The changing face of viewing matches

Stig said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

foresthillred said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

AndyG said:

I think the season ticket for watching the stream is a no brainer but dont tie it to a normal season ticket, if you do that you will cause alot of empty seats. I would happily pay for a stream season ticket as I struggle to get to home games. I go to more away games than home so if I bought a season ticket my seat would be empty most weeks. If the stream season ticket were the same price then the increase in revenue for the club imo would be significant and I really dont think it would reduce crowds as it would be mainly people like me that would buy them

Being able to watch a game behind a laptop will gradually dwindle a home support.  The ones not wanting to buy a season ticket will slowly go to less games.  Instead of paying £50 for a ticket and scoff it will become £10 to watch on the laptop.

Consequently a big drop in revenue, and this is what a business is all about.

If streaming does continue when crowds are allowed back in to the grounds, the cost would have to match that of a ticket to the game. I would expect it to be in the region of £20-25 a game. Keeping it to a tenner a game would be suicide.

The only way they should make it a tenner is for streaming to overseas fans. I get people would try to get round it with a VPN, but if you have to register an account with a foreign bank card and address then it should be ok.

But definitely streaming to fans in England for a tenner when a match ticket is 20-25 would as you say be complete suicide for a lot of clubs, especially ones outside the premier league.

I don't think there should be a two tier system. Sure overseas fans should but able to see games, but what about fans who can't travel because they are disabled, poor, working, caring for others, sick, exhausted, have mental health issues, live in far flung corners of the UK?  These are all genuine reasons why someone may not be able to travel but who may enjoy the tv experience whilst contributing their club. There is one reason, and one reason only why overseas viewers get better viewing deals than indigenous fans and that is because it's easier to manage. I'd like to see a bit more imagination and have decisions based on what's best for the fans rather than what are the easiest contracts to manage. I very much like the sound of Callum's blackout rules.

As Callum himself suggested, I don't think the blackout thing would work in the UK. To start with there is no way Sky and BT are going to go for it for their coverage, they want what they have paid for. The little free-to-air football we have, likewise - schedules are out there a couple of weeks in advance - non-football fans moan enough as it is when the schedules are changed for football, without not knowing what is going to happen until the last minute.

I also believe that it is a regional thing in the USA, no? If the 49ers have not sold enough tickets, the game isn't shown in the Bay Area - the rest of the country still gets to see it, I think? No big deal in a country of that size, quite different in the UK.    

If we are talking about Valley Pass type coverage, rather than national coverage, to start with you would not be able to sell any TV season tickets to anyone if they don't know what they are getting. 

Secondly when would you draw the line for ticket sales and decison making? If you say 10'000 is the minimum with the cut off being Thursday at noon, and by then you have sold 9'500, there is every chance that you will be well over by 3PM Saturday. You could say, well that's just tough, but when the person who has set their heart on watching the game has their plans torn up 48 hours before, and then sees a 75% full Valley on Quest on Saturday night, they are not going to be too happy. You could argue that if the game is shown, it's a bonus, but I don't think that works in real life. There is also the question of booking the presenters, guests and film crew - can't leave that until Thursday noon... 

  

Oggy Red said:

It's a good question ...... but right now nobody knows how things will pan out long term.

Usually though, fresh thinking and answers eventually present themselves and football tends to ignore as those running it seem think that its the superior sport compared to others out there

Fixed it for you - I honestly feel that Football has a bit of an arrogance problem

There are a few examples; respecting the officials, use of Technology that works successfully in other Sports, Football could quite easily take things onboard, like giving Referee's microphones as seen in Rugby or the appeal system with decisions in tennis for example.

Of course Football is very different so cant just copy the blueprint yet at the same time it feels the Sport has to reinvent the wheel whenever it does adapt rather than taking ideas from other Sports where it does already work.