The European Super League’s promise to stream all matches for free has been branded as unsustainable and a mere strategy to lure fans into backing the controversial project. Finance expert Dan Plumley has expressed skepticism about how a breakaway competition can afford to offer enough prize money to gain the support of clubs while also broadcasting games for free.
Despite facing backlash from fans, players, and the media, the Super League resurfaced this week with a revamped format. After the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that FIFA and UEFA had unfairly blocked the Super League two years ago, the competition’s organizers, A22 Sports, unveiled a new tournament format, which is still supported by Real Madrid and Barcelona. The plan includes promotion and relegation across three tiers, as well as a promise to stream all games for free, although Plumley has doubts about its feasibility.
“We’ve seen the proposed format of the new ESL, but we’ve not seen the financial distribution mechanisms, we’ve not seen where the money’s coming from and if you are going to promote a free-to-air model through a streaming service, that obviously looks good for the fans,” said Plumley. “But at some point, you have to have some form of broadcaster to be able to generate prize money and to generate the finances of the competition.”
The Super League’s Twitter account posted, “EarnItOnThePitch ? That’s why our proposal is based on sporting merit, with promotion and relegation, and no permanent members. And free for the fans.” The promise of free coverage appears to be a ploy to win over fans, as Plumley suggests it is a hook for fans to come on board with the project.
Plumley also speculated that the only way the project could succeed financially with a free-to-air model was through potential involvement of a state wealth fund or private equity consortium.
“In the 2021 project, it was supposed to be financed by JP Morgan and we saw that American influence, we’ve seen an explosion in Saudi Arabian football in the last couple of years,” Plumley added. “Do one of those other big players in the market get involved in the future? I think all those questions are a little bit up in the air at the minute.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of securing broadcasting deals to support the prize money on offer. Fans and clubs remain skeptical about the sustainability of the project, but it has potential to attract a wide range of international fans who follow European football, even if there is opposition from English clubs and fans. The future of the European Super League and its promise of free streaming remain uncertain, with questions lingering about its financial viability.