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UK football on radio

Chad-Stevens

Chad-Stevens

In the US and Canada, each team (in all major team sports at both the pro and college level) has a local "flagship" station and usually a number of smaller affiliate stations in outlying areas that air all their games as well as pre- and post-match shows. The team then employs its own broadcast crew and announcers who travel with the team.

How do football teams in say, the top three tiers in the UK (and the rest of Europe for that matter) air all or most of their matches on radio and do they employ their own announcers and networks in the North American style?
 
Football teams in Britain really dont have 'flagship' stations similar to sports teams in the USA. I think that is also partly because there are less stations in a city than you would find in the US.

Sport franchising in the US is different than the UK. New York only has two NFL teams. In London, off the top of my head, I can think of nine football (soccer) teams in the professional leagues, and they all receive air time on the BBC over the season.

I am a correspondent for BBC Herts, Beds and Bucks. (BBC HBB) The station coverage area includes Luton Town, Watford in the upper leagues, and my home town team Stevenage Borough which is in the Conference league.

Stevenage made it to the FA Trophy final at the new Wembley Stadium, and this game was featured on the BBC HBB! I believe the station has their own staff commentators, not the teams!

Usually, (on the BBC), the biggest game of the weekend is featured! Top of the table clash, relegation battle, local derby! Some teams may not even have a game on the radio over the weekend!

Geoff
 
jazzjock said:
Football teams in Britain really dont have 'flagship' stations similar to sports teams in the USA. I think that is also partly because there are less stations in a city than you would find in the US.

Sport franchising in the US is different than the UK. New York only has two NFL teams. In London, off the top of my head, I can think of nine football (soccer) teams in the professional leagues, and they all receive air time on the BBC over the season.
...
Usually, (on the BBC), the biggest game of the weekend is featured! Top of the table clash, relegation battle, local derby! Some teams may not even have a game on the radio over the weekend!

Geoff
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I have a co-worker who follows the Premier League and explained to me the key differences between US and international sports (franchise vs. tiered, club names, etc.) but even he wasn't sure if teams had local radio broadcasts.

I'd be curious if any other countries outside of the US and Canada use the flagship-and-affiliate system of radio broadcasting. (Perhaps Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, or Australia, with have both a vast geographic expanse and a longer history of privately-owned radio?)

I'm not sure that the flagship/affiliate broadcasting system would necessarily be workable only in a US-style franchised sporting scheme as opposed to a tiered promotion/relegation system.
 
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