Just as I was beginning to mellow !............. and about to renew my season ticket. ALERT - ifollow ( in 'current' format is no more ! ) A few weeks ago, I said that I was struggling to contemplate renewing my season ticket....both my sons were also doubtful about renewing --- we'd had enough of the boring rubbish etc etc etc. Since Bonner was made manager, we have had a change of heart - and - in the last day or so, we said we will renew our season tickets............... HOWEVER - I now read about all the live games that will feature The Gills next season ( on Sky.) As I understand it, Gills will be in at least 20 live games next season...... which, I presume means at least 10 HOME games - available on Sky (( for which I already pay. )) - Given that my trip for a Home game is 100 miles, I am having serious doubts that it makes any sense to physically attend games and pay for a season ticket on top of my Sky subscription......With my overall expenses - and huge amount of time - I would be mad . ....and I would be madder still to go to the 10 live Away games ( Barrow, Carlisle etc ) ........ and all of the above is besides any entertainment ( or lack )........ I am now having [second] second thoughts - and considering paying for a ticket for only the home games that won't be on Sky.... This will be much less than the cost of a season ticket - and - I will have saved money and much time on travelling ......... and if all gets as bad as the last few seasons, I wouldn't feel guilty about wasting money on a season ticket if I don't bother to attend or with anything on Sky ! I can't help feeling that a lot of 'fans' will have the same mindset....I really cannot see the whole nonsense being a benefit to L1 & L2 clubs. ....there is a 'positive' to the story - at least Sky quality should be much better than ifollow - so you'll be able to see Gills passing backwards, backwards, sideways, backwards, hoof in Ultra HD.
I've been sort of following the story of what's happening next season with interest as health reasons had interfered with me going to games last season - so much so I paid a monthly subscription for all the catch up stuff, like fullmatch replays, it was only £4.49 a month so barely noticeable, and every game was covered by live commentary, by Pete and the other guy whose name I forget - the same coverage I believe is offered on Radio Kent. Then selected midweek games during International breaks were available to watch live for the sum of £10 per game. So you get to watch in comfort for a sort of reasonable price. The one good thing with this method is if they are being crap as is often the case, I can just switch it off, and ignore twatter for a day or two lol. I'm also aware if you live abroad, you can watch every game live for whatever the fee, some people get round it via a VPN in the UK...I assumed maybe you used this method @alwaysright, and as I understand it, that is not going to change for people outside the UK, so therefore got around by previously mentioned method - I believed this via imformation that I was given and can't be arsed to now go look for. So firstly I'm not sure what's going to happen about my subscription, will they keep some content, ie commentary? At the moment I subscribe to NOW TV at a ridiculously low monthly price (£17 I think), so I assume I will be able to get any Gills games on that as it is part of SKY, and I believe NOW is party to the content - hopefully this is done without the need of a red button, because NOW do not have a red button in Britain as I understand it. Also I'm hoping NOW don't bump up my subscription as a result, but I will keep in mind I use to pay £10 a game for viewing on TV. Hopefully this all comes a bit clearer once the season is underway. Anyway, I understand your dilema mate, and got tbph, I'd probably just buy on match day, and work around that. ST is a big outlay, unless the deals are reasonably priced.
Brb – I have always paid for the sport I watch on television (( even with having technical access for ‘free.’ )) I will not judge people who use that technology to avoid payment. I can see the benefits of EPL & CL games broadcast by Sky / TNT etc… In terms of finance for clubs – they’re dripping in money from the deal….and fans who can’t get – or afford a ticket, have access to games etc The new Sky tv deal for the EFL is, for football customers, an absolute ‘no-brainer.’…. and that includes many football customers who currently attend live games – because [like me], I am sure that a considerable number also subscribe to Sky ( et al. )………sadly, I suspect that many ‘fans’ will look at the new set up and see that nearly half of their team’s games will be available for no extra cost than their Sky subscription – from the comfort of their own homes…….. For me, that can mean no more (( or considerably fewer ) 100 mile trips just for Home games…The time and money I could save is huge…… and I would have the option to switch off / change channels. The new ‘set-up’ may not deter the ‘maddest’ of fan – but – you’d need to be totally off your head to go to / come from Barrow or Carlisle on a wet, freezing Tuesday night – to be treated to the rubbish anti football we’ve been fed for far too long ! The new ‘set-up’ gives each L2 club £300,000 as a ‘sweetener’ – but – I suspect that far more than £300,000 will be lost in loss of season ticket and match day ticket sales – and other income from refreshment and merchandise….. and not forgetting the surrounding businesses losing income from associated custom from football fans (not) going to games. On a personal basis, I am again undecided whether or not to renew my season ticket…The boring rubbish of [particularly], the last three season, seems to have ‘got-to-me’ after 61 years ! When I consider the ‘advantages’ of the new Sky set-up, I cannot really justify wasting so much time, effort and cost, when I could get almost half of the boring rubbish for [basically] nothing, and without moving one inch from my armchair……………..and – I expect that I am not the only STH to think the same way.
The technical access I was referring to is not free, you still pay for it, the only difference is UK restrictions on live screening only apply here - so if you live in the rest of Europe those limitations do not apply, but you still pay....even if in the UK you try to get around it with a VPN, you still pay, as well as paying for the VPN. I wasn't alluding to anything being free. Just to aid clarity nor was I referring to IPTV, which is free access after initial purchase.
brb - I knew what you meant - and I 'admitted' that I have / had [payable] access (( which I did NOT use )), and which is not meant for UK residents. ** There could be all sorts of arguments regarding paying for / not paying for televised sport - as well as sub-arguments regarding the distribution of tv money down the pyramid etc..... but I reckon that would be more boring than watching Gills play. ** - just because I know how to cheat - doesn't make me want to cheat.
I think there has been some unfairness to payable access for sometime, for example if people subscribe to SKY they can watch the Premier League, yet during covid when SKY tried to introduce the same charge that is applied to lower league clubs, people were up in arms and the idea got scrapped. So while we pay for the Ifollow and subscribe to other subscription tv also, thus the unfairmess begins, but we are probably more understanding that it goes into the coffers of our respecitve clubs or I would hope so. However, subscription tv has got a bit out of control, if you want Prem football or Champions League, you have to subscribe to SKY and TNT (BT/Discovery+), then if you want International football, other than England you have to subscribe to Premier TV (aka Viaplay). so it does not surprise me when people resort to IPTV. I noted the boxing that was being advertised was a one off payment of about £25 the subscription channels are taking us for mugs. At least with Amazon you could get some Prem football included in with your monthly Prime subscription but I believe even they have not bidded for any new contracts. I also felt Amazon were the best online streaming channel out of alll of them on overall performance of picture quality and ease to use.
I don't think it will for you Lenny as you're overseas, it just means the midweek games in the UK will be lost for viewing via Ifollow, or that's how I understood it when I read a written statement on it a few months back. In short nothing should change for you as I understand it, but it's a case of we'll have to wait and see suppose.
https://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/2024/may/sky-sports--launching/ If you read the article - it states that the new Sky+ channel means that the way that EFL games will be streamed will ''effectively replace ifollow.''... it would appear, Lenny, the answer ( relating to using ifollow ) is - ' it's gone ' - however, I am sure that you might find another 'cheat' to get your fix of backwards, sideways, sideways, backwards, hoof.
Not for International audiences, see the last three lines... please log in to view this image If you also within your link click, 'Click here to find out more' and scroll down to 'Changes to current ways of watching' and look at the fifth question, the second paragraph replies... Audio services will remain domestically, alongside existing audio-visual arrangements for international audiences. So it's not gone for you Lenny
