Freebie Friday: National League streaming, good or bad?

New service launches 10th December

I’m a bit behind on blogging this week due to a combination of things, watching too many games of football, a touch of flu and the day job getting in the way! But the Freebie Friday post is here and paid subscribers will get their updates from games this week over the course of the next few days so never fear!

This Friday’s topic comes from the announcement late last week of streaming returning to the National League. We saw this in abundance across the top end of the non-league game when fans were not allowed in to watch, although a lot of clubs do have their games recorded but not shown live.

Recently Wrexham were making a lot of noise about the lack of streaming for their American fans in particular and others across the world that had watched their Disney documentary series and couldn’t then follow what’s happening now watching live games.

Whether that forced the National League to move quicker I don’t know, but at the back end of last week they announced this coming weekend it was going live, but without consultation with the clubs. They did get a couple of days early this week to put things across but I doubt there was any substance to it, the league had decided via an independent panel it was the way forward.

But what they have decided without talking to their member clubs smells a little bit like the Gate Money fiasco that came out a couple of weeks ago where the board made up their minds what was best and to hell with the rest or anyone else for that matter.

The reason I say that is the distribution from anyone watching a stream is dubious to say the least, and I’ve already seen some saying it’s similar to the EFL model of iFollow and is not weighted in favour of the home team hosting the stream. Granted I know clubs are not paying for the equipment or anything needed to provide the pictures but there is still a lot to take into consideration.

We’ll take a look at the method here and then the impact clubs are worried it will have on attendances. The trial run is being held now while there is a postponement to the 3pm blackout rule whilst the World Cup is in progress, once that comes into force once again in January then it appears only those overseas will be able to watch Saturday afternoon games whilst midweek and Sunday will be open to the domestic market as well baring any game shown live on BT Sport.

A single match watch is due to cost £9.50, although half price for this trial period of two weeks, and fans are able to move between games on that one day they watch, there is pricing set up for those abroad monthly and annually.

From your £9.50, 15% will go back to the National League for investment in the platform and further enhancements, and during this early period North and South division clubs will get half of that percentage.

25% then goes into a 70:30 split between the National League clubs and the North and South Division clubs, so all clubs receive a fraction of that 25%.

60% will then go to the affiliate club, so as I understand it when you sign up and open an account you will be asked which club you support or none of the 24 top division clubs. If you support one of the them they get the 60%, if you support neither side you are watching then that 60% is split between the 24 clubs, bonus for them but not for the side hosting the game. I believe that should I be watching Barnet away then they would get the money and not the home side.

And this is where the issues are for me. Why should my money be going anywhere other than Barnet or to the home side of whoever we are playing? Granted I get the percentage going to the league for investment in the new system and increasing it’s options further. Why also should Barnet not receive the fees from any fan that tunes in to watch instead of that full whack getting distributed amongst everyone?

It’s ridiculous isn’t it? After all the home side as per the times when fans weren’t allowed into games are hosting the game, that’s the ground open, stewards, police, catering, bar staff, floodlights and any other expense they incur on a normal matchday so surely the full funds minus the league levy should be going there right?

And if they suffer from a reduced attendance because people decide to stay home and stream they lose a fair chunk of money. The cost of a single stream as per above is around half of what you’d actually pay to go and get into the ground, then there is no secondary spend in the bar and on food because that spectator is sitting on the sofa instead. And to top it all off you don’t get the full amount from that fan at home as a normal ticket price, unbelievable!

Don’t get me wrong I’m not against the streaming like some are and I can understand why, they are concerned it will see attendances dip especially in months like December when the temperature drops considerably, it’s of course warmer inside than venturing out.

I love a live game at all levels of the non-league game, you can’t beat it, especially being your own team, if I could attend every single game at Barnet home and away I would but cost wise it’s impossible for me to do that, plus the added throwing the kids into the car for a trip to Halifax from the very South Coast is not fair on them, I mean they like their football but that’s not the ordeal for them!

So for me had the game not been postponed early on Friday then I would have watched the stream, luckily after being at Littlehampton vs Corinthian for a 1pm kick off. The same in a couple of Tuesday’s time when we face Notts County away, holiday booking in December after the 11th is a no-no for my workplace, so I would happily watch that, but County should be getting all my money for that, or at the very least Barnet should, and not a fraction going all around the country.

There will be those who do decide to not go to home games and watch it in the comfort of their own house, to be honest I don’t know how to get around that other than the stream cost becomes the same price as actual attendance, then it’s a choice of a live atmosphere or maybe watching on your own at home instead of there with your mates, tough questions I know.

I’ve always thought there should be access to those living abroad who follow their clubs and rarely get a chance to see them in the flesh anymore, I’ve seen some say if you want that kind of thing then go support a Premier League club, but in a lot of cases not the individual’s fault they’re in a foreign country, it’s life and it moves on.

A few are saying it’s heavily weighted towards the bigger clubs and maybe it is I don’t know yet, I did see a proposal from Wrexham which based on the overseas market they weren’t going to profit at all from it, the way the National League have done it they will just be the same as Peterborough Sports or Braintree Town regardless of any of those teams being watched.

I’m sure the eyes of those further down the non-league pyramid will be watching to see if there is benefit for them or some member clubs to go down the same route, ex-pats of clubs are everywhere and if there’s a pound to be made then make it.

I hope that’s explained it, how much feedback they’ll take over these next two weeks before they begin a roll out to the North and South clubs as well I don’t know, it certainly needs some tinkering with, whatever the final model is it’s not going to please everyone.

I’d love to hear as many views as possible in the comments, feel free to leave your words and let’s see what the world of Substack and non-league football think.