Following some concerns raised by AFC Wimbledon fans and members about the impact of the new Sky TV deal, the Dons Trust Board decided to survey all our members about the positive and negative impact of the the deal. This survey was conducted before the welcome recent announcement by Sky about better notice periods for re-scheduled games.
We received almost 1,000 responses, making this the biggest return of any of our regular surveys.
We found that more than 30% of responders had missed a home game due to the kick-off time being rescheduled for TV reasons during the 2024/25 season, and almost 20% had missed an away game they had been planning to attend for this reason.
Looking at the financial impact, 14% of responders told us they had been left out of pocket due to rescheduled home games and 10% for away games.
The main reasons given for being out of pocket were:
– Having bought a ticket but no longer being able to attend;
– Non-refundable accommodation or travel costs.
Although a relatively small number (in proportion and actual terms), 3% of responders told us they were out of pocket by more than £100.
Many of our fans still attended rescheduled games, despite being out of pocket. 15% of those who attended told us this was true in their case.
However, there were some positive impacts.
Overall, 54% of responders told us they had a positive view of the new TV deal, largely because it allowed them to watch more matches at League 2 level.
The biggest source of concern appears to be the notice period that the TV companies have to give when altering a kick-off time. Whilst there is no set time when fans book tickets, travel and accommodation, the majority of our fans suggest that a minimum period of 5 weeks would allow them to take best advantage of advance travel ticket offers and cheaper accommodation. In addition, two-thirds of responders said that fans’ needs were not being taken into account when re-scheduling decisions were being made.
Finally, the Dons Trust Board has noted that existing minimum notice periods are sometimes not being adhered to and that it is not clear what the enforcement mechanism is when this is the case.
Since the survey was conducted and prior to the new season, Sky have announced new minimum notice periods for match changes for TV reasons. We welcome this announcement as it is a step in the right direction, but note that there still appears to be no enforcement mechanism and decisions to re-schedule fixtures towards the end of the season will still be relatively last minute.
The vast majority – 82% – of members who responded would support a campaign across football to seek a better deal for fans when it comes to re-scheduling kick off times.
Whilst we welcome the new Sky notice periods, we are calling for the TV companies and football authorities to do the following:
1. Consider a minimum notice period for re-scheduling kick-off times for each period of the season which is no less than 4-6 weeks before the originally scheduled date and time. We accept that, at the end of the season, the TV companies will want to show the games that matter most in the promotion and relegation battles.
2. Ensure that the elected fan representative groups of each club involved in a proposed re-scheduling are consulted prior to a decision being made, and their reasonable concerns are taken into account in making the final decision with the EFL overseeing this process and making the final decision. Such reasonable concerns might include (but are not limited to) the times of last trains and already-announced engineering works.
3. Ensure that minimum notice periods are adhered to, with the EFL refusing to allow a change to kick-off times or dates where they are not.
We would welcome the support of other fans groups and we are bringing this survey and campaign to the attention of football authorities, the TV companies and politicians.