Newcastle United's 1-1 draw with Barcelona already forgotten by mainstream broadcasters it seems
As a fan of a non-"Big Six" side, you have to endure a lot of blatant bias from the main UK broadcasters, and even though the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa are knocking on that "Big Six" door, they're still treated like second-class citizens by the likes of Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Even with Tottenham Hotspur's dramatic fall from grace, they still get the preferential treatment of the broadcasters.
This week, Newcastle and Arsenal were the only Premier League sides not to suffer a defeat in the Champions League. That is, unless you're looking at TNT or Sky.
Nobody outside of Newcastle expected the Magpies to get anything out of Tuesday night's game, but not only did we get a draw, but we were also seconds away from a win. But that's not good enough for TNT Sports, and as far as Sky Sports are concerned, it simply didn't happen.
So we're just not trying to hide our bias anymore?
I'm not one to latch on to conspiracy theories, but when the facts are there in the cold light of day, it's hard to ignore that there really is a clear, massive bias towards the bigger clubs. And when fans of other clubs are pointing it out on our behalf, it really is hard to deny.
We've all experienced it in one way or another. The coverage before and after a game focuses on how poor the Big Six side was that got beaten, rather than how well the underdog played. Pre-game coverage spending time talking about a Big Six side who isn't even involved in the match we're tuned in to see. Panels stacked with ex-players of the Big Six side and no representation for the smaller side, despite them being the home team. I could go on.
It's relentless. And to a point, we understand it: the reason these clubs are so big is that they've built up massive fanbases, and the broadcasters are just playing a numbers game, but they're alienating the bulk of their audience. The big six fanbases aren't bigger, collectively, than the other 14 clubs. Certainly not the core fans who were there long before they bought their way to the top, so maybe give some respect to the 'little guys'.
Rights holders must do better.
What's the point of this article? Absolutely none. It's not going to change anything, and I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but I have a platform I can use to vent my spleen, and that's what I'm doing.
Hopefully, it's as cathartic for you to read as it has been for me to hammer out on my poor keyboard.
Sky Sports, TNT Sports ... do better! And yes, of course, I will still feel the same when (and it is when and not if) Newcastle break through that ceiling and becomes one of the media darlings.
