Hibs TV - Overseas coverage (or lack of it)

[Forza Fred]

Appreciate that home based fans don't get live coverage, but at the other end of the world, while happy to get up at 3am to see the likes of Alloa covered live, when we DO get the chance of a European game to be beamed in real time, it makes the subscription and broken sleep worthwhile.

Therefore the non delivery of live coverage for the Brondby game disappointed many who follow from afar.

It appears that Brondby too, were annoyed that they could not beam live coverage to their fans, according to the Scotsman anyway.

What I and many others would like to know though is WHY there was no live coverage?

Hibs put out a pretty non specific statement and my email to Hibs tv has not been answered.

Anyone actually KNOW what the reason was?

[Amit]

Hi Forza Fred,

I posted the below on the Hibees Bounce a few minutes ago.

From what I understand the Club wanted to focus on attracting as many supporters as possible to come to Easter Road for our first competitive home match of the season.

I believe there have also been some piracy issues related to online streaming which the Club are looking into.

I've noted the feedback on overseas supporters not being able to view the match and will add this to the Board report.

GGTTH

Amit


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Andy74]

Watching the replayed game wasn't helped by the graphic for the second half showing a screen shot of the score fairly late in the game!

To add to the initial point it's the communication and honesty that was sadly lacking here as much as anything.

[Forza Fred]

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Hi Forza Fred,

I posted the below on the Hibees Bounce a few minutes ago.

From what I understand the Club wanted to focus on attracting as many supporters as possible to come to Easter Road for our first competitive home match of the season.

I believe there have also been some piracy issues related to online streaming which the Club are looking into.

I've noted the feedback on overseas supporters not being able to view the match and will add this to the Board report.

GGTTH

Amit


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks Amit.

I await your further feedback with interest.

Don't know the whole story so not having a whinge as such, but as a relatively new Hibs tv subscriber am disappointed, and also with what seems perennial 'late' advice as to whether matches are being televised or not being televised.

Its not particularly easy being a Hibee at the other end of the world, and while we can't make many matches like the home based fans, I'm sure the club knows how we still support them financially as much as we can.

Not sure how blocking a telecast to Australia and the U.S can result in many more bums on seats, but if it is to do with fears of possible local 'piracy ' of an overseas feed then perhaps the whole concept needs to be rethought, as I'm sure many won't want to be paying the monthly subscription to suddenly find out that there is no live coverage throughout the season.

We aint the only club with tv channels so 'presumably the others have found a solution.

[OsloHibs]

I cancelled Hibs TV as I had a feeling we weren't gonna get to see it- and sadly my feelings were right. And the reason Amit gives makes me very angry. Other clubs manage it- but hibs can't.

[Steve-O]

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Thanks Amit.

I await your further feedback with interest.

Don't know the whole story so not having a whinge as such, but as a relatively new Hibs tv subscriber am disappointed, and also with what seems perennial 'late' advice as to whether matches are being televised or not being televised.

Its not particularly easy being a Hibee at the other end of the world, and while we can't make many matches like the home based fans, I'm sure the club knows how we still support them financially as much as we can.

Not sure how blocking a telecast to Australia and the U.S can result in many more bums on seats, but if it is to do with fears of possible local 'piracy ' of an overseas feed then perhaps the whole concept needs to be rethought, as I'm sure many won't want to be paying the monthly subscription to suddenly find out that there is no live coverage throughout the season.

We aint the only club with tv channels so 'presumably the others have found a solution.

Agreed. I would suggest that people paying 8.99 and using a VPN to watch the game inside the UK are few and far between. I would VERY much doubt there are many people in Edinburgh who would rather pay 8.99 to watch an often unreliable stream rather than go to the game! If the game is actually on TV, that's a different story but nothing to do with this issue.

I'm not aware of any illegitimate streaming of Hibs TV. If there has been, I've never seen it. There is streaming via Periscope of course, but that's also another issue and hardly a great way to watch a match in any case.

Definitely agree on the point about the poor communication too. I was swithering about whether to re-subscribe to Hibs TV so that I could see this game, and yet a mere 12 hours or less before kick off, there was STILL no information about whether the game was going to be on. In the end I didn't bother and Hibs don't have my 8.99.

Surely it can't be that hard to have an employee who is focused on this sort of thing?

[KWJ]

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Watching the replayed game wasn't helped by the graphic for the second half showing a screen shot of the score fairly late in the game!

To add to the initial point it's the communication and honesty that was sadly lacking here as much as anything.

I've emailed them about this before and it didn't happen again for the remaining games of the season (that I noticed) so it's disappointed to see it come back.

