iFollow Changes for 18/19 Season

[S5Blade]

Following iFollow’s successful introduction in 2017/18 for supporters based overseas, enhancements are being introduced to the live streaming platform ahead of the start of the new campaign at no extra cost to viewers.

Improved production values are being implemented across the online broadcasting service, providing clubs with the scope to introduce bespoke commentary as well as on-screen graphics. Some midweek Championship matches will also benefit from a four-camera setup while additional enhancements to iFollow include more in-game statistics via the app, mobile/desktop websites and an improved match centre.

Prices for the platform have been frozen at £110 for the season for overseas viewers, and International Season Pass subscriptions are on sale as of today. Supporters can find out details on how to subscribe by visiting your club’s website.

In a second development, and in what is a first for English football, some Sky Bet EFL matches will also be made available to watch to supporters within the UK and Ireland throughout the 2018/19 season via iFollow

This development has been made possible due to the new broadcast agreement with Sky which was agreed last year, whereby EFL clubs have been granted the rights to stream games to a domestic audience, in addition to their followers overseas which has been available since the start of 2017/18.

EFL clubs will be able to live-stream in the UK and Ireland any league match via their respective iFollow (or equivalent) service that takes place outside the blocked hours of 14.45-17.15 on Saturday afternoons and that is not broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Fixtures taking place on Bank Holidays or Easter will be unavailable for streaming. Sky Sports will have the right to stream the same Championship fixtures to subscribers across their interactive and digital services.

Details of how to access EFL matches domestically will be announced in due course.

So, commentary, on screen graphics, multiple cameras and UK people can watch too for games outside of the Saturday Blocked hours......

Decent!

 

[SwissBlade]

So, commentary, on screen graphics, multiple cameras and UK people can watch too for games outside of the Saturday Blocked hours......

Decent!

Thats a really positive step.

However, when will football realise that its ok to show matches on TV between 1445-1715 on a Saturday.

 

[TarquinDelouche]

They're starting to win me back. However, that only provides "clubs with the scope to introduce bespoke commentary". I suppose it remains to be seen if the club will take that offer up.

 

[Ron_Justice]

I suspect the lack of commentary for United games is tied to rights issues with BBC Radio Sheffield. Not sure how they'll over come that one. Love the direction things are going though.

 

[S5Blade]

I suspect the lack of commentary for United games is tied to rights issues with BBC Radio Sheffield. Not sure how they'll over come that one. Love the direction things are going though.

No because we have Kev Gage doing ifollow commentary exclusively

 

[S5Blade]

They're starting to win me back. However, that only provides "clubs with the scope to introduce bespoke commentary". I suppose it remains to be seen if the club will take that offer up.

When I spoke to them at the back end of last season they said they were doing everything they could and would continue to do so, any lacking features were on ifollow side so fingers crossed

 

[Ron_Justice]

No because we have Kev Gage doing ifollow commentary exclusively

That wasn't the case last season. It was supposed to be (I remember reading Gagey would be doing the ifollow commentary, for the 17/18 season last summer) but we ended up with Radio Sheff, in the first part of the season, via a different tab. Then they clamped down on that so there was no coms at all. And yet, for some away fixtures, where BBC Radio Sheff weren't involved, we got coms from the away team's point of view.

 

[S5Blade]

That wasn't the case last season. It was supposed to be (I remember reading Gagey would be doing the ifollow commentary, for the 17/18 season last summer) but we ended up with Radio Sheff, in the first part of the season, via a different tab. Then they clamped down on that so there was no coms at all. And yet, for some away fixtures, where BBC Radio Sheff weren't involved, we got coms from the away team's point of view.

Maybe it's different from abroad but every time I checked, Kev was doing ifollow exclusive commentary.

 

[Ron_Justice]

Maybe it's different from abroad but every time I checked, Kev was doing ifollow exclusive commentary.

He would occasionally be on the Radio Sheffield feed - say one in three - along with Andy Giddings, normally, so I'm not sure how you were getting him. I checked every which way to get commentary (watched every game last season online) and there are countless posts, in threads here, about there being no commentary for our games. Weird.

 

[cooperblade]

I know clubs (or at least one at our level) are worried about the effect this will have on midweek attendances. Think it's another change (like VAR) which will have a negative impact on the experience of actually going to a match.

 

[Bartleby]

UK people can watch too for games outside of the Saturday Blocked hours......

Decent!

Although it says details not announced yet about the UK streaming, from looking on the site at what is on there already it looks like it might be on a match pass basis at £10-£14 a game rather than the £110 a year overseas viewers get. If the quality is OK it might be worth it still for midweek away games, but seems a bit steep compared to a NOWTV sports pass for the Sky games.

 

[Nade]

Hopefully this will trickle down to Jason.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I know clubs (or at least one at our level) are worried about the effect this will have on midweek attendances. Think it's another change (like VAR) which will have a negative impact on the experience of actually going to a match.

If this was used as it should be, a tool for fans who can’t attend games in person to watch the match, then it wouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Selly]

Sky Sports will have the right to stream the same Championship fixtures to subscribers across their interactive and digital services.

