If, like this writer, you did Business Studies for your Junior Cert, you'll have learned maybe three things. The first, and most useful, is how to spell the word 'business'.
The second thing likely to stick out in your mind is the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980, and the third is the importance of avoiding 'impulse purchases'; the artless act of chucking away money on a nothing more than a whim.
We're sure Sky Sports did their due diligence when they parted the still-remarkable fee of more than £5 billion for exclusive Premier League rights, and expected that the Premier League juggernaut would continue to prop up their varied exploits.
The logic behind it is this: people are so utterly obsessed by their football team that they are somewhat obliged to pay their ever-increasing satellite subscription, regardless of its spiraling cost.
That, however, looks like it hasn't happened, and that some supporters have decided that enough is enough. Per the Daily Mail this morning, Sky's viewing figures for live Premier League games this season are down by a massive 19%.
The Mail have explained the slide by citing England's "hot summer", along with competition from the Olympics and also the illegal streaming of games online. It's a blow nonetheless, given the fact that Gary Neville has returned from Spain, and the Premier League has never been so marketable, what with Pep, Mourinho, Klopp, Conte, Ranieri, Wenger and Mike Phelan providing a microcosm for drama.
A Sky spokesperson told the Mail that "it is a premature comparison when several high-profile matches such as Liverpool v Manchester United have yet to air on Sky Sports. We have shown the top 10 most viewed PL games so far this season".
Perhaps it is premature, and in the next couple of months, as we head for winter with its long nights and wet days, the Premier League comfort blanket will be spread more widely than it has been over the last couple of months.
Or perhaps Sky's viewership figures are a sign that some fans have just had enough?
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