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Predicting the future of football: ‘Premflix’ and fans paying more

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Fans outside Stamford Bridge protest against the proposed European Super League in 2021.

In 1992, Sky won the rights to broadcast the newly established Premier League in a £304m five-year deal. Two years later, Duncanson predicted that the power broadcasters had over football would proliferate to an extent not yet seen.

“If you think television is too powerful in sport now, in 10 years’ time you won’t believe the control that they’ll have,” he said.

Duncanson also speculated that fans in 2004 would watch football through subscription and pay-per-view services.

“He’ll watch it on his own local Newcastle cable station because the BBC or ITV won’t be able to afford the rights to the game,” he said.

“The cable operator will have paid a fortune for it, but he knows he’ll get the money back from subscription.

“It’s probably going to be done on pay-per-view, so you’ll put a card and a number on your telephone, tap it in, five quid docked from your account, the game pops up.”

More three decades on, subscription-funded broadcasters continue to be the gatekeepers of top-flight English football.

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In 2023, the Premier League agreed a record four-year £6.7bn domestic television deal for Sky and TNT to show up to 270 live games a season from 2025-26.

Reflecting on his original predictions, Duncanson said it “wasn’t rocket science” to see where things were going “if you followed the money”.

“Sky had changed the game by spending so much money on rights because it established them as a major satellite power, and they continue to this day,” he said.

Casting his eye towards the future, Duncanson sees the nature of subscription viewing changing.

“We’re all going to learn a new acronym: DTC – direct-to-customer,” he said.

“There is a bit of a push-back now with subscription prices rising, from football fans who say, ‘Why do I have to pay so much money? I don’t want to watch cricket or rugby or motorsport or whatever. I just want to watch my team play.’”

Taking its cue from the NFL, NBA and Formula 1, Duncanson believes the Premier League will increasingly evolve into a rights holder and broadcast platform.

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“The Premier League next season are going to start their own channel in Singapore. If that’s a success, you can see that being rolled out into other territories,” he said.

“You’ll be watching ‘Premflix’ or ‘Fifa TV’ or ‘Uefa+’, or any of them who have got that level of valuable football.”

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Commonwealth Games 2026: Michaela Walsh takes silver after final defeat against Jaismine Jaismine

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Michael Walsh and Jaismine Jaismine

Team Northern Ireland boxer Michaela Walsh had to settle for a third Commonwealth Games silver as she lost to India’s Jaismine Jaismine by unanimous decision.

The Holy Family fighter, who has earned a medal in each of her four successive Games appearances, has claimed a third silver after also coming second in 2014 and 2018.

But she missed out on the chance to add a second gold to the one she won in Birmingham four years ago after being outclassed by Jaismine.

The decorated 33-year-old also won gold in 2022, and joins bowler Neil Booth, shooter Martin Millar plus Mike Bull and Lady Mary Peters from athletics on four medals.

Only shooter David Calvert has won more medals with eight, four of which were gold.

Three of the five judges scored the fight 29-28 while the other two gave it 30-27 with all in favour of Jaismine.

Walsh made a slow start and had an uphill battle after a cagey first round which she lost 3-2.

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The second was a much closer affair and while she went all out for the stoppage in the third, her efforts were in vain as Jaismine did enough to win and claim the gold.

It is NI’s third silver medal of the Glasgow Games after Barry McClements and Daniel Wiffen in the pool and their 11th overall.

Kaci Rock and Jon McConnell have the chance to add boxing’s first two golds of these Games as the two debutants fight later this afternoon.

Rock is up against England’s Sacha Hickey in the women’s welterweight final at 11:45 BST and McConnell will fight Wales’ Orlando Holley-Sotomi in the men’s light-middleweight final at 13:15.

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Fifa World Cup plans: Gianni Infantino scraps private investment proposal after widespread opposition

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino looks on after the 2026 World Cup final

Infantino became Fifa president in 2016 when he beat AFC president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa by 115 votes to 88.

Fifa’s next president will be confirmed at the organisation’s 77th Congress in Morocco next March. Candidates have until 18 November to put their names forward.

Prior to this week, it had been anticipated Infantino would be re-elected unopposed. Associations around the world, including some in Europe, had already confirmed their intention to vote for him.

It remains to be seen if the events of this week will result in a mass withdrawal of their support.

In his statement, Infantino reiterated his plan was designed to strengthen members associations, “especially in countries where support is most needed”.

He added: “Our purpose has always been – and always will be – to unite and improve.”

However, the proposal clearly created division within Fifa itself.

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Cordeiro, who represented the world governing body on the White House taskforce for the 2026 World Cup, is the first senior figure at Fifa to resign over the plans.

In a lengthy statement, Cordeiro said he “unequivocally” opposed the plans and said he “did not accept the proposition” Fifa needed outside investors to “unlock greater value”. He added he had no involvement in the proposal.

It is understood Infantino even left some of Fifa’s eight vice-presidents in the dark about his plan, which it is claimed could have raised $10bn (£7.5bn).

Lamour called it “the project of one person” and said “a president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them” but this was “the opposite”.

“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

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Commonwealth Games 2026: Georgia Hunter Bell eyes golden sweep after Glasgow win

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Georgia Hunter Bell smiles while unfurling an England flag

Georgia Hunter Bell is eyeing an ambitious sweep of gold medals in 2026 after winning the 800m Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow.

England’s Hunter Bell dominated the field to add Commonwealth gold to the 1500m world indoor title she won earlier this year in Poland.

The 32-year-old, a training partner of 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, will also race at next month’s European Championships and the inaugural Ultimate Championships in September.

“There are four opportunities to win gold this year,” Hunter Bell told BBC Sport.

“I am two golds down and two more to go.”

Hunter Bell is blossoming later in her career.

Having taken five years out from the sport before returning during the Covid-19 pandemic, she took 1500m bronze at the Paris Olympics before pipping Hodgkinson to silver at last year’s World Championships in the 800m.

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This, though, is her first outdoor title – in the event Hodgkinson is Olympic champion.

“Every medal is a landmark moment but my first outdoor gold is huge,” she said.

Hunter Bell and Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira were the favourites for this title after Hodgkinson opted not to compete. The final was barely a contest with Hunter Bell setting the pace and then kicking on with 200m to go to win by more than a second.

Hodgkinson has instead taken time off before the European Championships in Birmingham, which start on 10 August.

Hunter Bell is only running in the 1500m in that event, denying the chance to see an intriguing race between the pair, but took her opportunity in her friend and training partner’s absence.

Though she said the win validates her decision to come to Glasgow, she defended the decision of others to withdraw.

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