The highlights are put together by a company that does a few other teams AFAIK so it's hard to imagine that they don't know what they're doing.

[KWJ]

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Agreed. I would suggest that people paying 8.99 and using a VPN to watch the game inside the UK are few and far between. I would VERY much doubt there are many people in Edinburgh who would rather pay 8.99 to watch an often unreliable stream rather than go to the game! If the game is actually on TV, that's a different story but nothing to do with this issue.

I'm not aware of any illegitimate streaming of Hibs TV. If there has been, I've never seen it. There is streaming via Periscope of course, but that's also another issue and hardly a great way to watch a match in any case.

Definitely agree on the point about the poor communication too. I was swithering about whether to re-subscribe to Hibs TV so that I could see this game, and yet a mere 12 hours or less before kick off, there was STILL no information about whether the game was going to be on. In the end I didn't bother and Hibs don't have my 8.99.

Surely it can't be that hard to have an employee who is focused on this sort of thing?

Agreed.

I'd imagine the piracy thing relates to folk in the UK using the VPN but as you mentioned, surely the few fans that do this are only doing so because they can't get to the game for one reason or another.

[GreenLake]

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Hi Forza Fred,

I posted the below on the Hibees Bounce a few minutes ago.

From what I understand the Club wanted to focus on attracting as many supporters as possible to come to Easter Road for our first competitive home match of the season.

I believe there have also been some piracy issues related to online streaming which the Club are looking into.

I've noted the feedback on overseas supporters not being able to view the match and will add this to the Board report.

GGTTH

Amit


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I find this explanation strange. Only those outside the UK can see the game so how does this affect the numbers they were hoping to attract from local people who are not able to watch live video on HibsTV?

This type of drastic action - one that punishes the majority of legitimate foreign subscribers along with a few local VPN hackers - does not seem like it was intelligently considered.

[Wee Effen Bee]

[QUOTE=Amit;4761054]Hi Forza Fred,

I posted the below on the Hibees Bounce a few minutes ago.

From what I understand the Club wanted to focus on attracting as many supporters as possible to come to Easter Road for our first competitive home match of the season.

I believe there have also been some piracy issues related to online streaming which the Club are looking into.

I've noted the feedback on overseas supporters not being able to view the match and will add this to the Board report.

GGTTH

Amit


Hi Amit. Good to see you are on the case and have responded very quickly. However, I think your answer just invites more questions: surely if the club were wanting more walk ups, preventing the televising of the game abroad - and leaving it till the last minute to let us know - probably wasn't the way to do it. I can only guess whoever decided this had taken into account the fact that a lot of subscribers would be extremely unhappy but felt it was justified at this time. If not, then it is an appallingly poor error of judgement IMHO.
I have had a season ticket for donkey's years, attend most away matches, continue to pay my £18:75 a month (even though it's been well over a year) and I have subscribed to Hibs TV for ages. I believed that when the time came to actually watch a meaningful game, when I was out of the country, I would be safe in the knowledge that HTV would kick in and I could watch the match I would have attended if I had been back in Edinburgh. Sadly this was not the case and, like a great many others, I was left frustrated and somewhat bemused at not being able to watch the team play their first competitive game of the season.
Here's hoping the decision-makers learn from yesterday and our overseas Hibbies won't be treated in the same way again. I know a few people have said they are cancelling their subscription due to this but I hope it is a knee-jerk reaction and, after some thought, they continue to tune in.
GGTTH

[scotiaf]

I can understand then potentially not wanting to televise the game to gain extra fans through the gates. But to decided not to show the game on Hibs tv ( which is designed for overseas viewers ) is an absolute disgrace. I was annoyed last year that numerous games were not shown due to UEFA but understood that was not Hibs fault.

However considering cancelling now.

On the run up to it there was no explanation, just a little finger pointing to the club by various sources.

Shambles

[Callum_62]

Pretty simple really - if Hibs chose not to show this game on there own TV channel, designed for overseas fans then its absolutely shocking

[Forza Fred]

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Pretty simple really - if Hibs chose not to show this game on there own TV channel, designed for overseas fans then its absolutely shocking

I'm inclined to wait for the explanation before getting too hot under the collar.

Both Supporters reps on the board are now aware of it, so presumably a 'feeshal' explanation should be forthcoming soon.....my original email has still went unanswered.

Certainly, if Amit's suggestion that because of an unquantified issue with 'Pirates' WAS the reason to deny innocent overseas supporters of the chance to follow the game live through the sometimes extremely dodgy looking Hibs Tv telecast, then I'm not sure it was a well thought out decision.

