One Billion Viewers

Not this again.

Today's Telegraph has a banner at the top of the front page proclaiming that one billion people will be watching today's Arsenal v Man Utd game.

What on earth are they on about. One person in six is watching a UK club match? I think not. As I've said time and again, these figures are ridiculously over-inflated and have to be treated with a pinch of salt.

Just think about the UK for a moment. Out of a population of sixty million, a maximum of three million will watch on Sky, and about the same again on Match of the Day. And that's it. One in ten. Perhaps a few more. And that's in a country that has the most to care about.

"It is not an exaggeration to say it could be watched by one billion people," said a Premier League spokesman.

Yes it is, even if it is going out in Asia on a Saturday evening.