LUFCTALK

YEP: "Overseas fans of most English Football League clubs will be able to watch live games next season on a new digital platform called iFollow..... The EFL says an estimated 270,000 fans of its clubs are based abroad..... Leeds United, Aston Villa and Derby County have chosen not to join the iFollow initiative..... Because of the EFL’s domestic rights deals, fans in the UK and Ireland will not be able to watch live games via the digital platform but will have access to audio commentary, highlights packages and other video"

A few points....
We're probably right not to join. With Radrizzani's background, he should be able to get some proper media set up for us, where WE make the profit.
Only 270K fans abroad? For 72 teams? I'm sure they've done their homework, but that seems a tiny figure to me! I know some clubs have tiny following at home, never mind abroad, but some big clubs in these leagues. I'd say we'd have close to 270K ourselves.
Because of domestic rights, fans in Ireland will not have access to live games.... Eh, are we not overseas? (being selfish of course, but bloody hard and expensive to get to ER these days).

From the BBC football website:-

The English Football League is to provide live streaming of every non-televised game to overseas supporters from the 2017-18 season onwards.

Fans in the UK are currently limited to audio commentary by rights issues, but Championship, League One and Two matches will be available to watch abroad from August.

The digital platform, called iFollow, will cost £110 for full access.

Currently, 61 of 72 EFL clubs have signed up to the EFL Digital platform.

However, the EFL says that 11 clubs still have the provision to offer the streaming through their own digital providers including Aston Villa, Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers and Accrington Stanley.

Streaming packages in other sports have given fans the opportunity to follow their teams from afar, particularly in the United States.

The North American-based National Football League, National Hockey League and National Basketball League governing bodies have web-based streaming packages, while in Australia, rugby league and Australian Rules followers can subscribe to NRL and AFL streaming.

"The new iFollow platform represents a potentially significant new revenue stream for clubs," EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said. "While enabling enhanced engagement with existing fans now living abroad.

"iFollow will also present the EFL with an important opportunity to stimulate the interest of new groups of supporters who follow our clubs overseas, which in turn will help support the growth of our competitions on the international stage."

Good decision from Leeds. What with fraudulent streaming it would have cost leeds a fortune, and we should have had a bigger share of the rights if we to go along with the deal. Without being too specific, I remember Harvey approaching a company I was involved in to be the 'official xxxx of the football league' he wanted £250,000 pa. I explained we already had Leeds, Norwich, Derby, Forest, Cardiff, Sheffield Wed & Utd.on board, approximately 50% of the leagues exposure costing us less than £10k additionally we didn't want the hassle of providing merchandise to 72 clubs... many with no real return on investment. Hopefully Radz can really capitalise on this .... I would have thought there must be £2m to be had out of us per annum - 20,000 overseas fans @ £100???

Can't wait. Can finally watch every match instead of searching for patchy audio commentary that gets cut off part way through for copyright issues.

mtsi5630 wrote:Can't wait. Can finally watch every match instead of searching for patchy audio commentary that gets cut off part way through for copyright issues.

Same experience here in Denmark, so I'm looking forward too!
And - to be honest- I'm also looking forward to pay some money to he club, I always have a bit of a guilty conscience watching games or listening without contributing to the club!
Here is the plan:
I pay to watch Leeds United games
The club earns some money
The club buys some new players
We play Premiership the following season

John Dane wrote:

mtsi5630 wrote:Can't wait. Can finally watch every match instead of searching for patchy audio commentary that gets cut off part way through for copyright issues.

Same experience here in Denmark, so I'm looking forward too!
And - to be honest- I'm also looking forward to pay some money to he club, I always have a bit of a guilty conscience watching games or listening without contributing to the club!
Here is the plan:
I pay to watch Leeds United games
The club earns some money
The club buys some new players
We play Premiership the following season

Sounds like a plan JD

Barlow Boy wrote:

John Dane wrote:

mtsi5630 wrote:Can't wait. Can finally watch every match instead of searching for patchy audio commentary that gets cut off part way through for copyright issues.

Same experience here in Denmark, so I'm looking forward too!
And - to be honest- I'm also looking forward to pay some money to he club, I always have a bit of a guilty conscience watching games or listening without contributing to the club!
Here is the plan:
I pay to watch Leeds United games
The club earns some money
The club buys some new players
We play Premiership the following season

Sounds like a plan JD

Count me in too!

Sorry guys, I'm confused - what has the club decided to do, join this initiative or not join it?

Read the first post again, mate

rigger wrote:Read the first post again, mate

TBH I was more asking for other posters - unless I'm mistaken (entirely possible of course), I think some have misread it