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Post by neilv93 on Aug 9, 2021 10:09:34 GMT
Wrong again it's Football League rule..... The football blackout is a rule which means no match from the Premier League, FA Cup or Football League can be televised between 2.45pm and 5.15pm. The rule originated in the 1960s when then-Burnley chairman Bob Lord argued that having 3pm matches on TV would negatively affect the attendance of lower league matches. Now, more than 40 years on, the rule is still in place - discounting this season and post-lockdown fixtures of last term. To keep with the rules, the last round of Premier League fixtures all kick off at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. The UK is actually the only country to observe the blackout of 3pm kick-offs on a Saturday. probably why we still have a 4 division professional league. If all games were available like abroad then there certainly wouldn't be div 1 and 2 in operation today. No future fanbase when they would just pick one of the top 6 to watch every saturday Disagree. We live in a streaming age - I think having a feasible way for Gasheads to watch games across the country/globe on a Saturday would be hugely beneficial to the club and it's revenue streams. The rule is outdated and I don't think it affects attendances as much as it clearly would have in the 1960s. |
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Post by Quarters on Aug 9, 2021 10:13:34 GMT
Not everyone agrees with the continued use of the blackout period, as the tone of this article might lead you to believe. Advocate General Juliane Kokott from the European Court of Justice, for example, said in February of 2011 that such ‘closed periods’ made little difference to the attendance at football grounds. She said, “It is, in fact, doubtful whether closed periods are capable of encouraging attendance at matches and participation in matches. Both activities have a completely different quality to the following of a live transmission on television”.
hat notion is backed up by the situation in Germany where there are no such restrictions and pretty much every match of the Bundesliga is broadcast in its entirety. There has not been an issue with attendances at Bundesliga games because of this. Coincidentally, most German clubs have season tickets that cost less than going to see just one game costs at most Premier League grounds, but never let it be suggested that English clubs don’t want to drop the cost of their ticket prices in order to attract a crowd.
The majority of football fans see the ruling regarding football on Saturdays as Draconian, with the match going fan confused as to how football clubs could possibly think that watching a game on the television would be a suitable replacement for the visceral experience of watching a game live and in person. Meanwhile people who don’t physically go to matches are still watching the 3pm Saturday games, but instead of doing so through legal means they are having to take to the murky backwaters of the internet in order to find very much illegal streams that may not be reliable but will at least give you a chance of seeing your team play.
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Post by falsenumber9 on Aug 9, 2021 10:29:59 GMT
probably why we still have a 4 division professional league. If all games were available like abroad then there certainly wouldn't be div 1 and 2 in operation today. No future fanbase when they would just pick one of the top 6 to watch every saturday Disagree. We live in a streaming age - I think having a feasible way for Gasheads to watch games across the country/globe on a Saturday would be hugely beneficial to the club and it's revenue streams. The rule is outdated and I don't think it affects attendances as much as it clearly would have in the 1960s. I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. |
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Post by bluebiro on Aug 9, 2021 10:37:32 GMT
Disagree. We live in a streaming age - I think having a feasible way for Gasheads to watch games across the country/globe on a Saturday would be hugely beneficial to the club and it's revenue streams. The rule is outdated and I don't think it affects attendances as much as it clearly would have in the 1960s. I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. yep a ageing fan base who are happy to watch the game at home with a product few youngsters want to physically attend because of our facilities. What could go wrong |
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Post by falsenumber9 on Aug 9, 2021 10:41:36 GMT
I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. yep a ageing fan base who are happy to watch the game at home with a product few youngsters want to physically attend because of our facilities. What could go wrong Devaluing the product by releasing it digitally isn't the answer though is it. |
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Post by CrispPusher on Aug 9, 2021 11:35:45 GMT
Last season proved the financials for iFollow don't add up. If just two people (home or away fans) that would potentially go to the match, watch the same stream that's ~£40 lost potential revenue, before even factoring in other income from concession stands or bar takings, all of a sudden you're looking at ~£50, £60 a match. Imagine the reaction if any club tried charging anything like that for a stream!
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Post by gasheadontour on Aug 9, 2021 11:49:39 GMT
My thought is that in the first instance those with season tickets to watch matches at The Mem could be offered the chance to purchase an ifollow season ticket video pass for Away matches. It would be an incentive for people to purchase season tickets to watch home matches in person at The Mem.
I think the football authorities and govt would struggle to justify not allowing that to happen on such a basis particularly if it was marketed as being better for the environment.
