Bury live - can't see the problem

I know it's being discussed elsewhere, but I thought I'd start this thread as the other one now seems to be about Accrington.  I know some people won't agree, to put it mildly, but I think the matches being streamed on iFollow - even on a Saturday afternoon - is brilliant.  I've lived in London for many years and always go and watch Town when they play in the south.  I'll continue to do that: I chose to go to MK Downs rather than watch on iFollow and will be at Stevenage in a couple of weeks (I don't believe in boycotts because it's us who'll suffer from a lack of support).  There'll be thousands of Town fans who don't go to away games including many who can't go because of the cost or illness.  For those of us who live far from Grimsby this is nothing less than a lifeline.  And don't forget the revenue: I wouldn't be surprised if it could add £100,000+ to a club's income.  Whether it has a detrimental impact on home gates remains to be seen, but the argument against live streaming is similar to that which saw music streaming and e-books as the end of the music & books industry.  The effect has been quite the opposite - it has broadened their appeal and has introduced new audiences (I happen to work in one of these industries and can personally vouch for it).  There is no reason why this could not work for football too, introducing new supporters and more revenue.  The idea of people going to a Saturday afternoon game in the same way as they have done for 100+ years is - to an extent - antiquated, rather like the famous Lowry painting of fans going to a match.  People live their lives differently now and football has to recognise that.

It's not quite clear how the IFollow money is split - I saw figures of 80% going to the club, but I don't know if it goes to the home club or the away club, or the club of the website you purchased the pass from.

I agree though. Some clubs bring such small away attendances that you're likely to make more revenue from exiled mariners than you are away fans.

Valid points, in the meantime a vpn showing you from another country can be used to gain access on a Saturday at 3pm right?

i can understand the benefits if you live away or your ill etc, but we will reach a point especially in the winter we’re people decide to stay at home in the warmth or go to the coach house (which I am boycotting) and watch it there.  We will have a generation of kids who will never experience that cold winters tues night under the floodlights, all because it’s a tad to cold.

The consequences are there for all to see if you just look to the continent. In France and Spain the top two divisions play at different times and then the divisions below stagger their kick-offs around the local 'big' team which is normally in one of the top two divisions. The gates in these leagues are terribly low.

A lot of the games, if not all, are televised in the top flight and with the big sides games not being at the same time people simply don't attend lower division football.

In the Basque Country, Santutxu and Barakaldo play in the 4th and 3rd tier respectively. If they get 150 and 2000 through the gate they are delighted.

When I lived in France, Red Star Paris and Paris FC were equally please with gates of around a 1,000 (this was before the petrodollars turned up).

We should all be very concerned about this (as this will lead to top flight football being televised at 3pm) and the developments in the League Cup and Checkatrade which devalue and undermine our club.

It is an interesting point...i myself am now doubting whether or not to go to Bury now... whereas i was 80% likely to go i am now 80% unlikely to go.
I presume that would be to Bury's detriment as they wont get my circa £20 entry, £3 programme, £4 half time spend ...also local businesses in Bury wont have my business either.

Not sure how the money is divided/split but as we are generally a decently supported team away from home will this impact more on our rivals....could we cunningly just stop going away to impact their spending power ??

In your access all games future...what if we drew Man Utd away in the cup and  the gate receipts were minimal because 70,000 Man Utd fans werent bothered about shelling out £30 to watch Town and watched it on I follow instead ?

I just don't see that happening. People don't stop going to gigs just because they can stream the music on Spotify.

Check the average atttendances in the third and fourth tiers in France, Spain, Germany and Italy Dan

Quoted from Dan

I just don't see that happening. People don't stop going to gigs just because they can stream the music on Spotify.

You’re not expected to watch the same band 46 times in a row, generally outside in the cold, with two months off a year, until you die.

I'm guessing by that Santutxo used to get bigger gates back in the day?