Watching a game on Hibs Tv is fraught with possibilities of freezing, buffering and various other internet maladies..it is difficult to think that the risks involved would convince someone not to attend the game if they possibly could, and instead take their chances watching it on a pirate feed.

[PeeJay]

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I'm inclined to wait for the explanation before getting too hot under the collar.

Both Supporters reps on the board are now aware of it, so presumably a 'feeshal' explanation should be forthcoming soon.....my original email has still went unanswered.

Certainly, if Amit's suggestion that because of an unquantified issue with 'Pirates' WAS the reason to deny innocent overseas supporters of the chance to follow the game live through the sometimes extremely dodgy looking Hibs Tv telecast, then I'm not sure it was a well thought out decision.

Watching a game on Hibs Tv is fraught with possibilities of freezing, buffering and various other internet maladies..it is difficult to think that the risks involved would convince someone not to attend the game if they possibly could, and instead take their chances watching it on a pirate feed.

The Hearts cup game last season was also "not shown" as were one or two other home games: there is some strange ongoing policy at work here (doesn't seem thought through to me) - Anyway, seems to me the subscribers of many years (in some instances) are being sold short here. The lack of communication is indeed shocking and it has been so for some time, ever since Andrew left IMO.
The broadcast quality you refer to has improved enormously since the old days when you really could hardly see anything. An email I sent to HIbs TV was forwarded to the Club, but as yet no answer. I've cancelled my subscription - as I live in Berlin I won't however be attending ER instead.

[The Green Goblin]

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The Hearts cup game last season was also "not shown" as were one or two other home games: there is some strange ongoing policy at work here (doesn't seem thought through to me) - Anyway, seems to me the subscribers of many years (in some instances) are being sold short here. The lack of communication is indeed shocking and it has been so for some time, ever since Andrew left IMO.
The broadcast quality you refer to has improved enormously since the old days when you really could hardly see anything. An email I sent to HIbs TV was forwarded to the Club, but as yet no answer. I've cancelled my subscription - as I live in Berlin I won't however be attending ER instead.

I've been watching the games from abroad for many years. Stream quality is now HD and stable; the the old buffering or other issues are long gone. Communication about stuff though, is still poor and inconsistent, unfortunately. Last night, I was in the UK, but up near Inverness, so wanted to listen to the game, but the audio player didn't appear on the page. I sent the form from the page and to be fair, a response was emailed to me, but by that point I had found it on Radio Scotland 810mw. Had I been where I normally am, of course, I couldn't have done this, as the BBC only broadcast radio coverage of games within the UK. As for the pirating issue, surely it is pretty straightforward to tell if someone is in the UK or not? I also pay my subscription with my "foreign" credit card etc.

[Billy Whizz]

Disappointed for all the overseas fans, Hibs have let you down

[Bamba]

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Pretty simple really - if Hibs chose not to show this game on there own TV channel, designed for overseas fans then its absolutely shocking

Living abroad, it was disappointing not to be able to see pictures last night. I think shocking is a bit of an overstatement but I'd have appreciated more notice.
I'll wait until there's an official explanation.

[JimBHibees]

On hols at the moment and subscribed assuming game would be shown. Assumed there was a rights issue with not showing game to now hear it was to encourage fans to go to the game because of piracy issues is completely nonsensical. The minute number Imo this would impact is in stark contrast to disappointed dedicated oversea fans who would feel let down by this. The lack of any sort of clear communication of this decision when the club must have known there would be many fans on holiday for this game smacks of a level of cynical manipulation I wouldn't like to associate with the club.

[Forza Fred]

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On hols at the moment and subscribed assuming game would be shown. Assumed there was a rights issue with not showing game to now hear it was to encourage fans to go to the game because of piracy issues is completely nonsensical. The minute number Imo this would impact is in stark contrast to disappointed dedicated oversea fans who would feel let down by this. The lack of any sort of clear communication of this decision when the club must have known there would be many fans on holiday for this game smacks of a level of cynical manipulation I wouldn't like to associate with the club.

Jim,

Generally us o/s fans are a placid lot, and generally accept what scraps are thrown our way, so I speak only for masel.

I've asked the question of Hibs TV as to WHY the game was not shown...at the moment there is Amit's suggestion that it was to ensure there were no piracy issues involved, but at the moment, until it is confirmed I'm treating it just as that, a suggestion.

If indeed it turns out to be the actual reason,then I agree it is an ill thought, or better described as NOT thought out decision.

If it was thought out, then whomever made this decision, must have realised that all overseas subscribers to Hibs TV would be mightily pssed off at being unceremoniously sacrificed without any explanation whatsoever.

