mc_squared
05-10-2009, 04:21 PM
TV dumped for England's World Cup qualifier - but fans can watch it live on the internet
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 4:00 PM on 05th October 2009
Comments (68) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218154/Football-England-international-game-screened-exclusively-live-internet.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218154/Football-England-international-game-screened-exclusively-live-internet.html)
Millions of England fans will be unable to watch this weekend's World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine on television after negotiations to broadcast it on TV collapsed.
But supporters will be able to watch it on the computers on a pay-per-view basis as media group Perform is to stream the game live over the internet.
Failed sports channel Setanta had been due to broadcast the game after international football agency Kentaro had sold the broadcast rights of the fixture to the pay-TV channel.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/05/article-1218154-06B40CC7000005DC-778_468x286.jpg Yours for £4.99: www.ukrainevengland.com will host the first ever exclusive internet stream of an England game
But after Setanta collapsed, Kentaro failed to agree rights offers with any traditional broadcasters such as BBC, ITV and Five.
Perform’s executive chairman, Andrew Croker said: ‘The world is changing...this is a classic example of it.
‘It’s exciting. Anyone who wants to come on a journey with us should sign up - they will enjoy it.’
Perform said it streams more than 15,000 events a year, with millions of site users a month.
England have already qualified for the 2010 World Cup, winning all eight of their group matches.
Peter Silverstone, managing director of Kentaro, told the BBC that a maximum of one million subscribers would be taken for the match.
This is the ‘safe number to stop at to ensure the optimal broadcast’, he said.
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will be part of the studio line-up, he added, with a ‘top commentary team’.
Mr Silverstone said: ‘You will watch as you would any other streaming on the internet, like YouTube or the BBC iPlayer - there will be a pop-up player that will show the match in a very good quality stream.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/05/article-0-0439F590000005DC-888_468x299.jpg Last time: Now when England play Ukraine you will only be able to watch online
‘We have a huge marketing effort behind us with the various newspaper groups that will promote the match on their websites.
‘Commercially this will work and genuinely offers an exciting opportunity for us. We wouldn’t embark on this project if we didn’t feel it had strategic long-term value, this isn’t a one-off shot.’
Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington told the broadcaster that his organisation ‘would obviously like to see the game broadcast to as many people as possible’.
‘These are the rights of the Ukrainian FA and the agents they’ve appointed to sell them,’ he said.
‘A traditional TV platform would be ideal to broadcast the game but it’s not the case. It’s not in our control.’
* You can watch England's clash with Ukraine LIVE on MailOnline.
The match will feature the usual pre-match interviews and lowdown, with former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson part of the pundits' panel.
The game is available to buy for just £4.99 but the offer ends at 11.59pm on Wednesday. Term and conditions appply.
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 4:00 PM on 05th October 2009
Comments (68) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218154/Football-England-international-game-screened-exclusively-live-internet.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218154/Football-England-international-game-screened-exclusively-live-internet.html)
Millions of England fans will be unable to watch this weekend's World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine on television after negotiations to broadcast it on TV collapsed.
But supporters will be able to watch it on the computers on a pay-per-view basis as media group Perform is to stream the game live over the internet.
Failed sports channel Setanta had been due to broadcast the game after international football agency Kentaro had sold the broadcast rights of the fixture to the pay-TV channel.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/05/article-1218154-06B40CC7000005DC-778_468x286.jpg Yours for £4.99: www.ukrainevengland.com will host the first ever exclusive internet stream of an England game
But after Setanta collapsed, Kentaro failed to agree rights offers with any traditional broadcasters such as BBC, ITV and Five.
Perform’s executive chairman, Andrew Croker said: ‘The world is changing...this is a classic example of it.
‘It’s exciting. Anyone who wants to come on a journey with us should sign up - they will enjoy it.’
Perform said it streams more than 15,000 events a year, with millions of site users a month.
England have already qualified for the 2010 World Cup, winning all eight of their group matches.
Peter Silverstone, managing director of Kentaro, told the BBC that a maximum of one million subscribers would be taken for the match.
This is the ‘safe number to stop at to ensure the optimal broadcast’, he said.
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will be part of the studio line-up, he added, with a ‘top commentary team’.
Mr Silverstone said: ‘You will watch as you would any other streaming on the internet, like YouTube or the BBC iPlayer - there will be a pop-up player that will show the match in a very good quality stream.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/05/article-0-0439F590000005DC-888_468x299.jpg Last time: Now when England play Ukraine you will only be able to watch online
‘We have a huge marketing effort behind us with the various newspaper groups that will promote the match on their websites.
‘Commercially this will work and genuinely offers an exciting opportunity for us. We wouldn’t embark on this project if we didn’t feel it had strategic long-term value, this isn’t a one-off shot.’
Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington told the broadcaster that his organisation ‘would obviously like to see the game broadcast to as many people as possible’.
‘These are the rights of the Ukrainian FA and the agents they’ve appointed to sell them,’ he said.
‘A traditional TV platform would be ideal to broadcast the game but it’s not the case. It’s not in our control.’
* You can watch England's clash with Ukraine LIVE on MailOnline.
The match will feature the usual pre-match interviews and lowdown, with former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson part of the pundits' panel.
The game is available to buy for just £4.99 but the offer ends at 11.59pm on Wednesday. Term and conditions appply.