The Athletic FC Podcast The future of watching football
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Nov 17, 2025 Adam Crafton, a US-based football journalist, and Matt Slater, a former BBC contributor, dive into the changing landscape of football viewing. They discuss the complexities of broadcasting rights in the US versus the UK and the implications of the 3pm blackout. Crafton highlights economic pressures leading to illegal streaming, while Slater predicts that by 2035, fans will experience hyper-personalized viewing with tech innovations. The duo debates the viability of a Premier League direct-to-consumer platform amidst traditional broadcasters' dominance.
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Why Sport Commands Premium Value
- Sports command premium value because fans overwhelmingly want live, communal moments that cannot be time-shifted.
- That live demand drives bidding wars and inflation in broadcast rights, making football expensive and complex to access.
Survey Shows High Piracy Driven By Cost
- The Athletic's anonymous survey found 47% of respondents used illegal streams, far above representative polls.
- Cost, the 3pm blackout and convenience were the main drivers pushing fans to piracy.
Younger Fans Rely On Others Or Go Without
- Adam Crafton says many fans, especially younger ones, rely on parents' accounts or miss access entirely, making piracy unsurprising.
- He argues the blackout and fragmented access contradicts the Premier League's 24/7 global product push.