The club have got many things right over the last couple of years, but if indeed what you suggest WAS the case then they have NOT got this right.

Without sounding too melodramatic about it, if, a nd again if, the suggestion is fact, then it appears that they had no problem with throwing us overseas fans out the lifeboat so to speak, and were/are prepared to simply ignore any flack as a result.

We may not get to many matches, but we DO support the club financially in any way we can, and it kinda would make me feel like second class supporter, despite the rhetoric coming out of ER.

Apart from not seeing the game, the thing that annoys me is the lack of a reason being given for the non transmission, especially as I have asked for one.

Amit said he would raise it at a board meeting, and I've contacted Big Frank who said he would find out the reason and get back to me, but That was only a day ago, so I haven't heard back from him yet.

I don't want to be too negative about it, as I say no feeshal reason has not been given yet...but it wouldn't do the club any harm to drop me a line and just let me know the reason.

Hibs are important to us all, and we would hope that we were important enough to the club to warrant some kind of explanation as to WHY, and some assurances that it wouldn't be repeated.

[Rougier45]

Thursday morning I agree to buy 20 KFK tickets - Thursday night my 7 year old is sitting in tears in his Hibs top with the Ross county league. Cup final date inscripted - crying because we can't see the game - no communication / we have season tickets also but will maybe see 1 or 3 games / this club treats the fans poorly - communication is bad and the fans are not treated properly - only real communication since May was a slap on the hands and a warning to not over celebrate winning the cup / thanks god for the silver lining that is Neil Lennon

[Dunedin Hibs]

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Jim,

Generally us o/s fans are a placid lot, and generally accept what scraps are thrown our way, so I speak only for masel.

I've asked the question of Hibs TV as to WHY the game was not shown...at the moment there is Amit's suggestion that it was to ensure there were no piracy issues involved, but at the moment, until it is confirmed I'm treating it just as that, a suggestion.

If indeed it turns out to be the actual reason,then I agree it is an ill thought, or better described as NOT thought out decision.

If it was thought out, then whomever made this decision, must have realised that all overseas subscribers to Hibs TV would be mightily pssed off at being unceremoniously sacrificed without any explanation whatsoever.

The club have got many things right over the last couple of years, but if indeed what you suggest WAS the case then they have NOT got this right.

Without sounding too melodramatic about it, if, a nd again if, the suggestion is fact, then it appears that they had no problem with throwing us overseas fans out the lifeboat so to speak, and were/are prepared to simply ignore any flack as a result.

We may not get to many matches, but we DO support the club financially in any way we can, and it kinda would make me feel like second class supporter, despite the rhetoric coming out of ER.

Apart from not seeing the game, the thing that annoys me is the lack of a reason being given for the non transmission, especially as I have asked for one.

Amit said he would raise it at a board meeting, and I've contacted Big Frank who said he would find out the reason and get back to me, but That was only a day ago, so I haven't heard back from him yet.

I don't want to be too negative about it, as I say no feeshal reason has not been given yet...but it wouldn't do the club any harm to drop me a line and just let me know the reason.

Hibs are important to us all, and we would hope that we were important enough to the club to warrant some kind of explanation as to WHY, and some assurances that it wouldn't be repeated.

Well said Sir, and spot on. Please sort it out Hibs for your fans abroad, who pay a subscription to watch our team when we can't be there.

[Brightside]

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I find this explanation strange. Only those outside the UK can see the game so how does this affect the numbers they were hoping to attract from local people who are not able to watch live video on HibsTV?

This type of drastic action - one that punishes the majority of legitimate foreign subscribers along with a few local VPN hackers - does not seem like it was intelligently considered.

Based on this website there are more than a few local VPN users... if people would stop trying to rip off the club it would make life easier.

[Callum_62]

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Based on this website there are more than a few local VPN users... if people would stop trying to rip off the club it would make life easier.

still no reason to not show it for the real overseas fans to be fair

[Andy74]

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Based on this website there are more than a few local VPN users... if people would stop trying to rip off the club it would make life easier.

I think the practice is probably very far from ripping off the club.

I'll be up front and say that I pay monthly for an international subscription. I like to be able to use if it if I happen to be away anywhere.

If for whatever rare reason I can't make a home game then yes, I will use a VPN if I am somewhere I can get access online.

Hibs will very much gain from this - they have the season ticket money from me and my daughter, they have the monthly subscription on an ongoing basis. I would imagine there are many who pay monthly for a service they barely use just so they can keep in touch with the game when
they do happen to need it.

This is miles away from ripping off the club - it's actually giving them free money most of the time.

I don't buy that anyone would use a subscription and use a VPN every week instead of a home season ticket - that person would never have bought a ticket anyway.

