Broadcaster Sky Sports has taken action against Leeds United fans by using technology to silence expletive-laden chants against the company as tempers flare over the number of games moved for television, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claim on their website that after seeing seven of their eight matches from the end of September to the start of November scheduled for broadcast on Sky, with just four of their 15 games not televised live, the Elland Road faithful have been left fuming over increased difficulty of travel and other issues which arise as a result, and have taken to calling the broadcast provider out with abusive chants.
As such, the report reveals that Sky have used dampening technology to silence the fans on their broadcasts in a bid to stay on the right side of Ofcom’s regulations about foul language being used pre-watershed.
Opinion
They might not be being heard by those watching on television but it seems as though the Leeds fans’ message is coming through loud and clear to the Sky board, who are actively having to take measures against the fans to keep their reputation intact. The problem that Leeds have is that they are so popular, with great viewing figures week in, week out, that Sky are going to continue to broadcast their matches on a regular basis. It does impact the supporters who are going to matches, especially when away games are rescheduled as late kick offs or on a Sunday, but that seems to be the price the Whites have to pay for being one of the best supported clubs in the Championship. Of course, there would not be half as many complaints if the money received for being on television was in the same ball park as that received by Premier League clubs, and it will be interesting to see if the fans’ rebellious nature remains if the club are promoted to the top flight next season.