Originally Posted by
nigel-harps1954
I have a number of issues with this "let the clubs stream themselves" business.
1. The lack of a central hosting site. Streaming games on Facebook is all well and good until you realise you're effectively counting out the vast majority of your older support, plus all those people who have deactivated social media accounts over the past year or two.
2. Said central hosting site has a single fee that covers streaming all games from all grounds. Paying X amount to watch Longford games is all fine and dandy, until a Shamrock Rovers fan who has paid X amount to watch all Shamrock Rovers games suddenly finds himself having to pay again to a different club for the privilege. A once off ticket for WatchLOI covers all of that without any hassle.
3. The quality issue is a non-point. WatchLOI quality was fine last season and had just as little issues as some of the other clubs who hosted their own. Didn't Longford make a balls of their first few streams before they just decided to stream on Facebook? Commentary wasn't exactly glorious at times with WatchLOI, but that can be worked on. Nothing to suggest they couldn't come together with local commentary teams this season instead of bringing in RTE reporters. We don't know the finer details, but to be honest, if the commentary puts you off watching your team playing, then you have a bigger problem.
4. Clubs can't do similar. No matter how much you dress it up, clubs can only do their their own individual thing. UCD, Longford, Drogheda and others provided quality streams at times last year, and that's without argument really, but it's not WatchLOI, nor is it similar.
A properly marketed WatchLOI, actually paid for by supporters, rather than choosing illegal streams, and with a few slight improvements this season, will be invaluable for the league going forward.
I don't even care for the second or third cameras or that sort of craic. A second commentator would take the heat off the main one. That's a tough gig for 90 minutes by yourself.
The second thing I'd implement is a means of casting WatchLOI onto Google chromecast or onto a smart TV. The hosting site isn't without issues, and I'd hope that's sorted before the season starts.
We've long said that clubs should all be pulling in the one direction for the better of the LOI. The complaints from some clubs smack of both arrogance and selfishness, and no interest in grouping together to create a product for the league as a whole.