UK Media: Paywall for Arsenal vs City Community Shield sparks public outrage

Millions of fans across the country were unable to watch Arsenal vs. Manchester City in the FA Community Shield, as the match was locked behind a paywall.

If you needed any more proof that the suited administrators of modern football would charge you for oxygen if they could sell you the air in the stadium, then look no further than the Community Shield.

Removing the traditional curtain-raiser to the season — this year, Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup winners Manchester City — from free-to-air television and putting it behind TNT Sports’ paywall is an act of corporate greed so breathtaking it feels like it was personally signed off by Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

Let’s pause for a moment to remember what the Community Shield actually is. It’s essentially a high-profile, sun-drenched exhibition match where players shake off their summer indulgences, try out new haircuts, and try not to tear an ACL before the actual Premier League season begins.

Crucially, it was originally a charity match, specifically raising money for local community projects, food banks, and grassroots youth clubs.

For generations, it was a decent gift from the BBC or ITV to the nation, free to all. Families could gather around their screens, without mortgaging their homes, and enjoy an afternoon of football in the hazy August heat. But in the boardrooms of modern football, even doing good deeds comes with a toll gate.

Adding a subscription barrier to a charity match is an act of breathtaking audacity. Administratively, it's the equivalent of standing at the door of a soup kitchen with a card machine, demanding people sign up for a £30-a-month direct debit before they can have a bowl of broth.

Locking away the first game of the season behind a paywall sends a cold and dismal message to millions of children: if your parents can’t afford the fancier subscription package, this game isn’t for you.

It's petty, it's greedy, and it's utterly disgusting. The Community Shield, meant to be a celebration for everyone, being sold off to pay-TV shows that modern football knows the price of a subscription fee but understands the value of absolutely nothing else.

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