48% of football fans don’t think Premier League have their interests at heart.
A survey has found that nearly half of the sports fans in Britain feel let down by TV companies, who say they do NOT have their best interests at heart.
With the Premier League set to play the first fixture on Christmas Eve in 28 years, outraged fans have demanded for their voice to be heard.
- 48% of fans in Britain fear TV companies don’t have their best interests at heart
- Chelsea travel to Wolves on Christmas Eve - the first Premier League game on this day in 28 years
- 54% of men feel aggrieved with TV companies, compared to 38% of women
- Younger fans are less concerned about televised fixtures, compared to a whopping 70% of those aged 45 or over
A survey by Betfred of more than 1,000 fans in Britain determined that 48% of participants felt TV companies did not have the best interests of fans at heart, with Wolves welcoming Chelsea to Molineux at 1pm on December 24.
A statement from the Football Supporters' Association, said: "The Premier League has delivered an early present which no one actually wanted in the shape of a Christmas Eve fixture.
"The FSA and our supporters groups have consistently told the league this is a bad idea and they have totally ignored match-goers.
"They've put money first, fans last, and we'll be looking at ways to make that crystal clear to the Premier League and TV companies.
"It's shocking scheduling and we're in discussion with our members at Chelsea, Wolves and other supporters groups, on the next steps."
When dissecting the survey, it becomes clear that the younger generations are more amenable towards sports broadcasters, as opposed to older generations. A whopping 70% of fans aged 45 or over do not believe broadcasters had their best interests at heart.
When breaking down the survey by city, it seems those in Plymouth and Nottingham truly value the work of sports broadcasters. 75% of those on the south coast believed TV companies had their best interests at heart, with 36% of those in Nottingham agreeing.
Conversely, 61% of participants from Liverpool felt as though broadcasters did NOT have the best interests of fans at heart, with Manchester natives equally displeased.
| Do you believe sports broadcasters have your best interests at heart? | ||
| City | Yes | No |
| Belfast | 46% | 54% |
| Birmingham | 48% | 52% |
| Brighton | 50% | 50% |
| Bristol | 62% | 38% |
| Cardiff | 50% | 50% |
| Edinburgh | 50% | 50% |
| Glasgow | 45% | 55% |
| Leeds | 47% | 53% |
| Liverpool | 39% | 61% |
| London | 60% | 40% |
| Manchester | 44% | 56% |
| Newcastle | 46% | 54% |
| Norwich | 41% | 59% |
| Nottingham | 61% | 36% |
| Plymouth | 75% | 25% |
| Sheffield | 53% | 47% |
| Southampton | 47% | 53% |
*Survey conducted between October 30 - November 2 2023 of 1,005 UK residents
