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On 7/11/2021 at 11:29 AM, snorbens_caleyman said:

Will still be phoning, and will report back here.

I phoned the shop.

I asked if there will be a PPV option for league games, for exiles like me and for away fans.  The answer was "Yes", but they were unable to say what the price will be.

My next question - can you guess it? - was whether league games would be streamed live. The answer was "I assume that they will be live".

Even if the time comes when home and away fans are allowed into the ground, with no restrictions?  "Don't know".

The advice was to keep watching the club's social media, for further announcements.  They said they'd "have a word" with someone about this, so I asked if clarification about PPV and live streaming could be made.

For the moment, then, I will wait and see what is announced about PPV.  My alternative would be to buy a season ticket in a back corner of the North Stand, which I hope would not deny a seat to anyone who wanted to attend a match.

I also passed on my praise for the live streaming on Tuesday night, which, as we all agree, was far superior to last season's.

 

I know you all think that I am making too much of this.  But as I have said earlier, livestreaming of games - especially when there are no restrictions on admission - would be revolutionary in this country, and I'd have expected an announcement, from one or more of the clubs, the SPFL and the SFA.  To livestream games requires explicit decisions by the SPFL and the SFA.  When I was checking the other day, as well as Championship sides I also looked at Rangers and Hearts, and they seem to be offering only live audio of their Premiership league games.

I could also envisage a scenario whereby PPV livestreaming is stopped when attendance restrictions are lifted, but is still available to season ticket holders because they have already paid.  The club wouldn't be losing out, other than what they'd spend on food and drink.  So maybe I should get a season ticket...

Finally, if league games are livestreamed throughout the season, look for a record low attendance at the game on a filthy, freezing mid-week night in February :lol:

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2 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

 

I know you all think that I am making too much of this.  But as I have said earlier, livestreaming of games - especially when there are no restrictions on admission - would be revolutionary in this country, and I'd have expected an announcement, from one or more of the clubs, the SPFL and the SFA.  To livestream games requires explicit decisions by the SPFL and the SFA.  When I was checking the other day, as well as Championship sides I also looked at Rangers and Hearts, and they seem to be offering only live audio of their Premiership league games.

I could also envisage a scenario whereby PPV livestreaming is stopped when attendance restrictions are lifted, but is still available to season ticket holders because they have already paid.  The club wouldn't be losing out, other than what they'd spend on food and drink.  So maybe I should get a season ticket...

Finally, if league games are livestreamed throughout the season, look for a record low attendance at the game on a filthy, freezing mid-week night in February :lol:

I think you're spot on. I no longer have a season ticket as I find that going up and down the A9 the same day has lost its appeal. I tend to stay over now if I make the odd home game, or else take the train on one of those cheap deals.
The streaming was a great idea for fans like me as I actually saw more of the team than in recent years. But I can't see that streaming of live games is a goer in the long term - it was a stop-gap during the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. It would more or less kill the game as a professional sport. But the clubs/SFA/whatever won't tolerate it anyway - we'll have to revert to a ban on live games while other games are on. Delayed streaming won't work for me either - I can't be ersed watching a game when I know the result, and in the case of ICT, I can't resist getting the score anyway by whatever means.

Edited by TheMantis
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25 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

I think you're spot on. I no longer have a season ticket as I find that going up and down the A9 the same day has lost its appeal. I tend to stay over now if I make the odd home game, or else take the train on one of those cheap deals.
The streaming was a great idea for fans like me as I actually saw more of the team than recent years. But I can't see that streaming of live games is a goer in the long term - it was a stop-gap during the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. It would more or less kill the game as a professional sport. But the clubs/SFA/whatever won't tolerate it anyway - we'll have to revert to a ban on live games. while other games are on. Delayed streaming won't work for me either - I can't be ersed watching a game when I know the result, and in the case of ICT, I can't resist getting the score anyway by whatever means.

I agree with Mantis.

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Clubs have always had the rights to stream/broadcast their own games but for 3PM Saturday games or other specific dates/times can only do so live outside the UK due to blackout arrangements set by UEFA.

