Comments on: Is Watching Football on the Internet The Future?

By: darren@soccerworldarren@soccerworldcup2010dcup2010

darren@soccerworldarren@soccerworldcup2010dcup2010 — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:18:48 +0000

Thanks for the post! Great information.

By: David

David — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:05:08 +0000

I’ve tried several online ‘pirate’ sites, and have yet to find a decent one. However, UEFA.com’s Champions League PPV online service is excellent. (Cheap, no breaks, with great commentary.) I tend to use it a lot, because although in Mexico you can get pretty much any footie match you want, there are three problems: They give the results of games they are yet to transmit (!), they tend to show live only those games that involve Latin Americans, and they don’t provide the option of listening to the commentary in English. (The technology’s there – I’ve heard the odd snatches of English when they get their wires crossed – but for some reason they just won’t switch on the alternative audio.) Also, Latin American commentators seem to be paid by the word. They never, ever shut up, and thus come out with the most ill-informed, irrelevant and downright stupid drivel. (And their minute-long screams of “gooooooooooooool” do my head in!) I therefore just press the mute button, and watch the games in silence. I know it’s my fault for living here, and don’t blame them (”when in Rome…”), but I would have moved back to Blighty long since had I not discovered that I can watch any Champions league game I want on the UEFA site. If FIFA and the Premiership were to do the same with the World Cup and English games, I’d sign up like a shot.

By: Саид...

Саид... — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:53:27 +0000

prikolno

By: Fernando

Fernando — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:26:24 +0000

i hate watching games on-line, jump-TV in the US is the worst.

By: Daryl

Daryl — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:34:57 +0000

The other story here is that the game was also available in cinemas. A bit like the old days.

Never seen a game like that but love the idea. Short of being there, I reckon that sounds like the best way to watch a game. Big big screen and like minded fans to cheer with so it’s a communal experience. Plus no one standing in front of you like in the pub.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:32:28 +0000

I think Rob’s point about liveblogging was not that it’s comparable to watching in a real bar, but that if you’re going to be watching the game online anyway, the liveblog is the closest you get to a “soccer bar” experience. I’d have to agree with this — it can be a lot of fun to exchange thoughts with people from around the world as the game is going on.

And I think this is especially true in the US, where soccer fans are few and far between.

By: alex

alex — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:14:50 +0000

i watched the US and Honduras game (with hondurian announcers) and it was weird/nice to see the game like this…basically bootlegging a channel from honduras isnt the way ur suppose to watch a game..but it’ll do for now….why should u have to pay for a match/game that is free everywhere else?

By: martin

martin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:41:07 +0000

What Daryl said, the price was ridiculous. And I disagree that that watching football on your laptop with a liveblog is like watching in the pub, its rubbish. I’d much rather be watching on a huge screen with friends around and a beer in hand. If you don’t like the smell of the pub, watch it round someone’s house, but still with a load of people there. I find watching football alone a little depressing.

By: daryl

daryl — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:21:50 +0000

I think it’s all about price. I would have happily paid a few pounds for the England game. Maybe three or four. But not 12, that was too much to ask for a game that England ultimately had nothing riding on.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:52:50 +0000

I find it so amusing that The Prem holds itself out as The Everything of Footy, yet MLS runs circles around them when it comes to internet access for games.

For $19.99 this year, I have live access to every match that’s not shown on a national network, and then within two hours of the final whistle I have On Demand access to 100% of matches, including those that weren’t available live.

(They also post highlights on YouTube. Neener, neener, Prem fans.) ;-)