Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has recently discussed the pay-per-view figures which West Bromwich Albion have been getting.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Premier League matches which were not selected for broadcast would be available on a pay-per-view basis (per BBC).
The fixtures are shown across BT Sport Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office and set supporters back a hefty fee of £14.95.
However, the idea was met with discontent from supporters, some of which decided to donate the money they would have spent on a match to charity – which has resulted in more than £300,000 being raised.
During the latest episode of The Price of Football podcast, Maguire discussed pay-per-view matches and the kind of viewing figures the Baggies have been receiving.
He said: “For a game such as Brighton versus West Brom, I think you’d probably be talking somewhere in the region of 300,000 [viewers].
“So, my understanding is less that than 10,000 people signed up for the match on Monday night. So, it’s substantially less, but people are prepared to pay £14.95.
“My understanding is actually that the Premier League are quietly pleased with the level of interest. On average, there’s been 39,000 people paying for each match.
“It’s gone from a high of 140,000 for Arsenal versus Leicester and 125,000 for Liverpool versus Sheffield United, to – and nobody’s prepared to confirm this – to 1,000 for Burnley versus West Brom.
“So, the range is absolutely huge but I think it also reflects on fanbases.”
TIF Thoughts on what Kieran Maguire had to say about pay-per-view viewing figures…
So, it would seem that some matches on pay-per-view have been more popular than others depending upon who’s playing but the Premier League are “quietly pleased” with the figures.
Are you prepared to pay £14.95 to watch a West Brom game on TV?
No, it's not worth it
Yes, I would pay it
According to a report by The Mirror, the viewing figures for Slaven Bilic’s side’s clash with Burnley were ‘exceptionally low’. It was even claimed to be a ‘disastrous’ total.
So, it will be interesting to see if West Brom’s viewing figures have any impact on the pay-per-view system being changed.