Spurs Women romped through to the next round of the FA Cup last weekend, beating Leicester 3-0. However, disappointingly for those who could not attend, it was not selected by TNT Sports for broadcast. The company showed four games on fourth round weekend, a big step forward in coverage of the competition.
Having not been selected, Tottenham were allowed to show their match on the club’s streaming service SPURSPLAY. However, the arrangement meant they had to put this coverage behind the paywall.
SPURSPLAY contains paywalled and non-paywalled content. Men’s Premier League 2 games are shown live on the service. Women’s League Cup games were broadcast there too. That Sunday’s game also required a paid subscription frustrated many fans, including me. It seemed a good opportunity to show the contest for free, potentially attracting those who do not usually watch the women’s side.
Of course, the club could argue that requiring a subscription helps generate revenue. (A subscription is £45, or £35 with a season ticket.) I am unconvinced as to how many people would sign-up as a result of hitting the paywall for this particular match. It seems more beneficial in the medium to long-term to make it free to watch and try and bring in new fans. However, I accept that the case about revenue can be made.
Whatever side of the argument you take, my understanding is that Spurs were required to make this a subscriber-only event as part of the deal with the FA that allowed them to show the game.
Extended highlights are available, for free, here.
