The fifth and sixth tiers of English football will now be made available via live streaming after deal reached with BT Sport
After much lobbying from Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds among others, the National League will launch its very own live streaming platform in the UK this Christmas. A soft launch began on December 10th but a full rollout is expected in the coming weeks.
The new platform will allow the league's 72 member clubs to provide live streaming coverage of their matches to both domestic and international fans.
The National League, National League North and National League South will all be involved in the venture, meaning clubs as low as the sixth level of English football will be present on the platform. However, fans of clubs in the two sixth tier leagues will have to be patient as further testing is needed prior to their rollout.
This news comes after the National League managed to secure a deal with existing rights holder BT Sport, which holds National League rights until 2023/24.
National League streaming service to drop by Christmas
Tests are ongoing but it is expected that the platform will be fully operational for fifth tier clubs in time for the traditional Christmas fixtures.
Several club owners and stakeholders in the National League, including the high profile co-owner of Welsh fifth tier club Wrexham and Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds, have been vocal in their demand for a streaming service.
A deal is in place with BT Sport but there are still some finite details to be ironed out, including how exactly any revenue will be distributed amongst the member clubs.
A statement from the National League read:
‘A huge amount of work has been ongoing behind-the-scenes with the League now in a position to announce a soft launch … with a full launch two weeks later.'
‘The first phase of the launch will see streaming introduced for National Division clubs only while the League works with North and South clubs running pilot events in the second half of the season to ensure logistically it can be delivered for North and South Divisions for the 2023/24 season.'
‘The National League would again like to reiterate its commitment to providing a quality streaming platform that benefits all 72 Member Clubs.'
‘Thanks must go to BT Sport and title sponsors Vanarama for their continued support.’
A threat to matchday revenue or a much needed boost?
As with all levels of the English game, there will be some consternation over the possibility of dwindling matchday attendances in response to the launch of the streaming service.
With the EFL looking at scrapping the 3pm blackout, and similar conversations said to be happening at a Premier League level, all tiers of the football pyramid are weighing up the pros and cons of introducing all-encompassing streaming services.
Offering paid live streams to fans can certainly help generate more revenue for member clubs, but will that revenue be greater than that lost on tickets, concessions and merchandise, if people decide to stay home and watch the game on stream?
Unfortunately there is no imperical data on this, but non-league football in the UK may well be about to find out following the launch of the National League's very own live streaming service.
Stick around for more football news articles on the world of football business, including broadcast deals, sponsorships and much more.
Don't forget to check out our very own legal free football live streams - we provide reliable, high quality streams of leagues like La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A.
