EFL could stream matches and scrap 3pm protection

[Manwë]

It's hard to criticise the EFL for this, this is progress.

 

How many people read the news on their phone/laptop today?  Or watched a film or music on their device?   What is the impact on the printing press, on the delivery jobs, on the ink manufacturers?  Significant.  But, that is progress.

 

We can't be luddites about this.  Businesses need to adapt to reality of the 21st Century, however hard it may be.  Other industries have had to deal with it, football isn't immune.  Competition is good.  

 

Suggestions of a maximum £20 a ticket?  Great.  Will clubs implement this?  Nope, not a chance.

 

 

[Beighton Owl 87]

1 hour ago, wiggy said:

I’d use some American style blackout restrictions. Eg. It can only be streamed if a certain percentage of tickets sell. Or vice versa when the visiting allocation has sold out it can stream but only in the visitors region. Or something like that.

 

1 hour ago, swfc1983 said:

Clubs should only be allowed to stream their away games through official site at a sign up cost. I know iFollow do this now but it’s only some midweek games I believe? That way it shouldn’t effect home attendances too much although I do realise that the said clubs home supporters when we are playing away would hack the stream but these are available anyway (illegally). 

If something like this could be implemented it would be good as it wouldn't affect home attendances. We sell out most away games anyway so near enough all our away games would then be available to stream generating extra income for the club. Would be against all games being streamed though unless we had big games that sold out like Portsmouth for example. 

[matthefish2002]

I think streaming games will more likely effect mid week attendances than Saturday ones.

Even I find mid week games a bit of a chore especially during the cold winter months with rushing from work etc.

Think many people will think sod the hassle of the traffic and getting back late at night when can watch in front of the fire at home.

[Dizzys Dad]

Definitely a good idea to include streaming in the price of a season ticket. I realise that’s open to abuse, but it would be good if you’ve bought a season ticket and can’t get to the game. When will clubs start treating supporters well, instead of looking upon them purely as cash cows?

[royalowlisback]

Bring in streaming for all games - people are already sat at home watching it anyway.

[striker]

2 minutes ago, Dizzys Dad said:

Definitely a good idea to include streaming in the price of a season ticket. I realise that’s open to abuse, but it would be good if you’ve bought a season ticket and can’t get to the game. When will clubs start treating supporters well, instead of looking upon them purely as cash cows?

It's a good start to test impact on attendances linking it to season tickets and giving fans an option. 

[CircleSeven]

It is currently so easy to watch 3pm kickoff games on ifollow despite the current restriction by simply using a dirt cheap VPN to pretend your in a different country that there won’t be any impact by making it ‘legit’ to do so. The crowd numbers already reflect the alternative route of watching games online (including both legitimate and illegitimate means). 
 

The live matchday experience offers something different. If you want to make those numbers bigger then make the experience better/ better value. 
 

The live streaming genie is already out of the bottle. Use the new platforms rather than fighting them. 

[CircleSeven]

49 minutes ago, matthefish2002 said:

I think streaming games will more likely effect mid week attendances than Saturday ones.

Even I find mid week games a bit of a chore especially during the cold winter months with rushing from work etc.

Think many people will think sod the hassle of the traffic and getting back late at night when can watch in front of the fire at home.

You can already legitimately stream midweek games on ifollow. It’s only 3pm kickoffs currently restricted.

[darra]

3 hours ago, wiggy said:

I’d use some American style blackout restrictions. Eg. It can only be streamed if a certain percentage of tickets sell. Or vice versa when the visiting allocation has sold out it can stream but only in the visitors region. Or something like that.

Isn't there a rule in America in the NFL(?) that games can only be seen locally an hour after the game starts. So if you wanted to watch Wednesday in a home game in Sheffield the stream wouldn't start until 4pm

[wiggy]

2 minutes ago, darra said:

Isn't there a rule in America in the NFL(?) that games can only be seen locally an hour after the game starts. So if you wanted to watch Wednesday in a home game in Sheffield the stream wouldn't start until 4pm

I don’t believe so. I think it’s based on a percentage of ticket sales in the NFL otherwise it’s blacked out in the home state.

