iFollow Thread

[only2garners]

You're right Bazza. I've just got an email from Rovers reminding me that ST holders don't need a code from tomorrow.

[bazza]

Just now, only2garners said:

You're right Bazza. I've just got an email from Rovers reminding me that ST holders don't need a code from tomorrow.

Ha. I was just about to post the same.?

[philipl]

Chrome freezing on me so switched to Safari

[Fraserkirky]

So no video for international fans? I paid for the match pass like normal.

 

Is it on ESPN +?

 

[The1mattjansen]

Absolute dog turd stream tonight. Buffering every 30 seconds

[philipl]

1 hour ago, Fraserkirky said:

So no video for international fans? I paid for the match pass like normal.

 

Is it on ESPN +?

 

On iFollow

[chaddyrovers]

Low Ifollow sales by Rovers sales 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18881571.rovers-reliance-venkys-highlighted-low-ifollow-sales/

[alcd]

iFollow viewing figures are appalling. Either interest from fans has totally disappeared or far too many are free-loading at their club's expense.

[JHRover]

Quite a terrifying interview.

Predictably season ticket sales are abysmal. No surprise when combining a pandemic with price rises, uncertainty and a 2 week sales window. Just don't compare our decline to those elsewhere as that will really bring things into sharp perspective.

Waggott should be taken to task for those figures, as CEO commercial and  financial performance should be his responsibility and a decline of that magnitude should set major alarm bells ringing. Doubt it though. Excuses at the ready and carry on boys.

Waggott references poor commercial performance - how about employ a commercial director? Or is that too difficult?

He's going to have to find a way to triple or quadruple sales post pandemic to just get back to where we were. That's going to be nigh on impossible before factoring in Waggott's ineptitude and short termism and another year of Mowbray going nowhere.

Year on year declining sales on his watch. Any accountability or responsibility for that? None at all. Just another pat on the back for our great owners and blame the fans

 

[Tom]

I haven’t bought a single pass this season, it’s not the clubs fault but the quality is abysmal and the real time lag makes it almost pointless for me 

[roversfan99]

I dont really get the comments about "abysmal" quality, just seems like a normal stream to me. The commentators are irritating but that is minor. The delay is unavoidable and I am used to delay from having sports through Now TV, thats not ideal but especially with Rovers its just easy to avoid twitter etc for an hour and a half. If my friend watching it seperately messages about the football then his stream tends to be in sync with mine when it isnt with Sky.

I do also think that it is a very difficult time for Rovers and all clubs but it doesnt sit right when people imply that we have an obligation to help out, the responsibility shouldnt be on the shoulders of the customers/supporters. And as ever Waggott has failed in my opinion with his policies since the pandemic took hold as much as he had done so prior. The issue with refunds was terribly dealt with and the delays releasing season passes this season was totally avoidable and has led to lower than hoped for sales.

[Mattyblue]

The time lag doesn’t matter one bit.

Just stay off Twitter until HT/FT and mute any ‘goal alert’ apps for 90 mins. 

 

[oldjamfan1]

I haven't had a season ticket for 4 or 5 years now, as I moved to a more remote part  of Scotland after making a 400 mile round trip from Glasgow to Ewood for 20 years. However, I have paid my tenner for every iFollow game since lockdown last season and have been delighted with it and feel good about regularly putting money (albeit not much) into the club's coffer again.

The ability to see the games every week has been a bonus for me. That said, I can't wait to actually be inside Ewood again!  

[Trinidad Rover]

5 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

I haven't had a season ticket for 4 or 5 years now, as I moved to a more remote part  of Scotland after making a 400 mile round trip from Glasgow to Ewood for 20 years. However, I have paid my tenner for every iFollow game since lockdown last season and have been delighted with it and feel good about regularly putting money (albeit not much) into the club's coffer again.

The ability to see the games every week has been a bonus for me. That said, I can't wait to actually be inside Ewood again!  

Sums up my feelings too - I've lived abroad for 6 years and iFollow is a great way to keep engaged. Warren Lucy aside, its a great offering.

Reading the story in the telegraph this morning that Rovers have averaged only 1,200 iFollow passes per game (for context....less than Accrington Stanley & Bolton) surprised me. I do feel there is a large section of the fanbase who won't be happy whatever happens. I struggle with people who have only negative things to say, yet won't pay to watch the club instead favoring illegal streams. 

Not sure some have the full understanding of the economics behind all of this.

[K-Hod]

I think the ‘illegal streams’ thing is a bit of a red herring tbh. I can’t imagine there’s much demand for Rovers matches illegally!

