Notts to launch online game streams

[upthepies]

Notts County to launch streaming service to help Covid financial battle

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/notts-county-launch-streaming-service-4558156?fbclid=IwAR3-3GI7LzhQo_V-GACjCtNNBJ93k8RFR5GaDVUEOasohVNCgZQVkQUmAE0

Will you be subscribing?

[Chris]

I haven't decided if I will be streaming away games, however, I answered the clubs very short survey. I hope they don't opt for more camera angles etc, as this would be a waste and they could price their own streams at a rate which would be more attractive to most people.

I'll be looking into subscribing, but the price has to be fair, I won't blindly pay for something - Disney+ will realise this soon.

[thommo]

I will be picking and choosing what games I will be watching if the club provides this option.

[liampie]

i will be watching all the games that i can, with home matches i will just book them off at work as i would if i had a season ticket. away games might depend on time and my flexibility. streams is a lot better than nothing.

[JIMBO]

I am keen to subscribe to live streams, it all depends on the cost. The £99+ vat board messages which has been announced seems steep, so I am worried the club might overprice their streaming service.

[BromPie]

I plan to subscribe but I am curious as to what happens once fans can attend games.

Will the subscription be then placed towards a season ticket?

[Wilfordpie]

If it's easy enough to use, I will be subscribing to the service.

[gtownjohnno]

Definitely will be watching all the matches home and away.... Iam OK with joining the streams on my phone but could someone tell me how to transfer the stream from phone to smart TV.... I have a Sony Experia android phone.... 

[Chris]

Just bought my stream for Saturday, I like the fact Dover refer to it as a ticket - I'll have to pretend to go through a turnstile as I enter my living room.  

[Fozzy]

A bit torn to be honest as I'm not really a fan of watching football on a screen, but then it is Notts. A few years ago I would have watched every game, but priorities change.

I'll probably watch some, mostly the midweek fixtures I would think as it just isn't the same as that going out specifically on a Saturday to watch Notts. I would rather do something constructive during the daylight hours than sit in my living room watching the TV.

[Chris]

I suppose, it makes a difference if you can watch the games with family.

I'll be watching with my minions, so that makes it a lot more enjoyable and, family related. It's not substitute for the live atmosphere but it does make up for the loss of attending games a little. Cal should be joining us too, we purchased him another shirt this season (he's had one every season which he's attended games).

So he's a proper fan, which is nice as before this he supported Liverpool [which he still likes] but he obviously says he supports Notts when asked.

One converted, possibly two if we counted @Magic magpie who likes United. Booo, Booo...  

[28111862]

I will be choosing the streams based on who Notts plays.

[Countyman]

I plan to watch the majority of home live streams, away I am not so sure about the quality compared to the worth of it.

[themightymagpies]

I am keen to see the club offer a fair priced streaming service, the revenue from it would help ease things with the loss of live supporters.

[CliftonMagpie]

I'm the same as @Fozzy.

I will probably choose the odd game here or there, I don't think I could invest in watching many via streams though. I would prefer text updates.

[B&Wstripes]

I am undecided, it depends on the quality and price.

Pre-season footage wasn't always the best, sometimes it was the connection and other times shaky hands.

[DangerousSausage]

First of all, Notts have put out a questionnaire about the stream. If you haven't answered it already, it's here: https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/live-streaming-questionnaire-280920/

I'm delighted it's happening. For me it doesn't have to compete with Sky Sports, I'd be perfectly happy with a cheap and cheerful stream with a single camera. As long as the connection is stable I'm good. In terms of price, the club needs to raise money of course, but also shouldn't price people out. iFollow with video coverage now costs 150 pounds. That's gone up a bit, but is actually not a bad price when you consider that it includes 40+ matches home and away. I doubt a stream run by the club would be as cheap. Dover are charging 8 pounds for Saturday, but don't seem to be offering a season subscription. They could make more money selling tickets match-by-match, but they run the risk of viewer numbers falling off a cliff if they have a poor season.

8 pounds for each of the 22 home games would equate to 176 quid - if we round that down a bit (remembering that a couple of games will probably be on BT Sport), 150 pounds would seem feasible for the season. Would you be willing to pay that?

Selling virtual season tickets would fill the coffers quicker, but also carries risks - if we're in a position to let fans in again during the season, some might prefer to remain in their armchairs with their internet streams. In Germany, clubs can generally use around 20% of their capacity again, but even well-supported clubs aren't selling their full allocations of tickets.

