Spot on. I don't think anyone would seriously choose to watch the stream on a tablet over going to the game. They wouldn't be going to the game anyway. Like BullyBoxer who was never going to the York game, but watched the stream which then convinced him to go to Keighley. Without the stream, he probably would have done something else with the family thaT day, and started to lose interest and another fan lost to the sport.

Most people are fans of the sport not hardcore supporers like most on here who turn up no matter what. People need a reason to go and i think the sport as a whole isn't getting it. If not they quickly find something else to do. Going to games befomes a habit.

To follow up on BullyBoxer as an example, my mum used to go to every home and away game until about 12 years ago, then stopped going and found something else to do on her Sundays and cancelled her sports subscriptionl as she found SL utterly boring. So she had nothing to convince her to go again. She's been watching, and really enjoying the streams and has probably rekindled the love for the Bulls again and says she might go to a game. Its because she's becoming interested in us again.

2 examples doesn't make it a success, but our attendances are going upwards and beating some SL teams.

I do take some of these points on board, although I do think a few are missing the point that the product is free online so I don’t see how letting people have a product for free is benefitting the club financially. Maybe I’m too cynical and underestimating how generous fans are at handing over cash (We’ve been handing it over in bucket loads the past few years ha)

Some fans may be encouraged to attend the odd game they had no intention on attending however this is probably balanced out by the fans who don’t travel hours to west wales/skolars/Cumbria and pay to watch a game when it’s free online.

I can’t comment on the quality as I haven’t watched a stream but I can imagine it doesn’t live up to being in the stadium but then again it’s free and stadium entry isn’t. Some will always take the free or cheaper option no matter what the situation is or how much better the prices, live product is.

That is one way of looking at it but in my opinion, york have lost out as instead of seeing the score and thinking I wish I had been there I will go next week he got to view the game and didn’t miss out. Difference being I spent cash for that experience, although my experience was obviously much better.

Everyone has reasons they can’t attend and most on here will go to more games than they miss but if the casual fan is giving freebies when do you cut them off and expect them to pay?

The biggest companies in the world only hand out samples then expect you to part with some cash. As others have said maybe that’s next years plan after we have the streamers hooked at which point I will very happily be wrong when I’m struggling for my place on the packed terraces once again

We used to pay for the later viewings on Bulls TV a few owners back, so it wouldn't be anything new. That said, I'd expect live coverage (with much better quality and reliability than we have currently) to cost a fair bit more and, of course we'd need to give some incentive to away clubs to allow coverage. Without knowing the costs involved I'm far from sure how much it would cost to make it viable. Maybe some of the costs would be covered by sponsorship/advertising

As for Sky owning rights to Championship games, they seem to show little interest (ie none) in showing any games outside the bash, which I don't think is taking place this season anyway. I actually thought that our division's TV rights were bundled along with the Championship, to be honest - they may as well have been as Sky have no interest in showing anything outside SL and middle eight games. With Toronto in the Championship and Catalans in SL both having separate deals in place (though Sky seem hand in glove with the French station) it would seem that outside deals are possible, though maybe they'd be somewhat less keen on English clubs doing deals?

Unfortunately for the Cougars it took about 2000 of their expected attendance if we are to believe there are 4000 regular fans at Odsal

Seriously? Keighley expected every single Bulls supporter to show up at Keighley?

Well if you only have 50% going to an away game that is hardly support. and to answer your question , no I don't because they had a free stream to watch !!!!. And before you start I have also supported Bradford for over 40 years. Maybe it was too far to travel or the fact you would have to pay too

I stopped reading at that point as you are obviously trolling

Since being relegated from SL, we've never had more than a minibus load of away fans at games (excepting Leigh and to a lesser extent Halifax). Even when you watch SL on Sky, there are often barely any away fans at games these days. There was a photo posted of the away end when Huddersfield went to Wigan the other week - less than 100 people in there!

Anyway, given that Keighley averaged 786 in 2017, I'm looking forward to seeing around 400 Keighley fans at Odsal later this season, lol. It's more likely to be a tenth of that number!

On the contrary I think it's very good support - how many clubs in this country can claim that half their home support goes to their away games?

Obviously you didn't read on. I am a Bradford fan. perhaps there will be no Cougar fans there at Odsal if they are allowed to live stream it. It is very good away fan support, there is no denying that. There will be at least 3 Cougar/Bull fans for Cougars match at Odsal

So something has obviously changed between what was originally said in our statement on Saturday and now because the full game is up to watch on the proper sport facebook page.

