New Revenue Streams

Nottinghamshire 428 all out
v Yorkshire 226-3
close on Day 2

Monday 20 April 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Trent Navigation Inn at Lunch. I'd forgotten how good this place is. Not cheap mind. Bright & welcoming. Bit of background music, but basically peaceful. You can see the brewery in the outbuildings. Four of their own "Craft Keg". Including an alleged Unfiltered Pale. Which I am a sucker for (next time). Six on cask from Navigation/Magpie. I plumped for the Viceroy IPA on cask at 5.2%. Bar lady let me try it before I chose.

Lovely and clear. Nice thin head, bit foamy. Upfront orangey bitterness. Nice backbone of sweetness. Not overpowering. Slightly disappointing in the finish. More of a linger. Even though it was "only 5.2%", I got a distinct abv kick. Warming.

I'm gonna call it like it is. I had to move seats. A couple of fellas holding court in the back. Maybe from some suppliers to the pub, or somehow otherwise connected to the pub/brewery/suppliers. Discussing spirit pour diagnostic analysis or similar bollocks. Mobiles a go go. Not shy about the personal, personnel & financial stuff they were discussing.

Put the bar staff one side of the bar. Put supping punters the other side. And put a sock in the supplier/pub/brewery business meetings within punter hearing.

I understand Nottinghamshire are live video streaming Days 1 & 2 from Trent Bridge. The accompanying explanations say that the Rights Issues allow this, providing there is no ECB game being televised that day. The Grenada Test starts on Tuesday (day 3 here at Trent Bridge). So I assume that is why Notts can only broadcast days 1 & 2.

I've blogged about this before in relation to U21 & U18 club football. I believe most Counties have a video camera trained on the wicket. For performance analysis. Buy the right cable from Maplin. Plug one end into the camera. Plug the other end into the internet. Bingo.

However, what Nottinghamshire are doing with their video stream has triggered some thoughts I've been mulling over.

County Cricket is odd. Financially it's on its arse. Nowhere near remotely self sufficient & financing. Small numbers of Members & paying punters rattling around the stands. The odd, one a season (Championship) game on Sky TV.

Yet, it appears to be followed by millions. It used to be scorecards in national newspapers & extensive reports in local newspapers. That has expanded and continues to do so. Half hourly from the ground reports on local radio. Weekly cricket shows on local radio  Online ball-by-ball scoreboards. Online text commentary "fourth ball of the over, Bresnan down the leg side, no run". Online audio commentary provided by BBC correspondents. BBC Radio commentary on Medium Wave (eg Worcestershire). Feature game live on National BBC radio station as and when. Video highlights on a variety of websites and apps.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

And now, live video stream. Look, I'm playing this shot blind. But, where are the revenue streams from all that coverage for individual Counties?

Sure, generating interest may put a few more bums on seats & sell a few more replica shirts. Sure, website hits will generate advertising revenue. But, repeat, we're on our arse here. I'd be intrigued to know whether YCCC make any Rights Issues money from County scorecards appearing all over the place. Do the BBC have to pay to report live from Headingley? Or to broadcast live commentary, either on BBC 5 Live Extra or the internet?

I can listen to live BBC Radio commentary on Sheffield United if I'm within their broadcast footprint. But, if I'm elsewhere in the UK, or worldwide, the (same BBC) commentary is on the internet. But, it's not free. It's a subscription service. There are some very brief match highlights free on the internet. But extended highlights & delayed broadcast of the whole match are part of that same subscription service. As are extended interviews, pre and post match features, etc. So, my club, Sheffield United directly benefit from those Rights Issues in the form of subscriptions.

And, look how wisely they've spent that money!

During that glorious week when Yorkshire won the 2014 title, the internet, airwaves & social media were awash with well wishers. People claiming their part in the Yorkshire Nation from all corners. I'm listening to Cally in…. became the phrase to drop. One fella tried to trump everyone by claiming to be listening to Cally from "the breakaway Moldovan Republic of Transnistria".

Is there even such a place? Yes, that fella was me.

http://ball-sup.blogspot.com/2014/09/transnistria-beer-hunting.html

You know, being part of it by listening to Cally is freeloading. Dons tin hat.

All I'm saying is that there must be a case for YCCC/County non-Members having to subscribe to see/hear interviews, highlights, live commentary (and one day live streaming) on the internet.

County Cricket needs to develop new revenue streams to survive. I'm not creative enough to come up with anything else.

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