Who’s Paying The Bills?

Ten years ago, following the Premiership was a chore. For most people in the States and around the world, it meant buying a shortwave radio and listening in to the BBC World Service.

But the Internet and satellite television changed everything.

We’re now spoilt by an overwhelming amount of soccer web sites, soccer radio shows on Sirius and on the Internet, and — in the States — two major 24/7 soccer channels (Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV; Setanta is not available via cable in most homes).

The question is, where does it go from here?

The soccer fan’s appetite for watching more soccer on TV won’t stop. But the most important element in how much soccer we’ll continue to see on television and what the future will bring is depends on advertisers, the people paying the money to air their commercials on Fox Soccer Channel. Right now, I’m willing to bet that FSC isn’t making a profit.

Take a second and try to think of five companies who advertise on Fox Soccer Channel. And out of those, how many are well-known nationwide brands?

If you’re like me, you can probably think of one or two. In order for Fox Soccer Channel to continue being successful, that number will need to be much more than it currently is.