[TrickyTrev]

2 hours ago, Ever the pessimist said:

Think it would affect others more than us. We’re often down to the hardcore attendees anyway. Those I know with the dodgy fire sticks still go to big games, and watch at home the games they wouldn’t have gone to anyway.

Obviously those living further away would b more of a factor, as would the night matches.

Agreed.

 

I know fans who stream games but they all go regularly to our home matches, they tend to just stream the away games.

[Musn't Grumble]

I'd be surprised if the EFL have not researched the possibility of live streaming at 3pm on a Saturday.

 

The outcome of that research is either well hidden or hasn't been published (for no other reason than commercial sensitivity, I presume?) so we might never know what the impact on the football business might be.

 

Either way, I would be equally surprised if the PL and EFL (and NL, too?) were not watching what is happening in professional golf at the moment. I'd be a lot more worried about football and Sheffield Wednesday in particular if, for instance, Saudi Arabian money got involved in all matters and not just Newcastle.

[Rotherham Owl]

3 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

 

Would it impact attendances at games if people had the option to watch on TV?

 

 

 

Surely, the clubs and the EFL already know this with the streaming of Midweek games.

 

I like the option, I don't think it has stopped me going on a Tuesday night but has let me watch the home matches that I couldn't get to due to time pressures. It has also let me watch some away games which I wouldn't have been able to get a ticket for.

 

Ifollow has a pause option which also allows you to watch it as live.

[HOOTIE AND THE SHIT TU]

I'm torn over this

 

I love the idea of buying a match day pass to watch all away games in my home

 

If home games were available too, I would stay at home and watch the game on my tv on night matches.

[Emerson Thome]

I moved abroad for one year around the time of the 2008/09 season, and to be honest it was very hard to follow Wednesday. I looked out for the scores, obviously. But I only remember one game (covered live on Sky) that I was able to watch in a bar. I started to lose track of where we were in the league and who our players were.

 

I moved abroad again in 2016, and as soon as iFollow started up, the experience was so different. Yes, it was a bit shoddy to start with, without the commentary and occasional technical issues. But for last season I was able to watch pretty much every minute of every game. I see more of our games now than I ever did when I lived 30 miles from Hillsborough. Know more about our players, tactics, strengths and weaknesses, etc.

 

I still think going to the game is special, the experience is so much more vivid - the excitement is greater. Live TV hasn't affected attendances at all. The Premier League has more fans now than ever, and it is possible to find streams of all top flight games.

 

And think about the 20,000 regulars at Hillsborough, at the moment only 2,000 get to see our away games. If there was a way of paying a modest amount to stream the games you can't see live it should be win-win. More money for the club and more fans get to watch the games.

[OxonOwl]

 

 

 

Obviously if all clubs could watch their away games, then the home fans could watch the same game too.

 

 

[83owl]

I would go to the game and then buy the I follow footage. That way you get the benefit of watching the great coverage available whilst experiencing the amazing hillsborough atmosphere.

[Geedee]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

It is currently so easy to watch 3pm kickoff games on ifollow despite the current restriction by simply using a dirt cheap VPN to pretend your in a different country that there won’t be any impact by making it ‘legit’ to do so. The crowd numbers already reflect the alternative route of watching games online (including both legitimate and illegitimate means). 
 

The live matchday experience offers something different. If you want to make those numbers bigger then make the experience better/ better value. 
 

The live streaming genie is already out of the bottle. Use the new platforms rather than fighting them. 

 

100%

There is only one way this is going to go.

 

The technology is there, the answer to stopping people using a vpn is make the thing available legally.

 

There is no going back now. Embrace the change , seize the new opportunities.

 

 

[elyowl1]

I would quite happily pay the season ticket cost to have the ability to watch us at home, i no longer live in Sheffield and when i last had season tickets i was spending thousands to drive from Ely to pick up the lad in Lincoln and then onto the game. 

If i lived locally i would go watch the game live, The only true test is to try it for a season and see the results. 

 

[Mr. Chow]

5 hours ago, shandypants said:

Streaming would equate to a loss of matchday income. Do not implement streaming, lower the matchday ticket prices instead; £20 max for an adult ticket for all league games; parent and children deals; etc

It will never happen because it makes sense. Companies are just in it to make the most money out of something