England Game

[Fat Tom Daley]

Only available on internet

 

England match to be internet only

 

The England match will be limited to a maximum of one million subscribers

England's World Cup qualifier in Ukraine on Saturday will be shown exclusively live to subscribers on the internet who will pay at least £4.99.

 

All previously broadcast England matches have been available on TV.

 

Kentaro - an international agency appointed by the Ukrainian Football Federation - originally sold the UK rights for the game to Setanta.

 

But after the pay-TV firm collapsed, digital sport specialist Perform was appointed to stream the match online.

 

The match will be shown on the website www.ukrainevengland.com and viewers will be able to subscribe to it using PayPal, the electronic payment service.

 

England have already qualified for the 2010 World Cup, winning all eight of their group matches.

 

 

606: DEBATE

No satellite or terrestial TV coverage - it's outrageous isn't it?

 

Skybluesy

It is understood none of the traditional broadcasters were willing to pay the asking price to screen the game, which kicks off at 1715 BST.

 

But the news has angered supporters who want to watch the action on television.

 

Peter Silverstone, managing director of Kentaro, told BBC Sport: "You will watch as you would any other streaming on the internet, like YouTube or the BBC iPlayer - there will be a pop-up player that will show the match in a very good quality stream."

 

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is part of the studio team for the match, while Kentaro has promised "a top commentary team".

 

 

 

FA does not control away rights - Bevington

The cost of watching the game was being advertised on Monday in the Daily Express as £4.99 if viewers signed up before midnight on Wednesday.

 

Charges rise to £9.99 for those who subscribe on Thursday and Friday, and £11.99 on Saturday.

 

Similar prices were advertised on the website of the Daily Telegraph, which promised a "high-quality stream available on Mac and PC".

 

Silverstone insisted the project was "commercially viable".

 

"We have a huge marketing effort behind us with the various newspaper groups that will promote the match on their websites," he said.

 

"Commercially this will work and genuinely offers an exciting opportunity for us. We wouldn't embark on this project if we didn't feel it had strategic long-term value, this isn't a one-off shot."

 

Silverstone said Kentaro would take a maximum of one million subscribers for the match - which he said equates to about 2.5 million viewers - because this would be the "safe number to stop at to ensure the optimal broadcast".

 

The Odeon cinema chain will show the game live at 11 venues around the country, including at their flagship cinema at Leicester Square, but the match will not be available in pubs.

 

Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington admitted: "We would obviously like to see the game broadcast to as many people as possible" but insisted the matter was out of his organisation's hands.

 

"These are the rights of the Ukrainian FA and the agents they've appointed to sell them," he told BBC Sport.

 

"A traditional TV platform would be ideal to broadcast the game but it's not the case. It's not in our control."

 

In the future it'll probably be the reality. I think it's a good way to gauge how many people are interested

 

Rio Ferdinand

England defender

ITV has the rights to home England games and, under the terms of their contract, has taken over Setanta's broadcast rights for away friendlies.

 

However, that aspect of the deal does not cover away qualifying games, and neither the BBC, ITV, Sky nor Channel Five made a successful bid for the match.

 

Perform streamed Manchester City and Spurs matches in the Uefa Cup last year when a TV deal could not be agreed - charging about £4 per game - and Bevington insisted: "We're obviously confident in the company that has got the rights - they're a very professional company".

 

However, travelling England fan Mark Perryman said the fact the match was available only on the internet was "disastrous and an outrage."

 

"A World Cup qualifier should be available for everybody on free-to-air TV," Perryman told BBC Sport.

 

"It seems to me there's a very simple solution - Fifa and Uefa should insist as a condition of entry that all nations sell their games to terrestrial stations, whether its the home or away market."

 

England defender Rio Ferdinand said he thought the broadcasting of the match marked "a good step forward" though.

 

 

 

England web match an outrage - Perryman

"I read that online advertising has taken over from TV, so that tells you something about where it's going in terms of the digital world," he told BBC Sport.

 

"So I'm sure it'll be the way forward and in the future it'll probably be the reality. I think it's a good way to gauge how many people are interested."

 

And Andrew Croker, executive chairman of Perform, insisted England fans would "embrace" the internet broadcast.

 

"I think consumers are pretty sophisticated now, particularly in the UK, where we have been in the vanguard of adopting new technology," he told BBC Sport.

 

"I think people want a choice - the chance to watch football in a different way. This is pioneering, very exciting and I think people will enjoy it."

[YELLOW]

I expect the BBC and ITV didn't bid for it as they wouldn't have been able to show the normal [****!!****] they normally show on Saturday night.

[Eastside Urchin]

That is exactly the reason,strictly come dancing and x factor get twice as many viewers,probably more than this match would.

the FA Are money grabbing greedy fckwits how are no good for the game in this country and are the governing body

[and1inthetree]

bearing in mind the fact that alot of people would rather watch this than simon cowell or brucie. would it not be an idea for some enterprising club, to possibly purchase this 4.99 match and perhaps get a teenager to hookup the laptop to the television screen? this club could then broadcast the match to members only. and perhaps temporary membership could be purchased for 1 night for, say £2.65 with the benefit of a free drink included?

[and1inthetree]

rob - the FA are not actually the greedy fckwits in this case. setanta had purchased the rights to england away matches separately with the home country's association. setanta went belly up and the result of it is this. they're doing an experiment to see if internet pay per view is viable.. the clearest message the fans can send is to not purchase the match.

[Fat Tom Daley]

i could probally hook it to the tele

[Nutchutney]

The rights for broadcast of this game belong to the Ukrainian FA as they are the host nation.

Blame the TV companies here including Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky for not seeing an opportunity.

I would have liked the BBC to buy the rights and put the live coverage on BBC 3 with highlights later on BBC1.

[Nemo]

After the Bishops Stortford game is there any football on down at the club?

[YELLOW]

The BBC could have bought the rights and put the game on BBC2 if they didn't want to shift Strictly Come Dancing.

 

The Newcastle game the other weekend was on BBC2 on Saturday night.

[SEVEN TEARS BOY]

After the Bishops Stortford game is there any football on down at the club?

 

If we can get ESPN at the club by then, Germany's game in Russia kicks off at 4pm.

[Miss.A.F.C.Hornchurch]

thought you had a ticket and was going to the Beerhouse in Old Street for that one?

[Ian_W]

Just posted in the Ryman forum a few tips for connecting a laptop to a TV. Feel free to post there if anyone has any other tips.

[Fat Tom Daley]

If the clubhouse is open on Saturday the fanzine WILL be out with more written content and includes ;

 

- Treeboy's Triva

- From The Editor

- The Blogger

- JAY'S Stats

- The Unnamed Joker

- Question Time With Paul Shave

- Match Reports From Dagger

- Happy Harry''s Round The Ground Buger Van Guide

- Facebook Jokes

 

& Much More

 

And Still Only £1.20

[WHUrchin]

Is the clubhouse open on today?, and if so, will there be any football on at all? (Especially the England match!

[blackballed]

No sorry it is closed..............

[WHUrchin]

Cheers Dave. It's on down the White Hart if anyone want's somewhere to watch it. Or you could try www.justin.tv/