I'm confused, our statement definitely said that even a delayed showing was not allowed?

Perhaps Mick can provide some insight if he reads this?

None of them. Ever. If it's not trolling, it's total fiction.

In fact I'd be surprised if it was the case for any club in any sport, never mind just RL in this country.

Speaking of said statement, am I being blind or has it been removed from the website?

The "Delete it and pretend it never happened" approach that the media guy uses when he cocks up on Social Media.

I said at the time, did not even a delayed run of the game refer more to say a 6pm showing on Sunday ala cc games?

Could it maybe a way of the club trialling whether there is an audience for a paid subscription of it. They must know the level we are at and the seemingly limited streaming resources proper sports have for now (due to pixelation etc it has been difficult to make out on a couple of the stream) no one would pay for the service for the quality it currently streams at. But if they could guarantee improved quality next season for a monthly subscription price would the money it could produce be worth it?

Unfortunately using Facebook is no way of telling if there is specific interest in a Bulls Tv subscription per say, as many people may tune in as supporters of any club who want to see a bit of rugby on a sunday afternoon.

The idea behind the live stream seems, IMO, to get eyes on the Bulls and trying to get people back watching the club.

There's a lot of lapsed fans out there and a lot of it stems from the question of entertainment vs cash out lay. It's no secret that we've hardly been the most entertaining of sides for many years so getting people to watch the club online for free and that will hopefully translate to those people wanting to pay out to watch the game in person

Let’s move on
THE END

Well said. Can this thread be locked?

Why? People are having a discussion on the pros and cons of streaming. Just because you don't like the subject, it should be locked and we should move on to... what? Another discussion on which player to pick this week? It's a topic worth discussing and people on both sides of the opinion have made some good and valid points.

I agree. This topic is more valid than a lot of others. This debate is good. No one has insulted anyone else like the majority of the virtual terrace I don’t see a reason it should be locked. It has even stayed on topic ha!

Thanks for the Utube upload. When do the Bulls Ladies team start their season? Just been told maybe my daughter could be playing for them. If so, I can join the gang of parents who's offspring are representing the Bulls. So Proud (if its true)

This Sunday after men's game

I see it that, when the fixtures come out people will decide then which away matches they can make, for what ever reason.

Cant imagine streaming the game will have a massive affect on the clubs, those in cumbria/london/wales are a long slog to get to so id think the diehards would be going but most would rather stay home and listen on radio.

The Stream makes no difference to me if i go or not, its nice to have it but isnt the overriding factor in my decision, id attended the games which take about an hour to get to, so greater Manchester and west Yorkshire (donc is probably the farthest but that is also due to me having friends who live there also) anything further a field i wouldn't bother.

The stream is a good idea an if the quality improves id be all for paying for it, that said, if we are promoted and the majority of games are within my travel distance i would probably watch it live instead. It does allow for great exposure to the lower league which RL is lacking, freesports showing the NCL games is also a great idea.

Yes, there was but I'm not entirely sure what. Having not gone to the game (my son plays junior rugby on Sundays so it prevented me from making the trip up) I'm reliant on a family member's account of what they told me. This is a second hand account of what I have been told and is NOT my own personal account...

Supposedly, it was planned to be streamed right up to Friday when Blade Access sent a crane up to Workington in preparation for the stream. On arrival Workington claimed to have never agreed to this and denied the club permission, cue a lot of media slanging between chairman and supporters.

On the day of the game, I am told that Mick and John Keyes were initially refused access to the ground before being allowed in. Also the club video analysis team "lost" some kit which was being used for post game analysis (not sure if they got it back).

Inside the ground, in the stand it was suggested a long standing Bulls supporter was physically attacked (face clawed) by a Workington Town players mother.

My said relative also spoke with a member of the Workington Town club who said there had also been reports of fan trouble outside the ground (not sure what this would amount to).

All in all, usually the trip up to Cumbria is one that I would usually look forward to. However after what I'm hearing someone somewhere is playing some games and has decided to stir up some e. Think its ended up costing Workington though as I don't think many bought food/drink etc from the ground.

Really is sad that it has come to this. I don't think AC helped matters by releasing the statement he did and Kear didn't look best pleased either. Think we should have took the moral high ground and kept mouths shut as it was bound to stoke a response.

Come on Mick... give us your side of the story!!!

Guys. I'm going to lock this now since I think we're sailing a little close to the wind with posting rumours and accounts that are second hand.

Mick was acting in a club capacity so is unable to comment further.