On 01/10/2020 at 19:14, gtownjohnno said:

Definitely will be watching all the matches home and away.... Iam OK with joining the streams on my phone but could someone tell me how to transfer the stream from phone to smart TV.... I have a Sony Experia android phone.... 

It depends what format the feed is in. If the club use YouTube, the cast symbol should simply appear while you're playing it on your phone (providing you're signed in to the same YouTube account on your TV and you're using the same Wi-Fi. The cast symbol usually appears when you play a video on Chrome too. For me, the nuclear option is to play it on my laptop and connect that to the TV using an HDMI cable. Drop a message on here if you need help when the time comes and we can work it out.

[Chris]

Is paid streams via YouTube, actually a thing? I'm not sure.

If the club tied the games into the iFollow, it would add more value to the platform. There's regular interviews etc, however, I did stop mine due to them putting the best bits on YouTube. It devalued the service for me, I know others felt the same way.

I think they should put 1/2 minutes on at the most and, focus on plugging people to sub to iFollow in order to gain access to the full interview.

I don't mind paying for a virtual season ticket, provided the club make it clear beforehand what happens if/when we can return to watching games live. This doesn't mean, I wouldn't pay an additional fee to go back to the stands to support the club but it's got to be fair.

[gtownjohnno]

16 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

First of all, Notts have put out a questionnaire about the stream. If you haven't answered it already, it's here: https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/live-streaming-questionnaire-280920/

I'm delighted it's happening. For me it doesn't have to compete with Sky Sports, I'd be perfectly happy with a cheap and cheerful stream with a single camera. As long as the connection is stable I'm good. In terms of price, the club needs to raise money of course, but also shouldn't price people out. iFollow with video coverage now costs 150 pounds. That's gone up a bit, but is actually not a bad price when you consider that it includes 40+ matches home and away. I doubt a stream run by the club would be as cheap. Dover are charging 8 pounds for Saturday, but don't seem to be offering a season subscription. They could make more money selling tickets match-by-match, but they run the risk of viewer numbers falling off a cliff if they have a poor season.

8 pounds for each of the 22 home games would equate to 176 quid - if we round that down a bit (remembering that a couple of games will probably be on BT Sport), 150 pounds would seem feasible for the season. Would you be willing to pay that?

Selling virtual season tickets would fill the coffers quicker, but also carries risks - if we're in a position to let fans in again during the season, some might prefer to remain in their armchairs with their internet streams. In Germany, clubs can generally use around 20% of their capacity again, but even well-supported clubs aren't selling their full allocations of tickets.

It depends what format the feed is in. If the club use YouTube, the cast symbol should simply appear while you're playing it on your phone (providing you're signed in to the same YouTube account on your TV and you're using the same Wi-Fi. The cast symbol usually appears when you play a video on Chrome too. For me, the nuclear option is to play it on my laptop and connect that to the TV using an HDMI cable. Drop a message on here if you need help when the time comes and we can work it out.

Thanks Mate.... Hopefully sorted.... All will be revealed in 40 minutes..... 

[Chris]

Dover haven't exactly gone about their streaming service in the right way, quite a lot of people can't connect due to their database/server throwing errors. Those who have managed to get on are very lucky.

[gtownjohnno]

Hope everyone is going to try and get their money back.... If not I hope Dover are going to buy a lawnmower with their I'll gotten gains.... Lol

[Chris]

I've directly messaged them on Facebook, they've so far read my message(s) or, at least opened their inbox not long after 6pm.

I asked them to refund the fans, but they've been deleting post(s) and, comments.

Someone shared a screenshot of them claiming not to be issuing re-funds.

I'm contacting my bank on Monday, I'll get the refund that away, as I paid by card and, I didn't get what I paid for. I can understand that clubs need the money, but to fleece not just us but their own fans by providing a badly thought out idea. I don't believe they've got the resources to offer suitable streaming to a fan base of our size. They shouldn't have sold beyond what they can allocate. If they don't reply, I won't just be chasing a refund, I will be contacting various people and, complaining further.

It's not good enough, I refuse to allow them to have £8 for nothing.

[DangerousSausage]

Well that's one example of how NOT to do it.

I didn't buy the stream yesterday. Partly because I wasn't sure I'd be at home, but also partly because I could see it coming. I remember all the "teething problems" iFollow and Player had, Dover are a semi-professional club with poor resources and this is the first time they've done it. All the same, lots of people have paid for a service they haven't received and I don't blame them for claiming a refund. Dover seem to have gone with the cheapest streaming service and it's a massive false economy. I trust Notts will be a bit more professional about it.