Peterborough charge for commentary

[robf]

16 minutes ago, PVFC764 said:

How would that work with Ifollow.  Wonder if they will have something to say about what they propose.

iFollow is a collective - basically because it's easier for EFL clubs to pool their resources on a single platform. It's the same principle as a lot of the EFL clubs using the same company/platform for their official site.

As I understand it though individual clubs can end their agreement and go it alone. I suspect it won't be cheap or easy to so though.

[robf]

2 hours ago, londonvale said:

I thought this was actually Peterborough joining the ifollow channel like vale use. They weren't on ifollow last season.

It's more that Posh are ending their BBC contract. 

You can pay for Vale commentary on iFollow but as the club has a contract with the  BBC, that commentary is also available in the local area FOC. Under this move, it looks like the only commentary for Posh will be payable online. 

[Warren]

I never listen to radio commentary but appreciate many fans do. Radio is important to fans who can't go to games. Quite a proportion of these will be elderly or disabled who at the same time are challenged financially in their life. Therefore I don't see this as inclusive and think it's wrong. 

[londonvale]

3 hours ago, robf said:

It's more that Posh are ending their BBC contract. 

You can pay for Vale commentary on iFollow but as the club has a contract with the  BBC, that commentary is also available in the local area FOC. Under this move, it looks like the only commentary for Posh will be payable online. 

Living in Pompey I can't DAB vale games...so I have to pay through ifollow if I want commentary..

Yet, I pay my licence fee so why can't I get Radio Sjoke?!..not sure how far radio boundaries go but it is a bit stupid that as a licence fee payer I can't listen to a vale game on bbc yet people ,who could go to the game in the local area ( finances acknowledged) ,can listen to it.

I can listen to every Pompey game on two local radio stations and I can hear the ground from my house...for free  ...Vale..no..outside area...

I think the whole system is wrong but hey ho...I can have a dodgy website link and watch every game live...

I don't BTW...

 

[robf]

44 minutes ago, londonvale said:

Living in Pompey I can't DAB vale games...so I have to pay through ifollow if I want commentary..

Yet, I pay my licence fee so why can't I get Radio Sjoke?!..not sure how far radio boundaries go but it is a bit stupid that as a licence fee payer I can't listen to a vale game on bbc yet people ,who could go to the game in the local area ( finances acknowledged) ,can listen to it.

I can listen to every Pompey game on two local radio stations and I can hear the ground from my house...for free  ...Vale..no..outside area...

I think the whole system is wrong but hey ho...I can have a dodgy website link and watch every game live...

I don't BTW...

 

It's an odd one and living in Somerset it's the same for me.

It seems to be an anachronistic rule that the broadcast is restricted to the local area and arguably one that doesn't make sense.

However, at least the free broadcast helps to attract new fans (and those who can't afford to go) in the local area. That's what I can't understand with Peterborough's decision - it's surely more beneficial to have it free (with the long-term benefits that provides in growing your fanbase) that the (smallish) amount of money brought in by charging everyone for it.

[Granville]

3 hours ago, londonvale said:

Living in Pompey I can't DAB vale games...so I have to pay through ifollow if I want commentary..

Yet, I pay my licence fee so why can't I get Radio Sjoke?!..not sure how far radio boundaries go but it is a bit stupid that as a licence fee payer I can't listen to a vale game on bbc yet people ,who could go to the game in the local area ( finances acknowledged) ,can listen to it.

I can listen to every Pompey game on two local radio stations and I can hear the ground from my house...for free  ...Vale..no..outside area...

I think the whole system is wrong but hey ho...I can have a dodgy website link and watch every game live...

I don't BTW...

 

From speaking to someone in the know, the local BBC stations can't broadcast league games online (Talksport have those rights), and as part of their broadcast agreement their commentary is to be limited to their transmission area.

Its apparently a source of great annoyance to those in the BBC that their bosses aren't willing to make Talksport an offer (Talksport rarely provide full commentary of any games apart from the play offs).

[Granville]

2 hours ago, robf said:

It's an odd one and living in Somerset it's the same for me.

It seems to be an anachronistic rule that the broadcast is restricted to the local area and arguably one that doesn't make sense.

However, at least the free broadcast helps to attract new fans (and those who can't afford to go) in the local area. That's what I can't understand with Peterborough's decision - it's surely more beneficial to have it free (with the long-term benefits that provides in growing your fanbase) that the (smallish) amount of money brought in by charging everyone for it.

I would guess they feel they would make more money from people paying to watch/listen, than the BBC in Cambridge would probably pay them for the rights. They are also in the fortunate position that that revenue probably wouldn't form a significant part of their income in the same way it would for a club that didn't have a cash rich owner.

In short, it seems to have been driven by cash rather than their fanbase's desire for it.

[robf]

11 hours ago, Granville said:

I would guess they feel they would make more money from people paying to watch/listen, than the BBC in Cambridge would probably pay them for the rights. They are also in the fortunate position that that revenue probably wouldn't form a significant part of their income in the same way it would for a club that didn't have a cash rich owner.

In short, it seems to have been driven by cash rather than their fanbase's desire for it.

Yeah but my point throughout this is that it's tremendously short-sighted. 

You need to be prepared to have a "loss leader" (for want of a supermarket phrase) if it grows your fanbase long-term.

If I'm living in the Peterborough area and I'm  interested a bit in football am I going to shell out £5 per game for something I don't even know if I like? Or will the fact it's free on local radio (or even free on the Posh website via their own commentary team, it doesn't really matter) have more of a chance of drawing me in? Which of those options is most likely to draw me in to potentially becoming a regular Peterborough fan? 

That's the issue for me. It's all very well, Posh getting some money in from the commentary but paying for it is only going to appeal to already converted fans - not having your club on free to air radio could prevent you growing your fanbase over future years. Even the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea and so on... understand the importance of their clubs being on the radio, for free, and how it promotes their club to new fans. 

To me, it's very short-sighted. 

[Granville]

42 minutes ago, robf said:

Yeah but my point throughout this is that it's tremendously short-sighted. 

You need to be prepared to have a "loss leader" (for want of a supermarket phrase) if it grows your fanbase long-term.

If I'm living in the Peterborough area and I'm  interested a bit in football am I going to shell out £5 per game for something I don't even know if I like? Or will the fact it's free on local radio (or even free on the Posh website via their own commentary team, it doesn't really matter) have more of a chance of drawing me in? Which of those options is most likely to draw me in to potentially becoming a regular Peterborough fan? 

That's the issue for me. It's all very well, Posh getting some money in from the commentary but paying for it is only going to appeal to already converted fans - not having your club on free to air radio could prevent you growing your fanbase over future years. Even the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea and so on... understand the importance of their clubs being on the radio, for free, and how it promotes their club to new fans. 

To me, it's very short-sighted. 

I agree Rob. It seems really short sighted and will put off the casual fan, and also if Peterborough are away in a vital game on a Tuesday night and people want to listen to it, they now have to shell out a fiver. That seems unfair.

[robf]

In many ways, it's perhaps a good thing that Peterborough (although not for their fans) are doing this in only that I am convinced it will turn out to be a disaster and its failure will hopefully make it clear to other FL clubs (including Vale) that it's not the right approach. 

p.s. I don't think this affects the Vale commentary. I think the FL rules are that Posh have to allow the opposition's media rights partners in, so there will still be free of charge Radio Stoke commentary for those in the Potteries (and the regular chargeable iFollow commentary for those of us out of the area).