Newcastle supporters have raised £19,000 ($24,700) by choosing to give to charity rather than watching their team play Manchester United on pay-per-view TV, according to a fans’ group.
Premier League matches in October that have not been earmarked for regular televised coverage can only be watched live via Sky Sports or BT Sport for a fee of £14.95.
Fans already pay regular subscriptions to broadcasters and for season tickets to watch their team in person, something the coronavirus pandemic prevents them from doing.
The @nufcfoodbank Twitter account said Newcastle fans had raised an estimated £19,000 by donating to the city’s West End food bank rather than paying to watch the match on Saturday, which Newcastle lost 4-1.
Other supporters’ groups are encouraging fans to boycott pay-per-view and give to charity instead, while a petition has been started calling for the pay-per-view scheme to be scrapped.