Due to job uncertainty, I’ve not bought a season ticket this time around and just bought streams game by game. It’s been alright so far, but it’s no substitute for the real thing, obviously!

[rigger]

14 hours ago, alcd said:

iFollow viewing figures are appalling. Either interest from fans has totally disappeared or far too many are free-loading at their club's expense.

Or listening on the radio

[JHRover]

i enjoyed that Times article. Covered most things quite well.

Personally I couldn't really care less if Venkys came to Ewood or not. I wouldn't boo or jeer them if they did, but wouldn't be particularly impressed either. I do think that it would demonstrate some level of interest and commitment if they did.

The problem for me is that I still feel that we are still some distance from being a well functioning properly structured club. I completely accept that the current stability and operation is much much better than it was in the early days and we appear to be operating as a proper club should.

I am still worried however that the whole thing is built on sand. We still have this bizarre system where the manager of the club is running the show, just like Kean did back in the early days. The difference is of course that Mowbray is trustworthy and has honest intentions and also that he's a competent manager but this is all incredibly short sighted. It all hinges on Mowbray being here and performing to a reasonable level to avoid difficulties.

Touch wood it won't happen, but I'm one who envisages difficulties when Mowbray goes - he appears to be secure in the job for as long as he wants it because they like him, he's got his mate in the boardroom backing him up, pretty much everything we've had since 2017 - transfer policy, appointments, investments, scouting - has been on Mowbray's say-so because he has had a word with the owners and they trust him to roll with it.

In this day and age you need a setup where performance comes before personality. There needs to be someone reviewing things on a regular basis to see if targets are being met. I still think we have a vacuum where the manager is here regardless of results and this will hold us back.

I also think Waggott is completely out of his depth and is now causing damage in the longer term by diminishing our season ticket base at a time when it needs to be growing. I find it astonishing that our season ticket base has declined on his watch despite promotion and recent positivity. An opportunity wasted to boost numbers all in the name of short term balance sheets.

[Rogerb]

The range in bought passes is 1200 to 2000 +. I must confess I have been less inclined to buy a pass of late. Having 3 defeats in 4 games watched. Suspect if results had been better and we were hovering around play off position those sales would be better. The picture quality I consider is very good. Tending to listen on the radio more

[Kie_BRFC]

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

I think the ‘illegal streams’ thing is a bit of a red herring tbh. I can’t imagine there’s much demand for Rovers matches illegally!

Due to job uncertainty, I’ve not bought a season ticket this time around and just bought streams game by game. It’s been alright so far, but it’s no substitute for the real thing, obviously!

I'd disagree, only have to look at some facebook pages for people begging for streams on matchday, or that bloke who is actually selling his streams to fans and sometimes doesn't even post a link 

[only2garners]

I don't think I realised that there was a time delay on iFollow. It can't be very long? Anyway it makes not a blind bit of difference to me and I can't see why it would to anyone else unless you can't actually put your phone down for 45 minutes to watch a game.

[chaddyrovers]

12 hours ago, Tom said:

I haven’t bought a single pass this season, it’s not the clubs fault but the quality is abysmal and the real time lag makes it almost pointless for me 

Exactly the same, I haven't bought one for any league game. Don't enjoy watching Rovers on a stream as it nothing like being there in the stadium

11 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont really get the comments about "abysmal" quality, just seems like a normal stream to me. 

depending how much you streams games and programs. I

[Mattyblue]

Yet this is the fella that pays a fortune to Sky ?‍♂️

[roversfan99]

Obviously it is nothing like being in the stadium, but if that is the case, you wouldnt watch away games in normal times on TV, you wouldnt watch full re runs or even highlights or via the red button if its as cut as dry as that.

[joey_big_nose]

Really worrying the ifollow figures are so low, I thought they would be decent as you would have the fans up and down the UK and internationally as well as local fans. Also we started the season well, playing attractive football and have a decent team. To only sell 2k or so is very troubling. 

Have to say future of the club is looking pretty bleak.

[roversfan99]

If you think about it though, there will be families etc using the same passes when in normal circumstances they would obviously have seperate tickets, that will bring the numbers down. Many will be on furlough or worse so will be down financially. That might lead to people not buying or even seeking free alternatives with less disposable income. It is almost impossible to feel at least an element of detachment as if its going through the motions and the experience will be much worse. More season passes may have been sold had Waggott and co had any modicum of common sense. We are again loitering in mid table. So many factors.

The one thing I dont understand is why the delay is such an integral factor but it seems that even more trivial issues such as that and production values are a deterrant and at the end of the day especially in these circumstances it is totally understandable why people are not willing to part with their money for an unavoidably inferior product. I have got a season pass and buy the away games but it isnt the same so it is understandable.