League blocks Wrexham AFC sharing streaming riches with other clubs with “no rationale” as to why
Wrexham’s attempt to share the wealth with other non-league clubs of our massive worldwide audience has been blocked by the league, the club have said.
Recently the National League had softened on their luddite view, and are looking at a “centralised streaming solution” later in the 2022/23 season.
Wrexham AFC have revealed they have asked ‘several questions’ following that move, as they say the announcement “lacked specific detail and the Club have been informed that we will have to wait until a project update is issued to all Clubs, when the finite details are agreed, to receive the answers”.
It appears one sticking point is exactly when the new system could on stream.
The club said, “The National League have, however, confirmed that it was their Board in partnership with BT who own the rights, that rejected Wrexham’s application to stream games immediately, while the centralised streaming solution is delivered.”
“The reason given for this decision was that they felt it appropriate for the League and for the benefit of all Clubs that streaming should not be permitted until the centralised streaming solution was available to all Clubs, but offered no rationale for why this decision was made.”
A club spokesperson said: “The Club has made it clear that it would donate any profit made from the streaming of games to the National League for them to distribute, as our desire is to grow our fanbase on the back of our documentary, Welcome to Wrexham, not financial gain.
“While growing the fanbase for Wrexham is clearly our motivation, the National League & the Clubs in the competition would also benefit from the positive exposure that has been created for the National League and should capitalise on this.
“Now the decision to stream games has been made, this makes the decision to prevent the Club streaming our home games in the interim period even more confusing. The streaming solution already in place at Wrexham and other Clubs in the EFL Digital network, is likely to be at least equivalent in terms of stream quality and security, of any centralised streaming solution that will be delivered.
“With no date for the commencement of the centralised streaming solution, the Club once again appeals to the Board of the National League and BT, to reconsider the decision not to allow any Club to stream games home games or clearly explain the reasons why our application has been rejected.
“We believe The National League should be promoting the growth of its competition & their individual Clubs, not making decisions that limits this potential which is clearly contrary to its objectives.”
In an extraordinary coincidence the financial brawn of the Wrexham AFC brand after the documentary launch to a worldwide audience has been revealed.
The club’s retail website has seen 185,289 new visitors during the period, who have made a total of 3543 orders at a combined value of £290,170.
That figure does not include sales from the club shop at the Racecourse stadium – with the club noting when those sales are combined with the above, the receipts for the period increased to £360,000.
For context the combined receipts for the equivalent period, 12 months earlier, were £59,674 – and currently merch stock is hard to find, prompting a frenzy on eBay where normal shirts from last season are going for hundreds of pounds each.
The National League have yet to warm up the fax machine, or get a pigeon from the communication coop, to issue a reply to the club’s statement.
Top pic: Silicon Valley of the non-league pyramid at the weekend.
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