The Sky Sports and Premier League partnership is long-running and well-established, with both going hand in hand ever since the Premier League's commencement in 1992. In that time, Sky have shown numerous great moments live, that the Premier League has produced. Viewing figures have increased, as has the vast sums paid by Sky for the privilege of showing the majority of Premier league games. Given all of this, it would be presumed that the passion for the Premier League would still remain high at the main coverage provider, however recently, it would seem that this is no longer the case.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the landscape across the board in so many industries, that it would be almost perverse if football was excluded from it. With fans locked out of attending fixtures (with the end to this hopefully coming ever sooner), this has led to Sky, along with BT Sports, Amazon and now the BBC showing every game live on TV. Fans now are spoilt for choice in terms of watching live football, albeit on their sofa rather than in the flesh. As a result of this, it has revealed an attitude, to which many fans have suspected, but is now seemingly in the open - that Sky Sports would rather that the 14 teams not seen as being in the "top 6", either didn't exist, or that they were not obligated to cover and show their games.
This attitude can be seen in different ways, with Super Sunday and Monday Night Football (MNF) being a prime example for demonstrating this. Usually a double-header, Super Sunday's second fixture tends to be their main event, usually containing at least one of the top 6 teams. The downside of this, is that if you're not a top 6 team playing in the afternoon's opener, you might as well not exist in Sky's eyes. Time and time again, the build up time to the opening fixture does not contains analysis, commentary and coverage of the two teams in immediate action, but instead to those playing later on, with the opening fixture merely an afterthought. Any analysis and comment of that fixture and those teams, tends to be a rehash of simple cliches, with the viewer being told nothing that they did not already know. Post-game analysis and hearing from the two managers involved? Forget it, that is relegated to the red button, out of the way, as to not get in the way of the main fixture.
MNF is no better. If the fixture is not considered a "star fixture" then the hour's build up is likely to be full of analysis of the weekend's talking points, usually regarding the top 6. If you were tuning in not knowing of who was playing that evening, you would be surprised to learn that it does not feature a top 6 team such is the blanket coverage given to one of their number. As a result, there is little to no point tuning in much before 10 minutes before kick-off, if you are one of the 14 unlucky enough to be playing.
It is not only if your team is not involved that you get the silent treatment. If your team happens to beat a top 6 team (it is allowed and it does happen Sky) then the coverage instantly becomes all about why the big team lost, rather than why did the so called underdog win.
As a Leicester City fan, it would seem that we are caught up in highlighting this attitude more so than other teams. An example of this was on display during last weekend's coverage of the Manchester United v Liverpool game. Traditionally, one of, if not, the biggest game of the season, given the history and popularity of both clubs, it is not a fixture that needs much of an introduction or advertising. But as the weekend approached, and with both teams being placed 1st & 2nd in the table, Sky went into overdrive, with wall to wall promotion of the game coming from all corners. However, on Saturday night, there was a fly in the ointment - Leicester had the temerity to beat Southampton moving them up to 2nd instead of Liverpool. At a stroke, Sky's ideal coverage of their flagship weekend fixture went up in smoke. As a result, there were numerous mentions of how the landscape had changed, with the annoyance of this clearly on display, with it being noticed and commented on on Social Media by fans of different clubs.
This has now translated into Sky's wider coverage. Only this week Pete Graves was in discussion with Gabby Agbonlahor and Jermaine Beckford, with talk turning to the title race. Given Leicester City sat in 3rd place, after being displaced at the top after Man United's victory, any talk of who was in contention would likely feature ourselves? Wrong. Graves instead asked the 2 ex-professionals about the 3 other teams in the top 4, as if the Foxes did not exist. If we were The Immortals in 2016, then we are definitely The Invisibles in 2021.Now this is not a rant about us not being spoken about as likely title winners. Most Leicester fans know that our target for this season was top 4, with anything else a bonus. Most also know that a title win in as unlikely now as it was 5 years ago, but why deliberately exclude us from the conversation? Dismay again, that someone outside of their beloved top 6 are again in the race? Ignore it, and pretend it is not happening?
This contempt for the "other 14" that Sky seem to have, I believe is highlighted more by the coverage of the other Broadcasters. Amazon have won many admirers over their coverage, with fans all complimenting the commentators and pundits used, as well as highlighting that there is actual analysis of the games featured, irrespective of who is actually playing. BT Sport again, will provide good analysis of the game, no matter who the two teams are in action. Fans are not expecting granular coverage or analysis of their team, but they do expect the Broadcaster to actually pay them respect and not treat them as an afterthought.
It is this point that is causing the issue. Sky, more and more, are a Broadcaster that are coming across as tired, stale and more complacent towards their coverage of the Premier League. Once market leaders, they have been overtaken by their rivals, but show no indication that they are prepared to turn it around. They may have the biggest quantity of games covered, but quality of coverage has disappeared, or at least dropped off compared to what has gone on before. More and more, they are a broadcaster that show contempt towards having to show games involving non top 6 side. Previously, this may have been hidden from sight. Now, it is on full display, and one that is now being picked up by fans and other football commentators.
With the next tender to the Premier League broadcast rights approaching, fans of the 14 I suspect, will be hoping that Amazon or BT Sport increase their coverage rights and pick up more games. In the meantime, we can only hope that Sky rediscover that the Premier League consist of 20 teams, and not just their precious 6 favourites.