leverage its free-to-air coverage. Its managing director of streaming and broadcast, Amanda Laing, started at Nine in April after spending more than six years at Foxtel.
