Ryan Reynolds on streaming

So Ryan Reynolds has had a pop at the National League on Twitter for not allowing Wrexham to stream their games:

https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/1564327631750832130
https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/1564327633915154433

Obviously it makes sense for him to say this. With the apparent success of his Fox documentary so far, it's clear that his priority is to market Wrexham to their new international followers. With his pressure, the National League will probably have to come up with a solution.

But I think it's worth talking about streaming in general and what it means for the 3pm blackout going forward. From a selfish perspective, allowing domestic streaming of all our home games could be beneficial for Town. It essentially allows us to sell more tickets than our capacity without having to expand BP. It also helps exiles and disabled fans stay engaged with the club.

But that has to be balanced with the possible ramifications for smaller clubs like Against League 3 argues in this thread:
https://twitter.com/AgainstLeague3/status/1564606901979062281
I think the EFL could allow home teams to decide whether their games can be streamed while also working out a redistribution formula so smaller clubs can see some benefit.

What do we think?

I don't buy the argument that streaming means lower league clubs lose out in terms of gate receipts - at least anything more than negligible (and cancelled out by exiled fans who otherwise wouldn't make matches, paying for match passes and subscriptions).

Besides, the mentality of lower league fans is different. They want to go to matches as a starting point and more than likely have the option to given ticket availability.

It entails huge risk no doubt. I'm against lifting the 3pm Saturday blackout personally

I think both the new FA streaming chairman Reynolds and Against League 3 have valid points, but the conversation for this should be about when the BT deal is up and not now because it benefits Deadpool off the back of his Wrexham documentary.  Like it or lump it if the deal runs to 2024 then it legally has to be honoured.

I'm sure that a compromise can be reached though, in my head away fans being able to stream any game more than 50 miles from their home stadium makes sense as the 3pm blackout is to try and keep home fans primarily, and how many town fans will watch a streaming match away at barrow who would never have bothered to drive there on a Tuesday night?*

Lastly, whilst I understand Reynolds is doing it purely for the benefit of his own product, it has to be a good thing that people with his kind of platform are talking about non league (and presumably lower leagues if they ever go up) because a non-league story would never make the front page of bbc sport normally.

Totally agree with Reynolds here based on my personal perspective. For a fan from Norway it was hell being in the NL - not being able to watch the games. RH is great, but in the long run you want to see the team play yourself.
I was overjoyed when Grimsby made it out of the NL on their first try last season.
So, for me, stream everything! At least - try it and see if it works out.

I think the people who can and want to go to the game will always go regardless of a streaming option. I don't buy this idea that streaming will completely destroy gate receipts because a stream will never beat the feeling of being at the match. Streaming gives an option for those who can not make the game an option to pay to watch the game remotely and the club still gets money.

I think the current system only benefits the TV companies and the leagues who get the TV money. What are clubs really making from that TV money in the NL when they get 1 game on TV if they don't make the playoffs? The BT deal also means clubs can't show highlights on their Youtube channel until the following Monday so BT can show it first, who does that benefit exactly?

In League 2, we are a reasonably large fish in the pond so income from streaming would benefit us against the competition but as we rise through the leagues we become a very small fish in a big Championship pond. Suddenly, the argument Against League 3 and Andy Holt at Accrington raise becomes a valid one.

  The Premier League receives very good coverage in the US and has well and truly permeated into the consciousness of even the casually interested. But now, people in the US are suddenly aware of Wrexham FC and the fact that there is a whole pyramid structure of independent professional and semi-professional clubs in England below the Premier League. This has to be a good thing. Allowing people in other countries to stream games at national League level is hardly going to impact attendances on a Saturday afternoon in the UK! Will the National League be smart enough to find a way to profit from it? We'll see.

Hey rival Vanarama National League clubs, please support me in championing an idea that will drive yet another financial wedge between us and you soccerballing paupers.

Yours,

Deadpool xx

Most of the arguments for the 3pm blackout on Twitter I've seen is folk saying "football is not a TV show" and "go see your local club instead" (they're more focused on people who are wanting to watch Prem teams play over teams in lower leagues).

Think it's a bit balderdash really. I live in Scotland, my local team would be St. Mirren. I mean they play in Black & White and like to see them do well as they're a proper underdog club and it usually means a good night in town but I'd much rather stream a town game seeing as I've always been a town fan (plus Scottish grounds aren't allowed to sell beer! 😁). I'd feel a bit weird as an Englishman just turning up and shouting come on the Saints (at least I know the song Saints come Marching In 🤣)

Could say I'm an armchair supporter (pretty much am!) as to go see Town play once a season is a minimum 6 hours round train trip (to Carlisle), a home game at BP is a 14 hour round train trip - I did manage to sneak in a visit to BP last season when I visited the family, hoping to see us at Carlisle next year.

Was excrement last season not being able to watch us apart from the 2 fixtures (was it?) + play-offs on BT Sports and the one cup game we had on the BBC Red Button. John Tondeur/Gary Croft/Matt Dean and the rest of the Humberside team are great but nothing beats actually watching it visually. I do feel for those exiles in the NL after going through it myself - especially as you have to wait until midnight on the Sunday night to even see the highlights unless they're shown in that little box during a BT sports game or someone films a goal and puts it on Twitter.