We’d done ourselves proud in the first two games of a tough start to the season, could we round it off with another good result? For sure on paper the challenge looked daunting, against a team relegated from the Premiership. At the same time, we know as well as anyone how difficult it can be to adjust after dropping down from the top flight, with the squad having to be reorientated; and Leicester had needed a late goal to see off troubled Sheffield Wednesday at home before losing their second fixture at Preston (albeit also to a late goal, laid on apparently by a certain Small). So there were grounds for cautious optimism.
It wasn’t to be, at least in terms of the result. It would be good to give a report on the game, but that’s not possible, because I couldn’t watch it. Not because I wasn’t set up and ready to go, being a subscriber to Charlton TV. But because the game was on Sky and this time around Sky decided it would be shown via their partners in France, so for us waiting access was blocked.
Nobody blames the club for not being able to stream the game. That’s out of their hands - and notice was given on the club site that it would be unavailable in most European countries, I hadn’t checked. But for an overseas Addick in a country which at its discretion Sky decides it will block access via Charlton TV, the first option is to subscribe to EFL’s broadcast partner in the country (not always possible and often not if you want access for just a day), second might be to find a bar showing the game (but get real, an English second division game for early afternoon Saturday, you’d have to find an outright sports bar somewhere close to hand), the third is of course VPN, which can work out (it didn’t for me yesterday) and of course adds to the cost.
I’m no longer sure of the current price of an annual subscription to the Charlton Live service, including streaming of games, as my sub runs from December to December – and the club site doesn’t show the option of subscribing annually. It does say that a monthly pass costs £35, which if you assume that the season runs for 10 months (August-May) adds up to £350. Charlton season tickets are priced at between £375 (£295 and less for selected groups) and £695 (£550 and less). I don’t think anyone would argue that going to the game is a more valuable experience. Just how much more the cost of a matchday ticket versus a Charlton TV live stream should be is a matter of opinion. But when making comparisons add in the following.
Someone buying a Charlton season ticket is making a commitment to the club. So are International Addicks taking out an annual stream subscription; they can do no more as it’s plainly daft to buy a season ticket, unless you want to spend a fortune in travel costs. But the former – for good reason - get certain perks, such as privileged access to certain match tickets (including the play-offs). The latter do not. If you are a season ticket holder and cannot get to the match, you accept that as part of the package (you may give your pass to a friend, let’s not pretend it doesn’t happen). But you don’t get told that some games you simply are not allowed to go to because Sky says so – and you may only get told this a day or two before the game. And if an International Addick travels for a game at The Valley, not only do they incur the travel costs involved, they buy a matchday ticket for a game they have already paid to access via the stream.
None of us question that the club’s priority is - and should be - to fill The Valley. We all want to see that. I assume that the club also places some value on having a thriving community of international supporters. They are a mix of ex-pats like me and others who have decided, for whatever reason, that Charlton is for them. We fly the flag, spread the word, help to raise the profile of the club wherever and whenever we can.
We’ve already seen the quality of the Charlton TV service seriously lowered. It was excellent before the new Sky deal, with a pre-match show, half-time discussion, and post-match analysis, usually including an interview with the manager. (It’s accepted that those living in the UK and not able to get to The Valley have suffered a worse fate, having to subscribe to Sky.) The monthly shows are entertaining but not a substitute for what went before. Now we are being slapped in the face by not being able to view games that we have paid to see. How many more games this season will go the same way as yesterday?
I’m aware that there are ongoing discussions concerning these issues between international supporters’ representatives and the club. So this isn’t a diatribe against the club, hopefully just a nudge in the right direction. Being able to watch Charlton games is the lifeline for those of us living overseas and the club itself now gets a great deal more from the EFL’s TV deal than it used to. I hope it will take these things into account.
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