Bradford City was one of the many EFL clubs to sign up to the new iFollow streaming services allowing fans in the UK and Republic of Ireland access to live matches, extended highlights and behind the scenes footage in HD on their desktops, tablets and mobile devices.

Around the same time as this service was launched, Sky also started showing additional EFL matches via their red button service. But how will these new services affect match-going fans?

Live streaming is here to stay

Live streaming is nothing new and has become an integral part of many industries. Video game live streaming has been popular since the mid-2010s, through services such as Twitch. Beyond the mainstream, though, online casino suites featuring live games where players can interact with live dealers in real time have also grown in popularity during the last decade, giving players greater choice than ever before. More recently, on-demand streaming services have started streaming live TV and news shows. In some ways, it is surprising that sports broadcasters have taken so long to get on board.

Impact on attendances

It is hard to predict the impact that these services will have on match attendances. There are those who believe it will boost interest in the game and prompt an increase in attendance at matches that cannot be streamed, such as 3:00pm Saturday kick-offs (although that could be set to change). But there are those who feel fans might be tempted to put their feet up with a beer in front of a screen at home rather than go to the extra trouble and expense of attending a live match.

Improved access

The service will strive to engage fans who do not go currently go to live matches. In that respect, it is being viewed as an alternative rather than a replacement for traditional match attendance. Non-match-going fans will now have improved access and may feel more connected to the club. In the long run, this could boost their desire to attend live matches.

The away game question

A lot of focus will be on away attendances where the time, cost and effort involved to travel is much higher. For Bradford City and most clubs outside of the top flight, away games are often attended by small groups of diehard supporters who follow the club through thick and thin. If these groups start to become decimated by live streaming, it will be a real negative for the game.

"Bradford City v Swansea City, Wembley -" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Steve M. Walker

Revenue streams

Behind any new football venture such as this, there is generally a financial motive and league organisers believe live streaming will provide extra revenue opportunities for clubs. Again, it has yet to be laid out how significant this will be and what form it will take, but the money currently generated from traditional TV revenue suggests live streaming could become a massive money spinner in the near future as more customers embrace the concept.

One can only hope that any extra money generated will be used to ensure the live match experience is still the pinnacle for fans at all levels.