Rovers fans outside the UK will be able to watch the opening game of the Sky Bet League One season live through our new iFollow Rovers service.
Launched for the 2017/18 season, more than one million people have already visited the iFollow club platforms ahead of the new campaign, with the innovative service set to revolutionise the way overseas EFL fans follow their team.
More than 1,500 matches will be available in HD quality this season across the iFollow network. Subscribers will pay the equivalent of £110 per season for the service which will provide coverage of up to 46 live games per club.
League matches selected for live TV coverage, including those on Sky Sports and one other Saturday 3pm kick-off that will be broadcast internationally, will NOT be available to stream on iFollow.
iFollow Rovers and the club’s new website has been optimised for all devices ahead of the 2017/18 campaign. Fans based in the UK and Ireland will still also have access to live audio commentary, highlights packages and exclusive content as part of the new offering, rebranded to replace the EFL’s former Rovers Player platform.
EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "“For football fans - wherever they may be in the world - fixture release day is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the calendar and this year it has added significance as we are in a position to announce the opening weekend’s games that will be streamed live on our new iFollow service in what is a first for English football.
“We are confident that iFollow will revolutionise the way thousands of EFL supporters overseas gain access to their Club, which will not only provide a potentially significant new revenue stream for our Clubs but also help raise the profile of our competitions on the international stage.”
MATCHES AVAILABLE ON iFOLLOW OR COMPARATIVE CLUB SERVICE
SATURDAY 5 AUGUST, 2017 (ALL 3PM KICK OFF)
Sky Bet Championship
Bristol City v Barnsley
Burton Albion v Cardiff City
Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
Nottingham Forest v Millwall
Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday
Queens Park Rangers v Reading
Sheffield United v Brentford
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough
Sky Bet League One
Bradford City v Blackpool
Bury v Walsall
Charlton Athletic v Bristol Rovers
Doncaster Rovers v Gillingham
Fleetwood Town v Rotherham United
Milton Keynes Dons v Wigan Athletic
Oldham Athletic v Oxford United
Peterborough United v Plymouth Argyle
Portsmouth v Rochdale
Scunthorpe United v A.F.C. Wimbledon
Shrewsbury Town v Northampton Town
Southend United v Blackburn Rovers
Sky Bet League Two
Accrington Stanley v Colchester United
Carlisle United v Swindon Town
Chesterfield v Grimsby Town
Coventry City v Notts County
Crawley Town v Port Vale
Crewe Alexandra v Mansfield Town
Exeter City v Cambridge United
Forest Green Rovers v Barnet
Luton Town v Yeovil Town
Morecambe v Cheltenham Town
Stevenage v Newport County
Wycombe Wanderers v Lincoln City
ABOUT iFOLLOW:
Background
The EFL has been working with partners Realise and Neulion to provide the EFL and clubs with an exciting new digital platform that has replaced the current club websites and Rovers Player product.
Live Streaming
· The biggest change to the product is the ability for clubs to stream full live video coverage of matches for fans based overseas only (e.g. outside of UK and Ireland);
· Not every game will be available for live streaming purposes via club websites - 148 of the 1,656 games per season will remain the exclusive right of the broadcast partner in each country;
· Live streaming to overseas fans operates on a paid-for subscription model through club media services – e.g. website and app.
Audio Commentary
· As part of the iFollow Rovers product, live audio commentary for those within the UK & Ireland will continue to be available;
· Audio commentary is also available internationally.
The Costs
· The cost of a season pass for the live streaming product is £110.