The Athletic FC Podcast: The Future of Watching Football
Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Adam Leventhal
Guests: Matt Slater, Adam Crafton
Overview
In this special episode, The Athletic FC Podcast dives into the changing landscape of how fans watch football (soccer), reflecting on a recent documentary about illegal streaming and addressing fan feedback. Host Adam Leventhal is joined by Adam Crafton and Matt Slater for a roundtable on the cost and complexity of legal viewing options, the impact of piracy, the future potential of direct-to-consumer platforms like "Premflix," and predictions for how football consumption might look in 2035.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Current Cost and Complexity of Watching Football
- UK Context: To legally watch the Premier League, fans must subscribe to Sky, TNT, and use the BBC for highlights, costing around £80/month.
- US Context: Complexity arises from multiple platforms—Peacock (~$10/month) for some games, cable/TV packages for others, totaling $60–$90/month for full access.
"Almost all of [the reaction] boils down to cost and accusations of greed." - Adam Leventhal [01:33]
- Supply and Demand: Prices are high because live sports are one of the last 'must-watch live' events, maintaining unique value for broadcasters.
"Sport is one of the last things...that we have to watch in the moment, that we watch live...and that's why it's got valuable, it's got very expensive." - Matt Slater [03:34]
2. Piracy and Illegal Streaming
- Survey Findings: 47% of Athletic readers surveyed (n=5,000+) have used illegal streams to watch football, much higher than a recent YouGov poll (9%).
- Key Reasons: Cost, blackout rules (especially UK’s 3pm Saturday), and convenience.
- Generational Trends: Younger fans often share accounts (e.g., using parents' Sky Go), highlighting a sustainability challenge for traditional models.
"If you are a Premier League football fan, there are going to be weeks...where you can't watch your team...It's like, completely absurd..." - Adam Crafton [07:43]
3. The 3pm Blackout: Outdated or Necessary?
- Background: The UK’s 3–5:15pm Saturday blackout aimed to protect lower-league attendance is seen by many as outdated, with 64% in the survey wanting it scrapped.
- Panel Views: Both Matt and Adam argue that while the original intention was sound, live attendance in lower leagues is actually stronger than ever, and the blackout may no longer be essential.
"I have changed my mind. I used to be very sympathetic to that...Live events matter. People still...like going to games...I just don’t believe that putting stuff on TV is going to...stop people going." - Matt Slater [11:04]
- Fan Experience: US fans can freely watch every Premier League game; UK-based fans are more restricted, which is seen as unfair.
"I think that's unfair on the home market...if anything is going to disincentivise EFL fans from going, it's EFL iFollow, not the Premier League." - Adam Crafton [13:36]
4. Could ‘Premflix’ Solve Football’s Streaming Dilemmas?
- Fan Feedback: Broad consensus that a Netflix-style subscription for all Premier League games (£15–50/month) would be attractive.
- Industry Skepticism:
- Pricing could be dynamic and not as generous as fans expect (e.g., premium for big matches).
- The risk currently is outsourced to broadcasters; direct-to-consumer would mean clubs face unpredictable revenues and operational headaches (billing, support, tech).
- Most major sports have resisted full DTC models; MLS–Apple is the outlier but hasn't scaled as hoped.
"I'd be cautious about will it cost the same to watch Burnley as Manchester United?...I'm cautious about this...relying on the goodwill of Premier League owners." - Adam Crafton [21:36]
"If you're cutting out the intermediary...you're creating another intermediary with another person taking 10, 15, 20% off the top." - Matt Slater [24:43]
5. Big Tech’s Role – The Bundling Era
- Amazon, Netflix, Apple: Tech giants acquire specific packages less to win sports fans, more to tie subscribers into their ecosystem (e.g., Amazon prioritizing Black Friday, holiday periods).
- Fragmentation: No imminent consolidation; fans may need several subscriptions to cover all competitions.
- Future Paradox: The future could ironically see a return to a variant of “cable bundling”—but with apps.
"So, I think we're going to see...more of this, if you're a British, if you're a European football fan, not less...you're probably going to have to have a few subscriptions until someone reinvents something called cable TV." - Matt Slater [34:19]
6. Could Less Money Be the Answer?
- Could player wages, club finances, and the league's size shrink without catastrophe?
