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England match to be internet only

Frank Lampard and John Terry

The England match will be limited to a maximum of one million subscribers

 

England's World Cup qualifier away in Ukraine on Saturday will be shown exclusively live to subscribers on the internet who will pay at least £4.99.

 

It will be the first time UK viewers cannot watch England live on TV.

 

Kentaro - an international agency appointed by the Ukrainian Football Federation - originally sold the UK rights for the game to Setanta.

 

But after the pay-TV firm collapsed, digital sport specialist Perform was appointed to stream the match online.

 

England have already qualified for the 2010 World Cup, winning all eight of their group matches.

 

It is understood none of the traditional broadcasters were willing to pay the asking price to screen the game, which kicks off at 1715 BST.

 

But the news has angered supporters who want to watch the action on television.

 

FA do not control away rights - Bevington

 

The match will be available on a dedicated website and viewers will be able to subscribe to it using PayPal, the electronic payment service.

 

Peter Silverstone, managing director of Kentaro, told BBC Sport: "You will watch as you would any other streaming on the internet, like YouTube or the BBC iPlayer - there will be a pop-up player that will show the match in a very good quality stream."

 

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is part of the studio team for the match, while Kentaro has promised "a top commentary team".

 

The cost of watching the game was being advertised on Monday in the Daily Express as £4.99 if viewers signed up before midnight on Wednesday.

 

Charges rise to £9.99 for those who subscribe on Thursday and Friday, and £11.99 on Saturday.

 

Silverstone insisted the project was "commercially viable".

 

"We have a huge marketing effort behind us with the various newspaper groups that will promote the match on their websites," he said.

 

"Commercially this will work and genuinely offers an exciting opportunity for us. We wouldn't embark on this project if we didn't feel it had strategic long-term value, this isn't a one-off shot."

 

Silverstone said Kentaro would take a maximum of one million subscribers for the match - which he said equates to about 2.5 million viewers - because this would be the "safe number to stop at to ensure the optimal broadcast".

 

The Odeon cinema chain will show the game live throughout the country, including at their flagship cinema at Leicester Square, but the match will not be available in pubs.

 

Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington admitted: "We would obviously like to see the game broadcast to as many people as possible" but insisted the matter was out of his organisation's hands.

 

"These are the rights of the Ukrainian FA and the agents they've appointed to sell them," he told BBC Sport.

 

"A traditional TV platform would be ideal to broadcast the game but it's not the case. It's not in our control."

 

A World Cup qualifier should be available for everybody on free to air TV

 

Mark Perryman

England travelling fan

 

ITV has the rights to home England games and, under the terms of their contract, has taken over Setanta's broadcast rights for away friendlies.

 

However, that aspect of the deal does not cover away qualifying games, and neither the BBC, ITV, Sky nor Channel Five made a successful bid for the match.

 

Perform streamed Manchester City and Spurs matches in the Uefa Cup last year when a TV deal could not be agreed - charging about £4 per game - and Bevington insisted: "We're obviously confident in the company that has got the rights - they're a very professional company".

 

However, travelling England fan Mark Perryman said the fact the match was available only on the internet was "disastrous and an outrage."

 

"A World Cup qualifier should be available for everybody on free-to-air TV," Perryman told BBC Sport.

 

"It seems to me there's a very simple solution - Fifa and Uefa should insist as a condition of entry that all nations sell their games to terrestrial stations, whether its the home or away market."

 

England defender Rio Ferdinand said he thought the broadcasting of the match marked "a good step forward" though.

 

England web match an outrage - Perryman

 

"I read that online advertising has taken over from TV, so that tells you something about where it's going in terms of the digital world," he told BBC Sport.

 

"So I'm sure it'll be the way forward and in the future it'll probably be the reality. I think it's a good way to gauge how many people are interested."

 

And Andrew Croker, executive chairman of Perform, insisted England fans would "embrace" the internet broadcast.

 

"I think consumers are pretty sophisticated now, particularly in the UK, where we have been in the vanguard of adopting new technology," he told BBC Sport.

 

"I think people want a choice - the chance to watch football in a different way. This is pioneering, very exciting and I think people will enjoy it."

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Guest Heneage

"Won't be shown in pubs" apparently.  Aye, can't imagine anyone being able to hook their laptop to a big screen like.

I can't see people being bothered to make the effort to go and watch it really, it's a meaningless game, might as well just watch Denmark vs Sweden on ESPN, big derby and the teams are playing for something.

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"Won't be shown in pubs" apparently.  Aye, can't imagine anyone being able to hook their laptop to a big screen like.

I can't see people being bothered to make the effort to go and watch it really, it's a meaningless game, might as well just watch Denmark vs Sweden on ESPN, big derby and the teams are playing for something.

 

Thought Germany was on ESPN ?

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"Won't be shown in pubs" apparently.  Aye, can't imagine anyone being able to hook their laptop to a big screen like.

I can't see people being bothered to make the effort to go and watch it really, it's a meaningless game, might as well just watch Denmark vs Sweden on ESPN, big derby and the teams are playing for something.

 

To be fair, it's the type of game I'd only watch at the pub.

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Guest Heneage

What a non-event, England are through, the squad is a bit experimental, I'd be amazed if they break even.

 

There's nothing experimental about it. ???

I think he'll give those in his squad that don't normally start a run out.

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How is it a weekend without football? All that is happening is 15 teams will qualify for the world cup, as well as all the playoffs for the final 5 spots being set. England's match is irrelevant for England, so anyone who simply likes football should be watching one of the qualifiers anyway. A weekend without Newcastle I assume you mean, but tbh, the team clearly needs the break as well, so all for the best.

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"How is it a weekend without football?"

 

because many on here wont bother to pay for wtching england.  AS there is no league games on then no football. I guess for the truely addicted there is the chance to watch other countries play.  BUt that doesnt interest me, and many other england fans wont be arsed watching country X play. Therefore no football.

 

"the team clearly needs the break as well,"

 

many of them playing international games tho ?.....our international star studded squad....erm thats probably a no then )

 

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What a non-event, England are through, the squad is a bit experimental, I'd be amazed if they break even.

 

There's nothing experimental about it. ???

I think he'll give those in his squad that don't normally start a run out.

 

Hmmm, we'll see. I'd be surprised if he makes too many changes to be honest.

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