The EFL has launched a platform which will allow fans who live outside of Ireland and the United Kingdom to stream its matches live.
The EFL has launched a new service, called iFollow, that will be available for the 2017-18 regular season, according to a press release. It’s the first time EFL live streaming will be available in countries other than Ireland and the UK.
The service will be available for U.S. fans at a rate of about $121, and Canadian fans for about $165. That will buy users access to up to 46 live matches per club per season. There are a few disclaimers, however. Not all EFL clubs are participating at this point, and some matches won’t be viewable because the EFL’s overseas broadcast partners have the rights to them. The press release did not state which clubs are not participating, but states that the majority of clubs have opted in. Those clubs which aren’t participating in iFollow will provide fans with their own club-specific streaming services.
Making over 1,500 matches available to stream to international fans made a lot of sense for the EFL. Its research found that 55 percent of the league’s fans are located in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, the league found that 73 percent responded as very likely or quite likely to subscribe to a streaming subscription service and over half of respondents indicated similar willingness to pay an annual fee for the service.
iFollow has been built by NeuLion, a U.S. tech company who does similar work for the Premier League, the NBA and the NFL. The announcement of iFollow comes in conjunction with the launch of new web sites and apps for the EFL and its member clubs. Altogether, the press release touts the digital properties as comprising the largest sporting digital network in the world.
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With iFollow, EFL matches will be available to new markets, which also creates new room for sponsorship revenue. The investment that the EFL has made in growing its brand internationally could pay off big.