[PeeJay]

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I think the practice is probably very far from ripping off the club.

I'll be up front and say that I pay monthly for an international subscription. I like to be able to use if it if I happen to be away anywhere.

If for whatever rare reason I can't make a home game then yes, I will use a VPN if I am somewhere I can get access online.

Hibs will very much gain from this - they have the season ticket money from me and my daughter, they have the monthly subscription on an ongoing basis. I would imagine there are many who pay monthly for a service they barely use just so they can keep in touch with the game when
they do happen to need it.

This is miles away from ripping off the club - it's actually giving them free money most of the time.

I don't buy that anyone would use a subscription and use a VPN every week instead of a home season ticket - that person would never have bought a ticket anyway.

It's illegal to broadcast the stream in the UK (overseas subscribers only?), so it is a rip-off, no two ways about it. While you may pay to the club - as you say - "most" others probably don't. (Not the regular overseas' subscribers, of course ...)

I also think there is an issue of bandwidth involved - it has to be purchased by the club to cater for the subscribers viewing: it is not unlimited and the more "rogue" users borrowing the stream for free, the more the stream drops in quality. I know we live in the "Internet Age" and many people feel that being able to get something for free means that it is OK, but it's not really, is it?

[Callum_62]

I have never seen an illegal stream of Hibs TV anywhere?

has anyone else?

[Hibrandenburg]

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I think the practice is probably very far from ripping off the club.

I'll be up front and say that I pay monthly for an international subscription. I like to be able to use if it if I happen to be away anywhere.

If for whatever rare reason I can't make a home game then yes, I will use a VPN if I am somewhere I can get access online.

Hibs will very much gain from this - they have the season ticket money from me and my daughter, they have the monthly subscription on an ongoing basis. I would imagine there are many who pay monthly for a service they barely use just so they can keep in touch with the game when
they do happen to need it.

This is miles away from ripping off the club - it's actually giving them free money most of the time.

I don't buy that anyone would use a subscription and use a VPN every week instead of a home season ticket - that person would never have bought a ticket anyway.

You might not be harming the club financially but you're not exactly helping your fellow Hibbies living abroad who this service is intended for. If because Hibs start losing these paying fans because the service is being abused then it may well hit the club in the pocket.

FWIW I no longer subscribe to Hibs TV because it's proved unreliable and there's only so many times I'm willing to pay for it only to be left sat with my beer and popcorn and no match to watch.

[Andy74]

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It's illegal to broadcast the stream in the UK (overseas subscribers only?), so it is a rip-off, no two ways about it. While you may pay to the club - as you say - "most" others probably don't. (Not the regular overseas' subscribers, of course ...)

I also think there is an issue of bandwidth involved - it has to be purchased by the club to cater for the subscribers viewing: it is not unlimited and the more "rogue" users borrowing the stream for free, the more the stream drops in quality. I know we live in the "Internet Age" and many people feel that being able to get something for free means that it is OK, but it's not really, is it?

How are people not paying the club?

We aren't talking about watching some stream from another source - we are talking about paying a monthly subscription to a service. Hibs get the money for it, know the numbers and so its up to them to provide a stream that can cope with it frankly.

Hibs will make money out of this, no doubt, so again we need to be careful we aren't chucking the bay out with the bathwater on some of this stuff. Would the service still be viable without the level of subscription they currently get? I'll be in to the hundreds of pounds paid on it and have probably used it about three times.

[PeeJay]

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How are people not paying the club?

We aren't talking about watching some stream from another source - we are talking about paying a monthly subscription to a service. Hibs get the money for it, know the numbers and so its up to them to provide a stream that can cope with it frankly.

Hibs will make money out of this, no doubt, so again we need to be careful we aren't chucking the bay out with the bathwater on some of this stuff. Would the service still be viable without the level of subscription they currently get? I'll be in to the hundreds of pounds paid on it and have probably used it about three times.

Well, you may pay, BUT as I said not everybody will - I think that is a problem. The lack of broadband width to accommodate non-payers is hardly a problem of the club - it has however - in the past been a problem for bona fide subscribers who have seen the stream go down because of the rogue viewers I keep going on about, piracy may also be causing the club problems, I don't know (?) ... Whatever, I have now cancelled my subscription, so you and the "others" can now fund it .

[Dunedin Hibs]

While the European games may be an 'add on' to our monthly/annual fee it is surely absolute bull**** to deny Hibs TV abroad paying fans access to at least a home game. I ended up - after several frustrated minutes watching it on Periscope...wasn't that wonderful! Sort it out out Hibs. Shocking.