Obviously there’s no dispute about the state of human rights in Qatar. A lot of people are getting angry about celebrities and companies getting on the world cup money train.
Ordinarily I’d get really into the tournament, watch every game and so on. But I’m wondering if it’d make any difference if a significant number of us didn’t watch? Would lower viewing figures affect the Qatari’s bottom line on this? Or is the damage done?
Will you be watching? Why/why not?
11 comments
I wont be. I like football but not a huge fan on international tournaments at the best of times. Let alone one that fucks with the usual season.
Nothing is going to affect the bottom line for Qatar. They knew it was going to be a loss when they bid for it.
But what we can do is boycott companies which have associated themselves to it. That will send out a message to these companies, that not caring about human rights hits their profits. It won’t change anything in Qatar, but it could change things in the future.
I will not be watching. Lower viewing figures will affect advertising revenue in the future.
I won’t be watching as I find the sport utterly boring and football “culture” to be reprehensible.
The BBC and ITV have already paid for the rights. The only effect not watching would make is for ITV’s advertising revenue to be lower than expected.
Not into football but I’m genuinely confused by the whole Qatar controversy. I totally understand why people are outraged, but I don’t get why it was never a problem when so many sports teams (across a wide array of sports) are sponsored/funded/owned by people from similar countries.
I’ve literally seen people I know posting on social media about how they’re going to boycott the World Cup, giving damn good reasons as to why they will. But they’re posting from their apartment in Dubai….
It wouldn’t effect Qatar but it would upset the sponsors if it gets reported in the viewing figures
I’m not watching. I don’t think I will even bother checking the results.
Well, you’ll save quite a bit of time not watching it.
Funny how people don’t feel the same about Manchester City/ Newcastle owners. We have footballers wearing the rainbow and calling Qatar out but they have same kind of bad human rights violations and attitude to LGBTQ as Qatar does. This choosing what to be offended by puzzles me. Qatar is just the new thing to moan about. Need to focus on all human rights issues not just the ones that are en vogue.
I’ve only watched the World Cup once, in 1990, I’m generally not interested, but this time I can tell anyone who asks why I’m not watching that I object to their human rights abuses and this will hopefully avoid the same boring subject of ‘why don’t you like football’
You’re in need of reeducation friend, I suggest watching this every night until the competition – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2814362/
It is all done and sold, may as well watch it for the sport. How do they even find out viewing figures anyway? They aren’t monitoring my TV. I’m not going to go to Qatar, it has probably put many people off ever going to Qatar, it has highlighted how terrible it is and I don’t think an experiment like this will ever take place again. So overall my mindset is “fuck it”.