Digital only? Taking it away from mamma television? In what parallel Universe? As I wrote there would be riots, especially in Italy given the crappy state of the Internet. Not to mention that Berlusconi and Murdock say "hi". Oh, also the EU Antitrust could have its saying (apart that in Italy "someone" would push to have a law forbidding "digital only" for football..). Other consideration: people subscribe first to the package showing their own team playing. In Italy Inter Milan and Milan are in Europa League this year (well, so I'm reading now. I don't really follow that football crap). Indeed Mediaset Premium, which has got the Champion League rights, Europa League is on Sky, may flop (as in losing money) just for that. Not happening.

Then, seriously. If MS to sell a video game console has to monopolize even football..They are better going home indeed.

But in UK it wasn't (and isn't) digital only. Which is what I object the most. The Champion League now is exclusive for Mediaset Premium in Italy. Still they will still transmit 2 games per round in clear, on tuesday and wednesday (I know because there is a commercial about that every 10 minutes). And no matter what it's on television.

Let's say MS moves in that direction. What should stop Apple trying to do the same, for iTunes instead? At least iTunes already has a qute large established market place. And Apple like MS has money as if it was raining. Then suppose Apple would push it even more making it exclusive for iTunes on Apple TV, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod only. The fandroids football fans would go ballistic. Apart that I believe the teams themselves would not allow it. The gamers complained about the digital only consoles, sure the football fans would hate a digital only Champion's League even more. Maybe in 10 or 20 years. Right now it's still too early.

How does anything you said negate anything I said or how does it even have anything to do with what I said? Of course the nobody part was hyperbole on my part, I thought that should be obvious but the simple fact is that, and vgchartz data shows this, MS' first party offering does not make huge waves in Europe, which will now only be further amplified by the current situation of the Xbox One.

You bring up Uncharted as an example of the same being true for Sonys first party in the US (which btw is something I'd agree on, aside from a couple franchises nothing on Sonys side is huge on selling consoles in the US either), which is a really poor example as every Uncharted in the US (on PS3 at least) has managed to sell over 2 million copies, something that outside of Kinect Adventures no MS exclusive has managed in Europe (if we exclude the UK).

And games like Fifa and Minecraft will just be bought on other systems where they are available as well and where they have a huge userbase in Europe already.

The rest of your post is nice I guess, but has nothing to do with what I said. MS want to make up marketshare in Europe with their lineup this holiday season and I'm simply saying that outside of the UK this is not going to happen with that offering. It might if Sony just sat around doing nothing, but the way things are looking, they will have to try something different to actually gain an amount of marketshare that's worth mentioning in continental Europe cause currently it looks like the complete opposite is happening. There's nothing arrogant about saying that.

Well, there are some differences. First of all digital only means a second provider, the ISP. Which could be an extra cost not to mention a pain in the neck for some (just think about the elderly people, Many don't want to deal with the internet). With cable/satellite one subscribes and the cost of the boxes should be included with the subscription (is it? I've never got one). If there is an issue we know which customer support we must contact. With digital could be the server or the ISP (which adds to the pain in the neck I mentioned before). Then in the Xbox/iTunes cases mentioned one should also buy an XBox/Apple device in addition to the ones already owned to watch the pay tv for movies.

Actually I was thinking just the other day how awful the situation about football on television is already. In the good ol' times there was the national television, one paid the television tax or whatever it was called in each different Country, and all most important sport events were transmitted at no extra cost in there. Now if one wants to watch football needs two subscriptions, one with a cable box or satellite (antenna included) where the monthly payment is nearly as much as a PS+/XBL yearly subscription. Add digital only football and them holligans really are screwed. Fortunately there are the pubs!

I actually made unconsciously a parallel reference to what would happen if EA Access was getting popular, but that's for another thread. :)