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Post by Topper Gas on Aug 9, 2021 14:51:43 GMT
Not everyone agrees with the continued use of the blackout period, as the tone of this article might lead you to believe. Advocate General Juliane Kokott from the European Court of Justice, for example, said in February of 2011 that such ‘closed periods’ made little difference to the attendance at football grounds. She said, “It is, in fact, doubtful whether closed periods are capable of encouraging attendance at matches and participation in matches. Both activities have a completely different quality to the following of a live transmission on television”. hat notion is backed up by the situation in Germany where there are no such restrictions and pretty much every match of the Bundesliga is broadcast in its entirety. There has not been an issue with attendances at Bundesliga games because of this. Coincidentally, most German clubs have season tickets that cost less than going to see just one game costs at most Premier League grounds, but never let it be suggested that English clubs don’t want to drop the cost of their ticket prices in order to attract a crowd. The majority of football fans see the ruling regarding football on Saturdays as Draconian, with the match going fan confused as to how football clubs could possibly think that watching a game on the television would be a suitable replacement for the visceral experience of watching a game live and in person. Meanwhile people who don’t physically go to matches are still watching the 3pm Saturday games, but instead of doing so through legal means they are having to take to the murky backwaters of the internet in order to find very much illegal streams that may not be reliable but will at least give you a chance of seeing your team play. What is the Bundesliga, the equivalent to our Premiership, if so, then that article is not really relevant to the football league? |
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Post by neilv93 on Aug 9, 2021 15:21:37 GMT
Disagree. We live in a streaming age - I think having a feasible way for Gasheads to watch games across the country/globe on a Saturday would be hugely beneficial to the club and it's revenue streams. The rule is outdated and I don't think it affects attendances as much as it clearly would have in the 1960s. I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. Sorry, should've clarified - it's outdated for EFL clubs. I absolutely agree that offering PL games on TV at 3pm alongside EFL games is asking for trouble - why would anyone watch Rovers if one of the top four clubs are on? - but would it be so bad having it for EFL clubs? I'd be interested to see what the iFollow figures actually were during lockdown with the restrictions lifted, genuinely... |
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Post by LJG on Aug 9, 2021 15:25:34 GMT
Going by the calibre of suggestions on here, fan ownership would be a disaster. I'm so glad we have a commercial director.
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Post by Topper Gas on Aug 9, 2021 15:29:05 GMT
I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. Sorry, should've clarified - it's outdated for EFL clubs. I absolutely agree that offering PL games on TV at 3pm alongside EFL games is asking for trouble - why would anyone watch Rovers if one of the top four clubs are on? - but would it be so bad having it for EFL clubs? I'd be interested to see what the iFollow figures actually were during lockdown with the restrictions lifted, genuinely... The same reason why we watch them now I assume, as Premiership football as no real interest to me over Rovers. |
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Post by falsenumber9 on Aug 9, 2021 15:31:21 GMT
I don't agree with you that it's outdated. It's sensible IMO. It's there to protect the lower leagues and it's naive to think offering a televised game over the longer term wouldn't impact attendances. Sorry, should've clarified - it's outdated for EFL clubs. I absolutely agree that offering PL games on TV at 3pm alongside EFL games is asking for trouble - why would anyone watch Rovers if one of the top four clubs are on? - but would it be so bad having it for EFL clubs? I'd be interested to see what the iFollow figures actually were during lockdown with the restrictions lifted, genuinely... Why would a family spend £50+ on matchday tickets if there's an easy-to-access £10 TV option out there? That proposed change would spell massive trouble for the future of lower league football. The only exception which springs to mind would be if the game was a sell-out, and ad hoc games offered out on Ifollow on that basis. |
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Post by Topper Gas on Aug 9, 2021 15:31:27 GMT
Going by the calibre of suggestions on here, fan ownership would be a disaster. I'm so glad we have a commercial director. Given we're losing £2m/£3m a season he hardly seems to be doing that good a job! The Ticketmaster season ticket farce the latest of a long list of disasters. |
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Post by Squiffy on Aug 9, 2021 15:40:31 GMT
yep a ageing fan base who are happy to watch the game at home with a product few youngsters want to physically attend because of our facilities. What could go wrong Devaluing the product by releasing it digitally isn't the answer though is it. But it’s reality and, in my opinion, inevitable, so better to embrace the idea and find a business model that does work for the club. For various reasons I only get the opportunity to go to live games a couple of times a season but would definitely watch more matches online if they were available. So in my situation the club would make more money out of me. The music industry has lost a lot of control over its products via online streaming services and high street retailers are going the same way because technology makes things easier for people so that’s what they do. The internet isn’t going to go away and smart businesses evolve. On the flip side, current thinking in the tourism industry is that authenticity is the next zeitgeist and this could cross over into the leisure sector. So, attending a live event, particularly as many of us have recently found online interaction unsatisfactory, could prompt people to seek out a more visceral experience. I suspect that live streaming of all matches will eventually happen, physical crowds will be a bit smaller initially but attendance, including online, may grow. That increased accessibility may forge stronger connections and, if there was on field success, lead to more physical support to share in that feel good environment. |