The right to - does this mean they will for all eligible fixtures or not?

I already have Sky - I won`t need iFollow if Sky are definitely showing all the games I could access on iFollow anyway...

 

[ucandomagic]

I tried to register again with Nord VPN on but it just hangs - are they blocking access totally via VPN?

 

[S5Blade]

I tried to register again with Nord VPN on but it just hangs - are they blocking access totally via VPN?

Given the changes to their terms, I would imagine so

 

[S5Blade]

Taken from our O/S:

New for 2018/19, UK fans - previously frozen out of the live streaming agreement - will have access to select midweek fixtures exclusively through iFollow.

Representing a huge step forward on the digital front, all midweek Championship fixtures throughout the coming season will be streamed live to watch in the UK - again, with the exception of those selected for live TV coverage.

Previously, the live streaming of game video through the iFollow service was exclusive to international subscribers.

United fans overseas will continue to enjoy access to every league fixture, Saturdays included, as per 2017/18, while live audio commentary remains in place domestically for every Blades game.


The models for domestic and international subscriptions are as follows:

Domestic
UK/Ireland/Isle of Man/Guernsey/Jersey

• Match Pass: £10
  For matches available to be streamed live in the UK
  (outside the blocked hours of 2:45pm - 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons, Championship fixtures not broadcast on Sky Sports)
  
• Monthly Pass: £4.49
  Live audio commentary only
  
• Season Pass: £45
  Live audio commentary only
  

International

• Match Pass: £5
  For matches available to be streamed live outside the UK
  
• Season Pass: £110
  For all matches available to be streamed live outside the UK

 

[cooperblade]

If this was used as it should be, a tool for fans who can’t attend games in person to watch the match, then it wouldn’t be an issue.

I would expect it to have a very significant impact on away support (£10 to watch it at home versus £30ish a ticket + travel). I also think there will be home fans who decide staying at home is a better option.

Not sure how the voting works for bringing in things like this but I struggle to see how a lot of Championship clubs won't be financially worse off.

 

[ucandomagic]

I tried to register again with Nord VPN on but it just hangs - are they blocking access totally via VPN?

It’s letting me register in VPN on the laptop for $140 from US - so maybe only a phone issue.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

iFollow Changes for 19/19 Season

The main one being that they're only doing the second half of the season?

 

[S5Blade]

iFollow Changes for 19/19 Season

The main one being that they're only doing the second half of the season?

Cant edit fecking titles. useless.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Cant edit fecking titles. useless.

Lost count of the number of times I've posted a thread shortly followed by, "Oh f**k, now I'm going to look like a complete numpty"

 

[originaltrueblade]

The right to - does this mean they will for all eligible fixtures or not?

I already have Sky - I won`t need iFollow if Sky are definitely showing all the games I could access on iFollow anyway...

Sky are not showing all the games in midweek this coming season that starts in season 2019/2020

 

[BridBladesman]

Don’t suppose £10 is bad per game outside the restrictions, hopefully will be able to see more of my Blades...better get signed up then

 

[Houston_Blade]

I would expect it to have a very significant impact on away support (£10 to watch it at home versus £30ish a ticket + travel). I also think there will be home fans who decide staying at home is a better option.

Not sure how the voting works for bringing in things like this but I struggle to see how a lot of Championship clubs won't be financially worse off.

I would hazard a guess that the revenue from ifollow covers the potential loss in gate receipts otherwise the clubs wouldn’t have entertained the idea.

 

[diode_blade]

I suspect the lack of commentary for United games is tied to rights issues with BBC Radio Sheffield. Not sure how they'll over come that one. Love the direction things are going though.

When Uniteds game wasn't the main one being broadcastlive on R Sheff last season (ie mainly the home games) the ifollow audio commentary was the R Sheff from the ground....I used it for the Chatroom, i paid month by month subscription, cause during the game when the radio feed wanted their 20 mins round the ground reports you could tell when Gidds or whoever was doing the comentary for that game actually do it.

 

[S5Blade]

btw, I will happily skype call anyone and share my screen for the games for only a fiver a time, much cheaper than the official £10 a game....

 

[cooperblade]

I would hazard a guess that the revenue from ifollow covers the potential loss in gate receipts otherwise the clubs wouldn’t have entertained the idea.

Depends how many people buy a match pass who weren't going to the game doesn't it?

If 1,000 people who would never have gone to the game buy a pass at £10 but 500 people decide not to buy a ticket at, say, £30 and buy a match pass instead - how are the club better off?

 

[AWetFlannel]

Great news.
Nothing beats being at a match live, so won't stop me going home and away when I can.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Depends how many people buy a match pass who weren't going to the game doesn't it?

If 1,000 people who would never have gone to the game buy a pass at £10 but 500 people decide not to buy a ticket at, say, £30 and buy a match pass instead - how are the club better off?

There will have been a rights payment to the clubs somewhere along the line, it isn’t as simple as the lost revenue of a match ticket versus the revenue of match ticket. Clubs would never have agreed if it cost them money, philanthropy is not a well known trait of football club chairmen.