My understanding (from a few years ago now so some details may have changed) is that it is the governing body of each country who submit their blackout requests to UEFA each year so there is no barrier to streaming provided the relevant associations were ok with it. However, I dont think we are just dealing with the SFA here, but also the FA and potentially various European FAs as they would request no live football from within their TV areas on a Saturday afternoon.

Realistically speaking, they dont care about ICT, but the excuse has always been that they don't want a Celtic - Rangers game, or Man City -V- Man Utd game live on TV at 3pm potentially affecting attendance elsewhere. Its all nonsense really in my mind, because those games would get scheduled for a larger TV audience anyway ... but it is where we are at.  If ever there was a time to change this, then it is now. Maybe lower leagues could be the guinea pigs for allowing live football at 3pm on a Saturday? Does anyone really think that ICT -V- Arbroath on PPV would tempt folk to not go along to Arsenal -V- Spurs? 

There are so many fans who cant or wont go to games even when allowed for various reasons - travel, immuno-compromised, COVID concerns, not vaccinated, cant get a reduced capacity ticket, etc - but I doubt anything will change. For a club like ICT, its not going to affect our attendances, those who will turn up will turn up anyway as football is better in person, and those who have already paid for a season ticket probably could and should get access to a livestream. Having a PPV livestream available for the casual observer would be good for those who cant or wont go for whatever reason and could add additional revenue to the club. I plan to try and watch at least some games this year on livestream if its available .... but the one caveat is the cost to the club of providing the service. Its not cheap to pay for the bandwidth and technology so if its not financially viable then I would prefer the club to come out and say that and put those funds or resources into the playing side ... get us back into the Premiership where the budget could be bigger and support more initiatives like this.    

There is one comparable here in Canada I can think of and that's the new CPL (Canadian Premier League). No games on TV whatsoever, just streaming on OneSoccer which is a subscription service. $10 per month or $100 per year gets you access to all CPL games, Canadian international games (men and women) as well as LigaMX. All MLS games are live on cable but I think the CPL is a better comparison given the size and budget of the clubs and the typical attendance levels.  

 

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1 hour ago, Scotty said:

However, I dont think we are just dealing with the SFA here, but also the FA and potentially various European FAs as they would request no live football from within their TV areas on a Saturday afternoon.

I remember a discussion about that - here? - a year or two ago, and it seems that the only football associations in Europe who have blackout periods are Scotland, England... and Montenegro :crazy:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ouch. Hopefully that includes a pie and a drink?

I suppose last season’s £10 was cheaper than most other clubs, and also, the club doesn’t want people opting for the stream in preference to actually attending the match.

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Agreed. Also on line here:

https://ictfc.com/season-ticket-2021-22-how-to-access-ictv

I also got an e-mail with the arrangements for Saturday’s game. 2000 allowed, non allocated but socially distanced seating, face coverings required.

Main stand season ticket holders in main stand, north stand ones in north stand, and south stand available for non season ticket holders.

Hopefully by the following game we are back in our own seats.

Details also here on the website: there will also be away fans in the south stand:

https://ictfc.com/match-information-raith-rovers-h

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Wasn't overly thrilled with the price increase but if the quality is better than last season then I don't mind paying the price. Also don't mind paying seeing as I haven't gotten over in well over a year now. Does all the money from the stream go to the club? 

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I haven't used the streaming option but from what I've heard the quality is much better and justifies the price increase. We sit just above the mid point for streaming charges in the Championship from what I can tell. 

Of course don't forget that streaming of games is a stop gap. Clubs probably don't want fans at home long term. They want them down at the stadiums spending more money on strips in the club shop, in hospitality and so on. Pricing a stream so that it detrimentally affects your home crowd on match day is not a good idea. 

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3 hours ago, RiG said:

I haven't used the streaming option but from what I've heard the quality is much better and justifies the price increase. We sit just above the mid point for streaming charges in the Championship from what I can tell. 

Of course don't forget that streaming of games is a stop gap. Clubs probably don't want fans at home long term. They want them down at the stadiums spending more money on strips in the club shop, in hospitality and so on. Pricing a stream so that it detrimentally affects your home crowd on match day is not a good idea. 

No doubt it's better to have fans in the ground but for the exile fans like myself the streaming has been a great thing ( even if it was bad) being able to see games regular was great and I was able to give the club something when not being able to go in the flesh was nice 

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