He hopes that the fans will soon return to the stadiums according to safety standards and conditions

Amiri: The public's move away from the stands increased the viewership of the league on broadcast channels

  • An exceptional situation imposed by the Corona pandemic made all fans turn to television screens to watch football matches.

    Photography: Osama Abu Ghanem

  • Rashid Amiri: The fans were eagerly waiting for the competitions to return, and the absence of football competitions since last March left a big void.

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Deputy Executive Director of the TV sector at Dubai Media Corporation, Rashid Amiri, said, “The public’s move away from the stands due to the (Covid-19) pandemic has contributed to the increase in television viewership rates for the Arab Gulf Football League matches, which are transmitted on the screen of Dubai Sports Channels.”

Rashid Amiri assured to “Emirates Today”: “There is no doubt that there is a tangible increase in the percentage of public follow-up on the screen, and the statistics have proven correct expectations that indicate that the absence of audiences due to the pandemic will help broadcast channels increase the number of their viewers during the broadcast matches of the competition, or Programs related to the Arab Gulf League competitions, and this places additional responsibility on the channels in order to provide television material with high-quality standards.

It is noteworthy that the Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Sports Channels broadcast various local competitions, especially the Gulf Arab League matches.

Amiri pointed out that "the masses have been waiting for the competitions to return on pins and needles, especially since the absence of football competitions since last March has left a great void for these fans, which are linked to a love relationship and to follow closely everything that is going on in the local football clubs and competitions."

He continued: “What happened in the previous period was exceptional, and today the responsibility is great on the transmission channels, and this is what we realize its importance in the Dubai Media Corporation, especially since the increase in the number of viewers puts all programs under the microscope of the viewer, who has the experience and knowledge that helps him to make judgments. And evaluation and directing expressions of praise or even criticism, which increases the responsibilities of media organizations whose ambition and goal is to satisfy the viewer first and foremost.

Amiri stressed that he hopes that this crisis will quickly disappear, and that this stage will end with all its negative effects after it left its effects on the sports sector, as well as on all other sectors worldwide, not just inside the country.

He said that he hopes the masses will soon return to the stadiums according to the standards and conditions that will be determined in the future by the competent authorities in the country, as the principle of public safety and divergence remains the first slogan for all the parties and the responsible authorities, due to the sensitivity of the health situation.

Amiri explained: The presence of the masses in the stands gives the matches a different elegance and taste, and also contributes to increasing the enthusiasm of the players and raising the technical levels, and this is what we hope will be achieved in a way that helps develop the level of the Emirati player and reflects positively on our national teams, especially the first team that is waiting for the journey to complete the official competitions. In qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Finals.

Amiri added: “We are pleased with the increase in the number of viewers and followers of the local football competitions on the screen of Dubai Sports Channels, but at the same time we hope that the fans will quickly return to the stadiums, and that the issue of fans watching the matches through screens only will not turn into a normal matter, because this will negatively affect the audience attendance. In the future, we also do not forget that the presence of the fan in the stands is the main fuel and motivation for the player over the green rectangle. 

• What happened in the previous period was exceptional, and today the responsibility is great on the transport channels.

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