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Post by bluebiro on Aug 9, 2021 15:51:55 GMT
Devaluing the product by releasing it digitally isn't the answer though is it. But it’s reality and, in my opinion, inevitable, so better to embrace the idea and find a business model that does work for the club. For various reasons I only get the opportunity to go to live games a couple of times a season but would definitely watch more matches online if they were available. So in my situation the club would make more money out of me. The music industry has lost a lot of control over its products via online streaming services and high street retailers are going the same way because technology makes things easier for people so that’s what they do. The internet isn’t going to go away and smart businesses evolve. On the flip side, current thinking in the tourism industry is that authenticity is the next zeitgeist and this could cross over into the leisure sector. So, attending a live event, particularly as many of us have recently found online interaction unsatisfactory, could prompt people to seek out a more visceral experience. I suspect that live streaming of all matches will eventually happen, physical crowds will be a bit smaller initially but attendance, including online, may grow. That increased accessibility may forge stronger connections and, if there was on field success, lead to more physical support to share in that feel good environment. fine for now with our 50plus fanbase but where does a yoyo div 1 and 2 club get its future fan base from. Again you dont put your tenner into the club when there will be so much choice worldwide. |
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Post by gasheadontour on Aug 9, 2021 15:53:32 GMT
Last season proved the financials for iFollow don't add up. If just two people (home or away fans) that would potentially go to the match, watch the same stream that's ~£40 lost potential revenue, before even factoring in other income from concession stands or bar takings, all of a sudden you're looking at ~£50, £60 a match. Imagine the reaction if any club tried charging anything like that for a stream!
That is why it would make sense to offer an ifollow season ticket for Away matches and only make it available to those who have bought season tickets to watch Rovers home matches live in person... it gives people an incentive to purchase a season ticket to go along to home matches.
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Post by LJG on Aug 9, 2021 16:00:28 GMT
Going by the calibre of suggestions on here, fan ownership would be a disaster. I'm so glad we have a commercial director. The Ticketmaster season ticket farce the latest of a long list of disasters. 1. What comparables are you using as a basis for making that statement? 2. Why is anything in your post an argument against having a commercial director? 3. You have no control over Ticketmaster so why are you posting about it on a meaningless forum? |
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Post by neilv93 on Aug 9, 2021 16:21:58 GMT
Sorry, should've clarified - it's outdated for EFL clubs. I absolutely agree that offering PL games on TV at 3pm alongside EFL games is asking for trouble - why would anyone watch Rovers if one of the top four clubs are on? - but would it be so bad having it for EFL clubs? I'd be interested to see what the iFollow figures actually were during lockdown with the restrictions lifted, genuinely... Why would a family spend £50+ on matchday tickets if there's an easy-to-access £10 TV option out there? That proposed change would spell massive trouble for the future of lower league football. The only exception which springs to mind would be if the game was a sell-out, and ad hoc games offered out on Ifollow on that basis. Again, I don't disagree with you. But likewise away matches, we sold out our 1,300 allocation yesterday but average 7,000 at home or whatever so that's another X amount of fans paying £10 each for match access. I actually think £10 is too cheap as well so there's wiggle room there, idk. |
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Post by falsenumber9 on Aug 9, 2021 16:26:02 GMT
Devaluing the product by releasing it digitally isn't the answer though is it. But it’s reality and, in my opinion, inevitable, so better to embrace the idea and find a business model that does work for the club. For various reasons I only get the opportunity to go to live games a couple of times a season but would definitely watch more matches online if they were available. So in my situation the club would make more money out of me. The music industry has lost a lot of control over its products via online streaming services and high street retailers are going the same way because technology makes things easier for people so that’s what they do. The internet isn’t going to go away and smart businesses evolve. On the flip side, current thinking in the tourism industry is that authenticity is the next zeitgeist and this could cross over into the leisure sector. So, attending a live event, particularly as many of us have recently found online interaction unsatisfactory, could prompt people to seek out a more visceral experience. I suspect that live streaming of all matches will eventually happen, physical crowds will be a bit smaller initially but attendance, including online, may grow. That increased accessibility may forge stronger connections and, if there was on field success, lead to more physical support to share in that feel good environment. Fair enough. I'm not sure the high street retailer and lower league football stadiums are quite a fair comparison but understand what you're saying. Businesses and people do evolve but I'm struggling to see a future where lower league football is freely available to stream and the matchday experience/clubs aren't significantly damaged. |
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Post by Gassy on Aug 9, 2021 17:44:47 GMT
£500 for away match only access? Might sell 4 or 5 of those tbf If people really want to use iFollow, just pay the £140 for the season pass and get a VPN. That's what a lot of fans do anyway. Nobody is going to pay £500. I’m not even sure that works does it? |
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