To help bring live football to our fans at the beginning of the 20/21 season, we invested a significant sum in a streaming option, including infrastructure and a specialist camera. After the first match, we were faced with a change of provider with ‘Sport Radar’ dropping out across all clubs, so we, like others, joined up with ‘Inplayer’ to support our service.
From a quality perspective, streaming was never going to replace the normal match day experience or a BT Sport broadcast. It was expected to be a temporary solution at the time we invested, however, we did not know if it was going to be for a few games, half a season or indeed the entire season. We also accept that a number of clubs such as Aldershot, Notts County etc. have been able to provide a more expansive service than ourselves, which is down to available facilities and resources. We can’t afford the cost of additional equipment such as multiple cameras which would need to be wireless, nor do we have the mixing equipment for replays or interviews. We would also need ultrafast Wi-Fi throughout the ground which the Shay Stadium doesn’t have and nor could we expect Calderdale Council to upgrade the facility, so that would also have to be at our cost. The clubs with the more in-depth productions have a paid and more permanent resource allowing them to work on content, creative production and output during the week and in the build up to games.
On top of all this, we do know that games will not be allowed to be streamed next season, unless the very worst happens and we face more games without attendance. Therefore streaming will become obsolete. We simply can’t afford to invest anymore money . . . some might say ” well you might increase the volume of people streaming ” however colleagues at other clubs who we have extremely good relationships with and who do have a more ‘ bells & whistles ‘ streaming service have not experienced any real growth in their audience numbers nor are they without their own internal issues.
With all this being said, we apologise where there may have been an occasional break in transmission or that we are not in a position to provide those certain ‘nice to haves’. We do recognise our streaming solution isn’t perfect but we are simply not in a position to invest any more money into an infrastructure that will not be used after May (hopefully June!).
In the main, feedback on what has been provided has been good, as it allows everyone to keep in touch with our live games. However, we also appreciate there are some of you who are not as happy from comments on various social media channels or directly. Therefore, if you are a season ticket holder and you feel you don’t want to access our home game streaming any further, we want to be fair to you, fully appreciating you having kept your season ticket money with the Club which is so vital to us. Despite this very difficult financial climate and whilst it is not something we would ideally be choosing to do, if you feel you would like to cancel your streaming account and receive a partial refund for the rest of the season please contact us at orders@fchtshop.com on or before 24 March 2021 and we will then discuss a refund option with you.
To all, once again thank you for your continued support and bearing with us!
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