Broadcasting rights/Internet streaming

[shinAUFC]

So, the past few weeks ive been looking into buying a tablet (think Ipad and its many rivals)

I came across a new Fox Sports App which some may or may not be aware of but basically for 6 dollars a month you get full acces to their foxsports news channel aswell as some interactive features.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/mobile/ipad

Which got me thinking that many of us dont have foxtel or austar, we rely on pretty poor internet streams that are unreliable, often poor quality and well...illegal.

Both Fox and FFA make no money from online streams.

So those of us who use these streams, how many would pay a small amount monthly to gain access to an App on their phones, tablets, or even PC's to watch A-league games?

Personally i dont want to buy foxtel, but to get some kind of online Pay per View system going could work wonder for the bean counters?

i think this sort of thing will happen in the future regardless , but why cant FFA get the jump on the rest of the codes (i know cricket have already done something like this but on a much smaller scale)

[terry tibbs]

I'd look at it, but only if it was guaranteed to work flawlessly. If sports administrators are willing to keep selling their rights to parties who will force me to buy shit I've no interest in just to then charge me even more for what I actually want...I'll stick with any other usable options I find.

If however, our owners saw fit to set up AUFC TV and I could pay the club direct to watch our away games online I'd sign up in a flash.

[Nash]

i had a slightly similar thought to urs shin, got mine from the NBL. posted it in a different thread so am just gna copy and paste the quote here.

basically in short, i totally agree. if there was a high quality stream that never dropped out and was always reliable, i think people would pay a small amount for it.

(sorry folks, this got long winded fast!)

ok, i stole this idea off of the 36ers site a few years back and thought it was brilliant. couldn't believe it had never been spoken of before (that i am aware of), but been too lazy to write this up lol. i can't find it now or any info on it, i assume bcoz Fox no longer own the rights to the NBL, but i was watching live scores on the 36ers website one time, and i followed a link to a game stream. it was a direct broadcast of the Fox Sports coverage. i didn't access it because you needed to sign up etc. and i'm not that involved in bball but basically for a small fee per game you could watch away games via the 36ers website. (only $5 off memory, a small free that could even be split by mates who come around to watch it)

i really think the A-League could capitalize on this idea. there are so many people out there that stream the games *cough* illegally lol *cough* that i reckon would get involved in this. i know for one that i would. think about the benefits as a viewer, for a small fee you are guaranteed a reliable streaming source, that would be of high quality resolution, better sound quality, as little lag as possible, and you could be putting money into your club's pockets by watching. whether a small cut goes to your club in the deal, or even just for the advertising opportunities on the page from our sponsors. i'd only recommend it be away games, to encourage home attendances though.

not everyone can afford Foxtel, nor want Foxtel if football is all they'd watch on it. a market that Foxtel would never get near could be captured, and for them they'd hopefully be restricting illegal free third party streams somewhat (doesn't bother me, but surely it bothers them!). obviously only if fans support the idea, thus why i think club's should benefit from the deal financially as well. another number one reason i think it would benefit supporters, clubs and the league all round is overseas fans will have somewhere they can watch the games. the market may not be large, but there are fans out there that i feel are being somewhat ignored. and as the league grows, that number of OS supporters will only grow imo, as people growing up with the league travel around for business or leisure. when i discovered the 36ers/NBL's version, the bet365 streams weren't available as far as i knew to international viewers, so i could understand why overseas viewers may not get involved now, but i'm sure there's plenty of people who can't get to a pub/won't go to a pub to watch an away fixture within Australia.

it would be true to say that when Foxtel had this deal with the NBL up and running, that league and code was (is) struggling a hell of a lot, thus forcing such a hand. but it does prove that Fox may be somewhat open to such an idea. i personally, and i'd say their business minds would also, consider the A-League as a booming league with nothing but potential to keep growing. this may just capture a market that we don't currently have as well as benefit those who support the league but not the shit load of channels and bills that come with signing up to Foxtel. and what do they have to lose? if it doesn't work, then just shut it down. or if Fox believe they're losing customers from the deal, make the deal temporary. if the paying system is match by match, then there won't be subscribers to lose out if the idea is axed.

i can't see Fox losing a large amount of subscribers from this, and there are so many of us that only watch away games online, bcoz we do not want Foxtel or can not justify getting it in our budgets just for football. they get this market of online viewers, we get a solid working stream, and money to our clubs. maybe not do this tomorrow, but as the league begins to grow, why not?

i do understand the NBL isn't with Foxtel anymore, and it was a dying TV deal at that time, whereas the A-League should be considered a booming opportunity, but still, this would surely benefit all parties in some way or another. this would not end the distance between FTA viewers who are missing opportunities to catch the A-League, but it may be a start??

*end essay*

thoughts for those that bothered to read all of this? lol

[Stuckey]

I agree and think its going to happen some day for sure especially with things like the telstra T-box and i think iinet have some think similar i guess foxtel would have to decide whether the good out weighed the bad.

The good being more people would definately subscribe.
The bad being i would think a number of people would cancel their current foxtel (or al least not renew) because they only got it to watch their teams play.

I wonder if local internet companies have look into this? Someone like internode or adam sponsoring AU and as part of their sponsorship provide streaming to their customers.

[shinAUFC]

Great minds think alike Nash:D

Its not just live televised games that can be utilised here, there could be game replay options for those that may be working during a game etc, post match reviews etc etc, whith this sort of application you could really immerse yourself in the A-league world at anytime of the day it pleased you.

I really think this sort of thing would work so great with these new tablets, trouble is ud have to buy an Ipad as anything that runs Android will be light years away as to when it gets the equivalent app.

[Nash]

Great minds think alike Nash:D

and you get extra points for the Solomon's Mind quote in your signature

[shinAUFC]

Great minds think alike Nash:D

and you get extra points for the Solomon's Mind quote in your signature

HAHA SNAP!

I really struggled to fit it in with the allowable space

[General Ashnak]

I would definitely do it; I had no way of getting to watch the AUFC thumping of MV unless I used an internet stream - which I find very disappointing. If we had AUFC TV then I would subscribe to it, I refuse to get Foxtel however has I would only want a few channels and the rest could go and jump.