ABSTRACT

On a wet and gloomy November day in 1998 a new era of television was ushered in that would ultimately have a profound impact on the shape of English club football. ONdigital, the brash new digital terrestrial television (DTT) service was up and running, promising to break the stranglehold of BSkyB on the delivery of multichannel television in the UK. The £90 million launch came one month after BSkyB had begun their migration to digital television. Where Sky Digital promised over 300 channels and enhanced interactive services, ONdigital had a limited offering of up to 30 channels. Some may have observed that the Battersea headquarters at the brash Marco Polo House had previously been home to the ill-fated breakfast broadcaster GMTV. Nevertheless, ONdigital’s new management were confident about its potential to loosen the grip of its established rival as the chosen route to a new era of television.