The internet wants your money

Filed in archive News on August 19, 2009

© vramak



Breaking news in online sports? You're going to need a credit card.

The England v. Ukraine World Cup Qualifier in October will only be shown online, and only to subscribers who've dished out at least £4.99. The BBC covered the story.

This is the first time an international game like this will not broadcast on television and will require payment to watch. So as you can imagine, this angered quite a few sports fans. But is this the future of entertainment?

There's always been an issue in trying to monetize online video. Sites like Youtube and Hulu have been trying different tactics without much success. And more and more TV programs are downloaded as torrents or found streaming online. But moving something normally shown on television to a subscription only service is a brand new twist.

But is it really a twist? Boxing has had pay-per-view since cable began, and people pay for movies or even extra channels all the time. What makes an online subscription so different?

Mostly its a test. Many people think that television is moving completely online, so this will be a good gauge. How many people subscribe (the stream can handle 2.5 million viewers) and the level of backlash will pave the way for future online video ventures.

So if you want to see the qualifying game, or just want to see the future of video, go check out www.ukrainevengland.com. (Note: if you happen to live in the USA, you can't watch the game, sorry. Apparently broadcasting rights restrict North America.)

Do you think only showing the game online is a good idea? Why?