The governing bodies of some of the UK’s most popular sports, including cricket, rugby union and Premier League football, have criticised plans to force BSkyB to wholesale its sports channels to pay-TV competitors more cheaply.

Sports bodies have responded furiously to Ofcom’s consultation on its plan to ensure Sky makes its premium sport and movie channels available to rivals including Virgin Media, BT and Top-Up TV at lower prices, claiming it will reduce the amount of money they receive from selling media rights. The Rugby Football Union said that forcing this move on Sky would reduce the value of its exclusive live, terrestrial TV and mobile rights by 60%. James Robinson, The Guardian.

The rich and obscenely rich have taken over our sport long ago – now a Premier League game is little more than a money making event in which as much money as possible is taken from the poor deluded fans – and yes we are deluded – I haven’t been to match in 10-years I can’t afford the cost of a day out – adding up the cost of tickets, travel and food you’d be looking at over £200 – instead I fork out around £60 a month to Sky and ESPN.

It’s should be no surprise that The Premier League backs Sky against Ofcom – Sky is a very lucrative source of income for the Premiership – I guess that’s why rugby and cricket are also backing Sky – they can see the riches football already enjoys.

The question I have is how – or is it even possible to reverse the crass commercialisation of football?