Scottish football attendance and viewer stats

Going by the weekly attendance just shows how important both halves of the old firm are to the setup as more than half of the average weekly attendance are at either Ibrox or Parkhead with another big lump being old firm fans at the away games for their team.

It’s amazing to think per head of population there are so many scots attending football
 
I live in Poland quite a bit of time and the games I've watched are usually poor quality and very poorly attended.
Russian football is the same. I live in St Petersburg which has a population about the same as the whole of Scotland, one serious club in it (there’s a few smaller teams in the 3rd division who no one really knows about) with an amazing new stadium who get less fans to home games on average than either us or the filth. You just don’t get the feeling this is a fanatical football city - or indeed country - at all. Whilst Zenit are dominant just now they are pretty boring to watch and are out their depth in Europe at CL level, and I doubt they have much ‘new’ support outwith St Petersburg based on the paucity of excitement they bring to the table.

Zenit, Spartak, CSKA, Krasnodar, Lokomotiv and now Dynamo Moscow again throw some serious money around on bringing foreign players in but again there’s none of them who are any great shakes or who you would go out your way to make sure and catch their games either in person or on TV unless you have some sort of vested interest in them. Even the derbies I went to when living in Moscow were a bit underwhelming - in terms of on field play as well as atmosphere for the most part too - and quite easy to get tickets for despite it being a city of 15 million people. I chose Dynamo as the team I would ‘follow’ when living here - due to obvious historical reasons related to us - and they have been horseshit for the duration of the time I’ve been here. They scraped back into Europe this season for the first time since their own financial meltdown a few years ago only to be humiliatingly dumped out by a Georgian side playing on a ploughed field the other night.

It’s pretty mental that on pure match going attendances alone Scotland is ahead of both Russia (145m) and Turkey (80m). Of course TV audiences will be a big difference with those two examples at least and they do seem to watch a lot of football on TV here at least but again there’s never the same passion in a pub when a games on as you’d see back home. However the advertising and marketing men don’t really give two fks about folk screaming and going nuts at the TV, they’re more interested in people taking note of the commercial ad’s during breaks and during the games and there’s where the TV deal justifications are explained.

We’d really need to see comparative viewing figures (surely more than speedway or women’s football tho!) across the various competitions to see just where our own deal stands in comparison. Seeing as we have larger/similar populations to Norway and Denmark who get a better TV deal than us (who also have large viewing figures from across the Irish Sea as well as down south for games involving us and the vermin) I think we can safely say we have been sold a dummy regardless.

One thing is clear, now as it has been for the last 30 years or so, that both us and them need out this backwater tinpot league as soon as possible as it is strangling the life and future potential out of us
 
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In taking those figures with a huge pinch of salt . 66% of the total population of Scotland went to a live game last year ? In fact I’m calling bollocks on that . The vast majority of people I know if you are including women snd kids , never set foot in a football stadium .
I think that it's just the numbers mate! i.e 66% of 5.5 million people is 3.6 million or so.
 
1 think I have to say is rangers are a lot to blame for this walking away from the sky deal years ago , if we had took that deal then it would have continued to rise and we would be up there as a decent paid sport I’d think
 
1 think I have to say is Rangers are a lot to blame for this walking away from the sky deal years ago , if we had took that deal then it would have continued to rise and we would be up there as a decent paid sport I’d think

I thought it was Roger Miller who f@cked up the Sky deal ?
 
I’m sure it was a lot to do with us and going to sentanta etc and wanting rangers tv and that Aswell
 
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Just another major fail to add to Doncaster’s lengthy list of failures.

That Guy must certainly know where a lot of bodies are buried.

BUT Sky don’t give a solitary fcuk who goes to games. It’s about viewers and the big leagues have global appeal, the SPFL not so much.

However we should be able to do at least as well as say, Switzerland, Holland, Austria, etc.
 
Wt
wtf is wring with people in here can’t take criticism , if iim
Wrong correct me , rather than stupid reply? I thought rangers and Celtic knocked back a lucrative sky deal in 2002 ? If that’s wrong tell me the facts I’m not sure if I am I can’t remember everything from back then
 
Wt

wtf is wring with people in here can’t take criticism , if iim
Wrong correct me , rather than stupid reply? I thought Rangers and Celtic knocked back a lucrative sky deal in 2002 ? If that’s wrong tell me the facts I’m not sure if I am I can’t remember everything from back then
If anything, we can all appreciate your objective view point.

