Coliseum Sports - EPL Overlords

Yes, they were. The alternative is paying sky to show the games. It is better for sports looking for exposure, and it shows they don't need sky to do it any more. Which is what I said. I never said they made millions from it. 

The question I posed was about bigger sports who can currently command a fee from sky, nothing to do with the free streaming of the above games (NBL is actually on a subscription basis with a low fee by the way)

Yeah it probaby is the future but it does need to be of an equivalent quality to the HD broadcast the likes of Sky can provide to keep a lot of people. Using PLP as an example, as a hardcore fan who can't go without watching my team, I'll keep it because a slighty worse picture and some judder, while annoying, is better than not being able to see it at all. But many who don't care as much about a team may have been disappointed with the free trial and will stick with the free TV One live game and delayed games on Sommet and/or Sky. In fact even my brother who is a harcore United fan was disappointed enough with the trial on his setup in the weekend that he's probably going to stick with dodgy free streams and delayed MUTV.

It needs to be easy to use too. Sure it's easy enough for tech savvy people like some of us, but there are still a lot of people who simply can't cope with things like setting up apps or airplay, and setting up new routers that can cope with it etc. I even had to guide my Dad through the registration process over the phone, let alone setting up on his TV. The ideal I guess would be apps for every brand of Smart TV rather than exclusive deals with one brand.

Once everyone has fibre in a few years this way of delivery should start to become more mainstream. At the moment there are still too many people with internet connections that can't cope with HD streaming.

Fwiw, since there's no unified development platform to use to write SmartTV apps that'll work on many different brands of TV, it's not financially viable to develop one for each different brand of TV. The deal they have with Samsung isn't exclusive per se, the reason that there's an app available for Samsung TVs is because Samsung developed it themselves.

Fair enough. That's still a major barrier for some.

I agree, but while PLP would be adding new customers by getting SmartTV apps developed for a wide range of brands, those customers would be costing them money, not making them money.

True, but then surely a business has to spend money setting up in the short term to make money by holding onto customers in the long term doesn't it? Would have thought getting a range of apps setup to cover as many people as possible was essential for a internet service starting up.

If this is the way of the future (and I can tell you working in IT that everything is moving to an online delivery model/platform from a global perspective) you need to be able to look at catering to this because NZ will catch up. Even Sky have built their own apps although I would question the amount of patronage of them with the set top box dominance they have. I don't really know if PLP have an app for iOS or Android but you would expect them to knock those two out of the park straight away. My mum can't even drive a microwave and my dad has a bit more smarts but has only just kinda gotten his head around a Blackberry. You tell them to do this that and the other and you will not engage them. Give my Dad an iPad, I'm sure even he can swipe and push an app icon.

Because of those two ecospheres and their growing dominance in the everyday world, you have to cater to them straight off the bat. Otherwise you are on the backfoot. Pretty much most houses have an iOS or Android device of some kind so cater to the audience and what they 'can' use with ease.

I still maintain though that majority probably want to watch sport on their large screen TV, not a 4 inch phone screen.

Absolutely but if you are a fanatic and aren't minded in an IT manner (like my Dad), what are you gonna do? I'm not driving to New Plymouth every time he wants to watch Manchester United to set it up for him. Hence you create the app on the two biggest platforms and try to reach people. It's better than a 'this or nothing' scenario if you don't. You try to give your product as much reach as you possibly can so even those that aren't like the Keegans and Patricks and can do it easily, you can reach the guys the go 'well stuff this, I need an IT guy'

McDs do the same. They are a fast food fat burger joint (apologies to my friend Mr Riley) but that's what they do. They also offer apples and water so mums that are paranoid can at least offer something to their little Johnny. It's not the best, but it still gives them something - putting yourself out there to your entire market and capturing all that you can.

Surely apps for the major TV brands does this, and are similarly easy to use. Are the majority of people not so tech savvy really going to settle for watching it on their phone?

