Skip to main content

Why the iFollow row is important

Last Saturday during the international break League One and League Two fans were able to watch their matches live through iFollow. Normally the live screening of matches kicking off on a Saturday afternoon is permitted, although sites overseas may offer this service illegally.

The concern is that if this became a regular practice away fans might be deterred from travelling as would some home fans who have a long journey (two and a half hours each way for me).

It has also been claimed that the EFL misled fans about their intentions. Andy Holt, the chairman of Accrington Stanley, has claimed that the decision to allow the 3pm streaming was never made clear at the annual meeting of clubs in June.

Darragh MacAnthony, the outspoken chairman of Peterborough United, took a different view: 'I'm OK with it to be honest. I think it is the way of the modern world whereby all and every sports match and event will be available online.'

Streaming could potentially occur again on October 13th, November 17th and March 28th 2019.

It is understood that the EFL will review the number of fans watching streamed games and monitor any impact on attendance. This is not straightforward, as many variables affect attendances in Leagues One and Two, e.g., the weather, and not all attendance figures may be accurate (or at least are affected by the number of complementary tickets issued).

Fans have objected that without them the game is nothing. However, a club like Bournemouth gains less than five per cent of its revenue from matchday. The fans are needed for atmosphere when games are being sold overseas, as is the case with Premier League. However, watching the summary reports on Quest you see rows of empty seats (you certainly do at Charlton).

If the EFL think they can gain revenue from streaming, they will push for it.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s...
1 comment
Read more

Spurs to sell minority stake

Tottenham Hotspur is in talks to sell a minority stake in a deal that could value it at up to £3.75 billion and pave the way for Joe Lewis and his family to sever ties with the Premier League football club. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking an investment that values the club at between £3.5 billion and £3.75 billion, including debt. While the terms of any deal have not been finalised, City sources expect Spurs to sell about 10 per cent. The club is being advised by bankers from Rothschild on the sale. Tottenham wants to raise fresh capital for new player signings and to help fund the development of an academy for its women’s team, as well as a 30-storey hotel next to its north London stadium. The financier Amanda Staveley, who brokered the deal for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to take over Newcastle United, is understood to be among the parties to have expressed an interest in Tottenham. Staveley’s fund, PCP Capital Partners, has raised about £500 million to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Millwall punch above their weight

Millwall’s season was overshadowed by the tragic death of owner John Berylson following a car accident. The American had been an exemplary owner, beloved by the fans for his leadership, passion and generosity. Millwall’s finances had been pretty good during his tenure, which we shall explore by looking at the most recent accounts from the 2022/23 season, when the club narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs after finishing 8th. Millwall’s pre-tax loss slightly reduced from £12.6m to £12.2m, as revenue rose £0.8m (4%) from £18.6m to a club record £19.4m and player sales improved from a £0.1m loss to £2.5m profit. However, other operating income dropped from by £1.1m from £1.3m to £0.2m, while operating expenses increased £1.7m (5%) from £31.6m to £33.3m. The main driver of the revenue increase was broadcasting, which rose £1.1m (12%) from £9.1m to £10.2m, though match day was also up £0.4m (7%) from £5.8m to £6.2m. In contrast, commercial fell £0.7m (19%) from £3.7m to £3....
Post a Comment
Read more