"Fans keen to follow the progress of Theo Walcott, one of England’s brightest World Cup prospects, will have to pay for the privilege after Chelsea TV secured the rights to Friday’s European Under-21 Championship qualifier against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The club channel, available to subscribers for £5.87 a month, will screen the game from the Ricoh Arena in Coventry after rival broadcasters expressed a lack of interest. While there is no minimum contract for Chelsea TV, it is only available to those already signed up to Sky or Tiscali, although there are limited schedules available online. The news will compound anger among supporters forced to pay up to £11.99 to sit in front of a computer on Saturday evening to watch the senior England team face Ukraine."
The full article can be found here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6863732.ece
Just how important is the way in which this weekend's games are being covered? Is this era defining? A fundamental shift in the media and broadcast landscape? Or the fallout of an economic downturn through which broadcasters haven't been able to sustain themselves? And is the combination of pay-per-view AND the internet simply a step too far for most football fans. or will they be happy about the additional options it gives them?
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