Sky weren't prepared to pay the same prices without rangers in the league. BBC owned the rights to the SFL games. They had to broker a deal with sky to sell them the rights to our game
 
They can bum it up all they want - but it still masks the reality that Scottish football is a footballing backwater with only two teams.

These figures mean nothing. Viewing figures are low and nobody outside of Scotland gives a flying f.uck about Scottish football. And it is easy to see why.
 
Taken from the Fitbaw Gospel page on FB.

From March 2019 to March 2020 the Scottish Premiership was the most watched league in Europe per head of population for the 4th year running - and the 7th most watched overall despite 23 countries having a higher population

1.8% of the population attend a live game every week - more than any country on EARTH

66% of the population attended a live game that year - more than any other country with over 1m people

By head count alone it is in 7th place - despite being dwarfed in population and global media interest and being marketed poorly by an English broadcaster

3.6m people attended live games

Behind only England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland purely on attendances alone

More people attended games in Scotland (pop 5.4m) than Portugal (10.5m) Belgium (11.5m) Russia (148m) Turkey (80m) and Poland (40m)

The Premiership had the 9th highest average weekly attendance

The interest is clearly there yet our TV deal pays less than Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, England and Russia

18th best financial TV deal in Europe

We are also one of only 2 countries in Europe that hasn’t had even 1 live competitive international game on free to air terrestrial TV (Northern Ireland being the other: both get live England games instead)

Sky Sports also pay more to Rugby League (average 40% less viewers but 160% more pay) woman’s football (average 29% less viewers, 40% less pay) Speedway (average 160% less viewers but 25% more pay) English League one (average 12% less viewers, 60% higher pay)

Yet the rights deal is awful and we don't have a sponsor.

SPFL board - Not fit for purpose
 
I think the reality is any deal we get reflects the product, or more specifically the lack of change in the product.

For the best part of twenty years now the same things have been said over and over again about the problems in Scottish football. From too many divisions, too many teams, 4 games a season, youth football not encouraging technical play. List goes on, but nothing is ever done about it.

No attempts have been made to improve the game, why would any TV company pay serious money for it?
 
Womens football, rugby league and speedway :D I wouldn't even open my curtains to watch it in my back garden.
And I dare say there are a lot of people who follow women's football, rugby league and speedway who would say they wouldn't even open their curtains to watch Scottish football in their back garden :)). Even I wouldn't if it wasn't us playing
 
The problem is that Doncaster and the cast of puppets at the SFA and the SPFL are not interested in the good of the game generally, it’s all about helping the second biggest club and hindering the biggest at all times. See the rush to award the title in the summer as a classic example of their agenda.

The blame lies with the shitebag clubs who passed up the opportunity to end the corruption in the summer, instead they voted for it to continue.
 
I remember years ago, probably mid 80s, Scotland used to consistently be 2nd or 3rd. Albania was always top as they used to let fans in for free!!.

Funnily enough, politically, Scotland is turning into mid 80s Albania.
I will not hear a word said against a country whose most popular television personality is Norman Wisdom.
 
Taken from the Fitbaw Gospel page on FB.

From March 2019 to March 2020 the Scottish Premiership was the most watched league in Europe per head of population for the 4th year running - and the 7th most watched overall despite 23 countries having a higher population

1.8% of the population attend a live game every week - more than any country on EARTH

66% of the population attended a live game that year - more than any other country with over 1m people

By head count alone it is in 7th place - despite being dwarfed in population and global media interest and being marketed poorly by an English broadcaster

3.6m people attended live games

Behind only England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland purely on attendances alone

More people attended games in Scotland (pop 5.4m) than Portugal (10.5m) Belgium (11.5m) Russia (148m) Turkey (80m) and Poland (40m)

The Premiership had the 9th highest average weekly attendance

The interest is clearly there yet our TV deal pays less than Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, England and Russia

18th best financial TV deal in Europe

We are also one of only 2 countries in Europe that hasn’t had even 1 live competitive international game on free to air terrestrial TV (Northern Ireland being the other: both get live England games instead)

Sky Sports also pay more to Rugby League (average 40% less viewers but 160% more pay) woman’s football (average 29% less viewers, 40% less pay) Speedway (average 160% less viewers but 25% more pay) English League one (average 12% less viewers, 60% higher pay)

Whichever way you slice up the numbers, anyone who can't use those figures to our advantage is an imbecile.
 