To confirm Chris Kerr, yes PLP have android and ios apps. 

I use the android one fairly regularly if I'm not at home, usually on a tablet but occasionally my phone. 

The android one is exclusive to Samsung devices isn't it?

I downloaded a samsung app for my 10" android tab3. Works brilliantly.

you can ring them up and they will send you the app file if you don't have a samsung phone/tablet, from what I've seen on twitter that is the case anyway.

bit of speculation on nbr that sky are facing competition for the rugby world cup rights next year from coliseum

edit: they did bid but were outbid when sky doubled their opening bid apparently. plus they bid $6m for the F1.

Good god - NZ would explode if that happened...

with the rwc I believe they sell free-to-air and pay tv rights, they would of had a partnership with TVNZ for free to air games. so there would still be some games on traditional tv (probably all blacks, and the finals, I'm guessing) says they probably won't go for the world cup or f1 rights as the irb and fia aren't really keen on the internet stuff at the moment

There's no way Sky will be letting any rugby go, it's pretty much their business model.

Yes, but force the price of the rugby up, and you give yourself a better shot at other sports as Sky will have a budget cap, and unless they keep bidding up they will lose somewhere....

So far paid 4x as much as last time for the F1 rights, and had to double their opening bid for the World Cup Rugby...something is going to have to give eventually.

It will... they'll increase their pricing.

I agree that is what will give first, but there is a point where while keeping it bundled they will not be able to keep increasing price. Of course some people will pay it no matter what, but I only got Sports this time around as it was free for 6 of 12 months, at the end of 12 months (June) I will be looking at dumping Sport. As I watch my NFL, EPL & NHL online already, I can get a free top quality stream of V8s, IRL and Triathlon as they are free to air online elsewhere. F1 I can find too, so that leaves me with A-League, All Whites and that's about it...(Pretty much not watching Rugby anymore).

Of course can't get rid of Sky itself because wife & daughter want their stuff :P

yeah they can only pass so much of that cost on. I'd suggest since they've been a monopoly for so long that they're already charging toward the upper limit. 

As competition grows the product becomes more elastic, which means consumers are more sensitive to price. Affecting their ability to just put prices up whenever their costs rise.

This thread is sooo funny. I use IE and never had a problem.

Watching baseball on mysky for 3 hours only for the recording to stop in the bottom of the 9th. 

MLB.TV > SkyTV

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/1041149...

less content with a higher price. Only so far they can stretch that. 

Yeah that's an annoying issue with Sky that often happens on ESPN. If something on another channel goes on longer than scheduled, the schedule will adjust and the recording will extend accordingly. Any matches that went to penalties in the World Cup for example. But it doesn't seem to with ESPN, I assume because Sky doesn't control the channel. You'd think they could find a way to link it to their scheduling though for this kind of thing happening. I have had recordings stop during extra time of CL and FA Cup games on ESPN so usually make sure to set the next programme to record, or do a manual recording to set it for long enough time.

it's usually with games they don't bother to monitor and manually extend. 

The worst is when it extends. But cancels your next recording on other channel

Was clean shaven when the screen first froze ....

has never frozen on me once. 

Recording stopped  ... screen froze ... potatoes .... potartoes

(I must pay more attention

 I must pay more attention ...500x)

Silliness aside, I have been pretty happy with the flexibility and functionality that PLP and the Sky Go apps offer (would love a Nexus android PLP app).  And could just do with a bit more broadband speed in my neck of the woods.

Apparently, you can email them or call them and they will tell you how to download the app to your Nexus. I have a N5 and I might give it a try.

Yep, good call.  Will try that.  Feel free to let me/thread know how it goes.

Just going to put this here...

com.neulion.android.plp-4.0811.apk

Thanks Patrick !

Installed. Working good. Even get a one month free trial !

This topic really should be in the geek thread

Turfmoore, have you done it mate ?