any Americans getting Euro2004 on PPV?

[jdl22]

I just went to the page of the provider www.setanta.com and apparently it's $179 for the whole tourney or $19.95 per match for opening round and $24.95 for quarters semis and final.

So if you wanted to watch only your favorite team win the whole tourney (I'm thinking if you're still reading this far you probably like Italy) you would still spend $135 for all those matches.

These prices are insane. If Spain makes the final I will probably pay the 25 but I don't think I'll spend 30 bb at 3/6 on the whole tourney.

[B-Man]

I assume this is a soccer tournament? Most Americans don't care about soccer (except for any games their kids happen to be playing in)--I can't imagine very many people would be ordering this package, and of those that do, I would bet that the vast majority are immigrants.

[IrishHand]

LOL

Could you be more ignorant?

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world - and 2nd place isn't even close. I know many US-born Americans who live and die by how their soccer club in England, in Italy, in Spain performs. While I agree that most American's remain - like you - ignorant to this reality, that hardly means that the only people who care about the sport are those born outside this country. Indeed - many Americans are actually interested in the world outside our borders...

[B-Man]

LOL--I make a true statement (which you even agree with!) and you call me ignorant.

Of course soccer is the most popular sport in the world--no [censored] sherlock, thanks for the news bulletin, but either you didn't read the original post or it is you that is ignorant--the poster asked if any Americans were ordering this tournament on PPV. The popularity of soccer in the rest of the world is completely irrelevant to his question; the popularity of soccer in the U.S. is all that is relevant, and the truth is that, in the U.S., soccer is far behind football, baseball and basketball, not to mention hockey, auto-racing, tennis and golf, as a spectator sport. If you think millions of people in this country are going to spend money to watch a soccer tournament on PPV, you are sadly mistaken (hell, if the original poster had thought many people would be ordering it, he wouldn't even have asked the question).

[Sloats]

I played soccer in high school, and as an American, I couldn't care less about professional soccer/futeball. Blame it on MTV, but to the majority of Americans, soccer is not exciting.

Hell, I play hockey in a beer league and I hate professional hockey on tv. You can't get Americans interested in that sport either (unless the Rangers are in the finals which directly influences the majority of the media including ESPN).

[hetron]

So what exactly is the point of your original post?

[superleeds]

[ QUOTE ]
but to the majority of Americans, soccer is not exciting

[/ QUOTE ]

As a brit who's been here 4 1/2 years I find this odd, but true. I think ultimately its all down to what you grew up with, the average American has no understanding of the intricities of FOOTBALL (not soccer) simply because they have no history of the game. They just don't understand how 0-0 draw can be exciting. (A lot aren't I grant you, but some have been classics).

This is not a critizism, just an observation. On the flip side I can't see what all the fuss is about a game ending 110 - 109 when all the action really only happens in the last 2 minutes and that is drawn out for about 30 minutes! I've been told that College stuff (when it's non televised) is much better than pro because they actually get on with the game rather than stopping every 5 seconds so I can watch crappy ads. This is my main problem with almost all American sports, I just end up screaming at the TV 'GET ON WITH IT' [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[jdl22]

Interesting responses. I wasn't expecting this discussion but it is worth discussing imo.

In a way I think you're both right. In the US soccer (btw Superleeds soccer was derived by a Brit from the word association which precedes football in the official name for the sport) is far from the most popular sport and is far less popular than many other sports. While I haven't seen any statistics on the demographics I would say most soccer fans in the US (when I say fans I mean people that actually follow it in other countries) are no longer immigrants. Only 10 or 20 years ago I would say that over 90% of fans were immigrants or 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants but today that doesn't seem to be the case.

One interesting thing about the US may get some disagreement but I think if you were to take the average soccer fan I would say that the American fan is likely to be more intense than those of other countries. The reason for this is that it is something of a cult sport here and people here have to work to follow the game. I doubt for example very many English people follow the Spanish league too closely. Football fans in the US is tend to follow a variety of leagues.

As for me if you were to ask me my favorite sports team in any sport my answer without hesitation would be Sevilla Futbol Club (Hasta la Muerte!). While I also like the SF Giants, the Blazers, and will like my 49ers again once they fire Erickson the team of my heart is certainly Sevilla. This is also rather different from most Americans who in football prefer either Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, or AC Milan. Unfortunately most like the first team on the list.

Just thought of this. Superleeds and others from or in England if they had Euro2004 on ppv charging 200 quid or so, assuming there was no riot to get it on for free how many people would actually buck up and pay?

[superleeds]

[ QUOTE ]
btw Superleeds soccer was derived by a Brit from the word association which precedes football in the official name for the sport

[/ QUOTE ]

I know. I just hate the word soccer [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Just thought of this. Superleeds and others from or in England if they had Euro2004 on ppv charging 200 quid or so, assuming there was no riot to get it on for free how many people would actually buck up and pay?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, but fortunately big sporting events such as this, the World Cup, Olympics etc, are protected under a special law which prohibits them being hijacked by PPV in the UK.

Fortunately as I'm in NYC I'll see the games almost exclusively in a bar [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[B-Man]

[ QUOTE ]
So what exactly is the point of your original post?

[/ QUOTE ]

I was answering the question of the original poster.