Take us and them out of it and it's a different picture.

2 clubs in this country who are far too big for the size of the nation.

And let's be honest, the standard of football is dreadful. 2 clubs playing against packed defences home and away. At least a few years back the away team would always have a go, not now.
 
Wt

wtf is wring with people in here can’t take criticism , if iim
Wrong correct me , rather than stupid reply? I thought Rangers and Celtic knocked back a lucrative sky deal in 2002 ? If that’s wrong tell me the facts I’m not sure if I am I can’t remember everything from back then
I think you wrong mate. I'm sure us them and the sheep wanted the sky deal, but the rest wanted their own spl tv deal, then sky pulled out.
 
Do we know what the PPV figures are like for Rangers games?
Would love us to have a similar tv deal to Real and Barca where we have our own standalone set up.
 
The most frustrating thing about all of this is it is an easy fix. All you have to do is look at the difference at our own club with a proper marketing and executive team in place.
 
Take us and them out of it and it's a different picture.

2 clubs in this country who are far too big for the size of the nation.

And let's be honest, the standard of football is dreadful. 2 clubs playing against packed defences home and away. At least a few years back the away team would always have a go, not now.
Was that not 2008 Wnen that happened ? If I remember things turned sour with sky in 2002 , us and them pulling out a sky deal , and we ended up having to go to the bbc , again I can’t remember the details but was something along those line I’m sure
 
Was that not 2008 Wnen that happened ? If I remember things turned sour with sky in 2002 , us and them pulling out a sky deal , and we ended up having to go to the bbc , again I can’t remember the details but was something along those line I’m sure
I'm not sure mate, but what you speak of is what I remember. 2002, sounds about right. Us, them and aberdeen wanted to go with sky, but that wee penfold clown led the others down the garden path with spl tv nonsence and as you say we ended up with about a 3 million quid deal with the bbc.
 
I'm not sure mate, but what you speak of is what I remember. 2002, sounds about right. Us, them and aberdeen wanted to go with sky, but that wee penfold clown led the others down the garden path with spl tv nonsence and as you say we ended up with about a 3 million quid deal with the bbc.
Wasn't it Setanta? The other clubs wanted it because it was more cash than Sky
 
I'm not sure mate, but what you speak of is what I remember. 2002, sounds about right. Us, them and aberdeen wanted to go with sky, but that wee penfold clown led the others down the garden path with spl tv nonsence and as you say we ended up with about a 3 million quid deal with the bbc.
Surely the way we have responded with virtual
Season tickets there must be a loop hole for us to pull out this terrible deal we are in and again explore what we tried back then our own tv channel (I’m sure back then we Wete looking at showing other games Aswell ) im sure we could do anything now to better the deal we have and also to fk the rest of the teams of who sided with Doncaster , im
Sure even putting an old firm to ppv world wide , 1 game alone would pull in more than we get now I’m sure
 
Surely the way we have responded with virtual
Season tickets there must be a loop hole for us to pull out this terrible deal we are in and again explore what we tried back then our own tv channel (I’m sure back then we Wete looking at showing other games Aswell ) im sure we could do anything now to better the deal we have and also to fk the rest of the teams of who sided with Doncaster , im
Sure even putting an old firm to ppv world wide , 1 game alone would pull in more than we get now I’m sure
I see your point, but I'm not sure they would be allowed to.
 
Surely the way we have responded with virtual
Season tickets there must be a loop hole for us to pull out this terrible deal we are in and again explore what we tried back then our own tv channel (I’m sure back then we Wete looking at showing other games Aswell ) im sure we could do anything now to better the deal we have and also to fk the rest of the teams of who sided with Doncaster , im
Sure even putting an old firm to ppv world wide , 1 game alone would pull in more than we get now I’m sure
VSTs were only allowed because sky permitted it. They don't cover games being shown on sky either I don't think so that argument won't work.
 