- Unlikely in the current marketplace.
- Market stratification is increasing, not decreasing; Premier League remains far ahead of competitors.
"We're not seeing the richest and most successful get poorer...the Premier League is that within football." - Adam Crafton [36:33]
7. The Vision for 2035: How Will We Watch Football?
- Personalization: Expect hyper-personalization—choose your own commentary (official, club, YouTuber), stats overlays, tailored data for betting/gaming/fantasy, or multi-match views.
- Tech: Skepticism about VR/goggles as mainstream; communal experiences (pubs, large screens) will endure.
- Integration with Gaming: More overlap between gameplay (EA FIFA, now EA Sports FC) and live sports.
"Hyper personalization...I might want my favorite YouTuber, a jokey one...I might be a mad gambler and want loads of data...we’re going to see a lot of overlays..." - Matt Slater [38:40]
- Player Data: Highlight packages, biometric data, real-time stats—potential, but complicated by privacy/legal/financial concerns.
"Wouldn't it be cool to have the heart rate of the player walking up to take the penalty? ...Who benefits financially? Is it the players, the broadcaster or FIFA?" - Adam Crafton [43:08]
- Content Fragmentation vs. Mega Platforms: At the same time as personalization increases, tech giants may seek to “own” your entire life via integrated services.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Fan Frustration with Costs:
"It will always tend to be the game you want to watch will be on the platform that you don't quite have. That's generally the way that sports broadcasting works now." – Adam Crafton [02:27] -
On Why Piracy Is So Prevalent:
"I'm surprised it's as low as that...because...you can't watch your own team's games." – Adam Crafton [07:43] -
On the Blackout Rule:
"England and Scotland have continued to apply this...The EFL...is terrified that if the Premier League starts putting all its games on...they're not going to rock up to pick on your League 2 or League 1 team..." – Matt Slater [11:04] -
On Potential for Direct-to-Consumer Moves:
"This isn't going to get cheaper. There may be more options, which may in turn lead to more prices." – Adam Crafton [21:36] -
On the Realities of Going Direct:
"If you're cutting out the intermediary...you're creating another intermediary...taking 10, 15, 20% off the top." – Matt Slater [24:43] -
On the Future Viewer Experience:
"Does it have to be 90 minutes? Do my kids have to consume it the way I consumed it? Maybe they like highlights packages. Maybe they want to watch four games at once." – Matt Slater [38:40] -
On Football as an Entitlement/Product:
"At the end of the day...you are still stealing something that is worth money...I get why people in power are frustrated...it's also really hard to get Cadbury's Dairy Milk in the States." – Adam Crafton [29:06]
Key Timestamps
- [01:33] – Introduction to illegal streaming documentary and reaction
- [03:27] – The economics behind broadcast rights and price inflation
- [06:04] – Survey results on streaming habits and piracy
- [09:48] – Generational differences in subscription practices
- [11:04] – The history and future of the 3pm blackout
- [13:36] – Attendance and live football culture
- [19:20] – Fan street interviews: How much would you pay for Premflix?
- [21:36] – Skepticism around a Premier League direct-to-consumer model
- [24:43] – Rights-holder risk aversion and operational complexities
- [34:19] – How tech giants see football rights (bundling and strategy)
- [38:40] – Looking ahead to 2035: Hyper-personalization, innovation, and the enduring value of communal experiences
- [43:08] – The future integration of data, privacy challenges, and mega-platform ambitions
Summary
The episode presents a thorough analysis of the spiraling costs and complexity of watching football in the UK and US, which pushes many fans toward illegal streams. It questions the fairness of the 3pm blackout, especially as live attendance grows. The concept of a Netflix-style "Premflix" excites fans but faces daunting industry risks and uncertainties. With big tech reshaping the landscape via targeted bundling, the future is likely to include even more fragmented subscriptions and hyper-personalized viewing. However, communal elements of fandom and the core game-day experience are predicted to remain vital in the next decade and beyond.
For those who missed the discussion:
- Expect more options—with increased personalization—but at possibly higher costs.
- Illegal streaming is likely to persist while access remains fragmented and pricey.
- Premium content may get even more exclusive, but football’s live, communal appeal will remain central.
[End of summary]