Bumble 'saddened' as Lancashire introduce paywall for County Championship streams
The launch of Lancs TV+ was announced on Tuesday evening
Lancashire’s live streaming of County Championship fixtures is going behind a paywall.
The Red Rose have launched a new ‘premium tier’ of their highly-praised Lancs TV - which will become the ‘exclusive online home’ of all Men’s live matches. Existing Lancs members will get automatic access at no additional cost but non-members, and supporters of other clubs, will need to pay £20 for a season pass.
Lancashire say they are investing ‘approximately £250,000’ per-year in its digital offering, with the new LancsTV+ also offering exclusive content, special documentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and extended player interviews. All women’s fixtures will remain free on YouTube ‘in line with the club’s ongoing commitment to growing the women’s game’.
The first match to be broadcast exclusively on LancsTV+ will be the County Championship clash against Middlesex, which starts on Friday, 8 May. The news sparked a strong backlash among several Lancashire fans, with club legend David ‘Bumble Lloyd reacting on X with: ‘I am saddened by this’.
Full live streams had been free to watch for fans on YouTube. Now, the opening ten minutes will be available for free before being taken over by a live scorecard, radio commentary and replays. To watch the full broadcast, the only place will be LancsTV+. The Telegraph report that Lancs are exploring scope for a pay-per-match/day option.
Lancashire have 180,000 subscribers on YouTube and the stream of their pulsating, day four win over Derbyshire this week brought in 39k views. There were 38k views on day three, 33k on day two and 42k on day one. The Red Rose, captained by James Anderson, drew with Northants in their season opener before their remarkable victory over Derbyshire.
The decision with LancsTV+ comes at an interesting time for the club. Last month, it was reported that David Lloyd and fellow former player, Paul Allott, were leading a ‘rebel group’ over concerns about the running and direction of the club. The crux of that was a view of Lancashire prioritising business interests over cricket, with Michael Atherton, Neil Fairbrother and Mike Watkinson also said to be involved.
The Telegraph’s latest report states that a pair of ‘awkward special general meetings’ were held last week. One is said to have been adjourned, before 63 per cent of members voted against board recommendations at the other.