VSTs were only allowed because sky permitted it. They don't cover games being shown on sky either I don't think so that argument won't work.
That’s what a mean tho is there no way to break away from the rest of clubs and start something on our own , surely showing our games ppv or selling rights to broadcasters , would make far more than what we get just now , the money is embarrassing
 
That’s what a mean tho is there no way to break away from the rest of clubs and start something on our own , surely showing our games ppv or selling rights to broadcasters , would make far more than what we get just now , the money is embarrassing
I would doubt it because they would be entitled to payment too as opposition. Plus I doubt they would vote for it as their TV rights other than playing us or them would be minimal although some teams do have their equivalent of RTV for overseas viewers.

We would have to do it though some form of TV channel as I would think most big customers such as pubs and clubs wouldn't go for online all the time.
 
Populations and crowds are one thing, but to attract big tv deals which are financed by big advertising income, you need a competitive and fair competition involving at least two major players.

The powers at be in Scotland appear not to recognise this at best, or are against it at worst, either way is a sacking offence. The financial gains that the Scottish game is missing out on affects all clubs and therefore stops the game progressing.

Other clubs and their supporters need to wake up to what is going on.
 
That’s what a mean tho is there no way to break away from the rest of clubs and start something on our own , surely showing our games ppv or selling rights to broadcasters , would make far more than what we get just now , the money is embarrassing
As far as I know the SPL own the rights to the games played in their competitions so dont believe this is an option unfortunately.
 
All the job really consists of is helping the bheasts to tainted ten
In a nutshell. That’s all they care about. If we win the league this year, it will break them, absolutely destroy them. They had us handicapped, put down the leagues, demonised by the media and other clubs, engineered a situation whereby the sfa and referees bend over backwards to aid them. For us to overcome that and prevail will be magnificent. Gerrard faces obstacles no other Rangers Manager has faced. Let’s hope we do it.
 
As far as I know the SPL own the rights to the games played in their competitions so dont believe this is an option unfortunately.
Clubs can give notice to leave, as happened in England to form the Premiership and in Scotland for the SPL. Not sure that enough clubs care, to make this happen. They appear to be happy to march to the beat of the paedos’ drum.
 
How on earth do these people get elected,yes we know the answer,that they're answerable to Lawwell. But if this guy is voted in by the Clubs,surely they should vote them out. Clearly they haven't realised the revenue lost which should've been filtering down to Clubs. They deserve all they get in a sense.
 
How on earth do these people get elected,yes we know the answer,that they're answerable to Lawwell. But if this guy is voted in by the Clubs,surely they should vote them out. Clearly they haven't realised the revenue lost which should've been filtering down to Clubs. They deserve all they get in a sense.

Basically jobs for life. The same thing was going on a UEFA where guys were sitting on the board for decades, until they got somewhat exposed and the new guy Čeferin seems to cleaning up a lot.
 
Those are breathtaking numbers.
Any competent Board seeing those numbers would immediately sack their executive team for clear incompetence.
An only half-decent marketer would rip-up the existing deals and get new ones at least three times better.
Unf@ckingbelievable.....
The issue is Sky bundle the English Games so if you want to watch Scottish games on their platform you have to contribute to that, there is no opt out. 100% if you want to watch via any other broadcaster on their platform. Or they’ll just opt for the cup games, or just opt for old firm games to keep you on the hook. I can see Amazon breaking the stranglehold but they probably haven’t bothered to speak to them. It suits the leaders of the game to have a poor tv deal, keeps the income gap suitably large.
 
I bet Donkeycaster and co, scoffed at Barry Hearn when he suggested the CEO would be sacked if he worked for him without a sponsorship deal ?
If only he was in charge in Scotland I’m certain the sponsorship deals would be 5 fold at least better than what we currently have

I've posted similar in the past. Barry Hearn (moreso his boy) is an absolute weapon. But he could sell ice to eskimos.
 
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