Changing 3pm tv blackout rules

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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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longmover
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should imagine it would have a effect on away attendances, for those long journeys especially mid week, maybe it would make the EFL think about logistics and fixtures from a fans point of view.
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Shade
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longmover wrote: 26 Apr 2022, 13:13 should imagine it would have a effect on away attendances, for those long journeys especially mid week, maybe it would make the EFL think about logistics and fixtures from a fans point of view.
This is only about Saturday 3pm kick offs. Midweek games are already 'legal' to be streamed, as will be Saturday's 12:30pm kick off.

It may sway a few into watching from home rather than going, but I think 95% of us will always rather spend a bit more to be at a game than watch it on the TV if possible, for all sorts of different reasons. But when it's not possible, it's a very nice alternative. For those of us not able to attend many away games, if any, having people buying an online stream regularly could open up a decent bit of income. Especially if they are able to put some kind of "season ticket" together, maybe.
everyman
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I`m just glad that the EFL hIghlights aren`t on quest next season,that twat Murray doesn`t seem to like us !
Si Robin
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Really? I've found Murray nothing but complimentary about Cheltenham, especially since Duff took over.

For an avowed Liverpool fan, his knowledge of the lower leagues is brilliant and you can tell he's never just phoning it in.
little mo
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Si Robin wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 08:12 Really? I've found Murray nothing but complimentary about Cheltenham, especially since Duff took over.

For an avowed Liverpool fan, his knowledge of the lower leagues is brilliant and you can tell he's never just phoning it in.
Agree with you on this Si.
horlickfanclub
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I hope this goes ahead. Would be great for those who cannot travel . About time EFL caught up with County Cricket.
Is the game on ifollow on Saturday please? I thought it was audio only despite the 1230 kickoff?
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Shade
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horlickfanclub wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 09:14 I hope this goes ahead. Would be great for those who cannot travel . About time EFL caught up with County Cricket.
Is the game on ifollow on Saturday please? I thought it was audio only despite the 1230 kickoff?
It should be available, no reason why not. A video pass is currently being offered on the site when I go to the "next game" tab but it doesn't say specifically for the Cambridge game.
paperboy
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little mo wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 09:11
Si Robin wrote: 27 Apr 2022, 08:12 Really? I've found Murray nothing but complimentary about Cheltenham, especially since Duff took over.


For an avowed Liverpool fan, his knowledge of the lower leagues is brilliant and you can tell he's never just phoning it in.
Agree with you on this Si.
I agree too. We're all different I guess.
I think the "experts "- Jobi Mcanuff and Jamie Mackie etc. do well too IMO.
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Shade
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I see CTFC are against getting rid of the blackout.
horlickfanclub
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Disappointed the club are against this. What reasons? Perhaps the Trust could research what the fans think.
ctfc-fan
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horlickfanclub wrote:Disappointed the club are against this. What reasons? Perhaps the Trust could research what the fans think.
I’d expect to protect their income.

If it’s wet one day, I can imagine a group of mates buying some cans and all going to one house to watch it in the dry and warm. That’s £10 spent (not sure how much the club receive of that) compared to those same mates all go to the match and spend 4-5 times that amount directly with the club.
RobinsTrustChair
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Hi all,

This is an incredibly complicated thing. I will try to explain...

As well as my role with the Robins Trust, I have been on the Football Supporters Association National Council for the past two years as one of three reps for Leagues One and Two.

This is a subject that has been discussed at length, with our FSA Council colleagues - who represent all the other divisions and interests of the grassroots game. It has also been discussed in two of the three structured dialogue meetings I have been a part of with the senior management of the EFL.

The 3pm blackout exists in UEFA statute as well as the laws of the land. But perhaps more crucially it is part of the contracts that both Sky, BTSport, the BBC and TalkSport have taken out with both the Premier League and Football League.

All four of those entitites pay significant amounts to carry exclusive broadcast rights for games. The money CTFC receive from the EFL's Sky deal, through the direct TV deal and solidarity payments from the Premier League, is perhaps the single-biggest entry on our club's turnover each year.

Put simply, if anything was to effect that deal, our club and pretty much all of the 72 other League clubs would suffer significantly. BBC Radio also pay for exclusive broadcast rights, again a figure that directly supports our club.

The current TV deal started in 2019 and runs until 2024. It is a commercial contract that cannot be broken.

After 2024, and with the rise of effective streaming things will change, but most clubs will campaign hard for the 3pm blackout to be maintained, because if it goes, there will be live Premier League games televised at 3pm on a Saturday and attendances will drop.

What the media landscape will look like after 2024 is an unknown, but clubs like ours who rely on two significant income streams (TV money and ticket money) will be loathe to change.

Currently an iFollow match pass costs £10 - 50% cheaper than a standard, on-the-day terrace ticket. If it rains, and 500 people decide to stay at home and pay their tenner rather than attend. the club loses £10,000 or more.

Put that over the course of the season that loss is in the hundreds of thousands and that's before you factor in the people who circumvent even the £10 payment and illegally stream - illegal streams (with no revenue to clubs) will only increase if iFollow becomes more of a norm...

Commercially, the case - I believe - is overwhelming. Remove the blackout and our club will suffer significant, perhaps even catastrophic drops in revenue, both from the TV deals and ticket sales.

Personally, I have always added my opinion to all the meetings that I've been in that football has a duty on itself to look after the entire pyramid.

When CTFC are away and I am not travelling to the game, I'll often go and watch a local non-League game. Something I know a lot of other Robins fans do as I see them there! The money we pay over the turnstiles, in the bar, for programmes etc... helps keep those clubs alive.

Of course there are nuances, there are people who are unable to attend matches who have relished iFollow, it kept me sane during lockdown like many others so I get that, but I hope you can all agree that this is a massively complext issue with lots of vested interests, laws and commercial agreements involved.

Here's a link to the EFL/FSA meeting minutes where this was discussed - the headline figure is that during lockdown ifollow earned the 72 EFL clubs £45million - ticket sales during that period were predicted to be more than £240million...

https://www.efl.com/contentassets/2f010 ... y-2021.pdf

If and when this is raised again with the FSA or the EFL, I will endeavour to report back to here or via our social media / website as to any developments.

Cheers, JY
Fuller
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Good work James.
As you explain, it could be a disaster for clubs like ours.
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