EPL: Viewing Centres Increase Charges Amidst Fuel Price Hike

Football enthusiasts will today (Friday), welcome back the English Premier League as the 2024–2025 season kicks off.

As the long-awaited most-watched league in the world comes to life, football lovers may not be able to watch most of the matches due to the increase in the amount charged by viewing centre operators.

Osun Defender gathered that the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol), coupled with the increase in electricity tariff, has forced the viewing centre owners to increase their charges.

The medium gathered that the development has already led to a decline in patronage as some of the centres in Osogbo, Osun State capital, could not record the number of audiences they usually have during last Saturday’s Community Shield between Manchester United and Manchester City.

The medium reliably gathered that viewing centre owners now charge between N250 and N300 as against the N200 they charged last season.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a viewing centre owner in Owode Ede, Taiwo Adewoyin, said he will be charging N300 per match this season, saying anything lesser would be a loss.

Apart from the hike in fuel price and increase in electricity tariffs, MultiChoice has also increased the subscription fee for its Digital Satellite Television (DSTV), Adewoyin lamented.

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When asked if the new price did not affect his number of customers during last Saturday’s match, Adewoyin said some of his customers could not afford the price and returned home without watching the match.

“During the community shield match, I charged N300 per person and that is the amount I will be charging this season because of the situation we found ourselves.

“There is nothing I can do about it because apart from the hike in fuel price, electricity people has also increased their tariff and also, the DSTV subscription has increased.

“Although the number of my customers reduced during last Saturday’s match, I have no choice but to take it like that if I don’t want to run in a loss”.

An Arsenal supporter who identified himself as Van Persie, told the medium that the new viewing centre charge price will not deter him from watching his favourite team.

He, however, said he might not watch other teams as he did during the previous seasons.

He said, “Normally, I do watch two or three matches every week but now that the price has gone up, I will only be watching my Arsenal as nothing can stop me not to watch them. I know we are winning the league this year.”

For Emmanuel Olaitan, a Manchester United fan, streaming football matches on the phone might be an alternative to the hike in viewing price.

“I don’t think I can be paying N300 to watch just a match. That will be N600 for two matches. That is too much for someone like me and I might not go to the viewing centres this season unless the match is a big one.

“I will be streaming the matches on my phone. The issue is just that it will not be as interesting watching it alone. Also, the network might not be good sometimes.”

The first match of the season will see Manchester United take on Fulham at 8pm tonight.