Despite the English football pyramid being the richest in the world by a significant margin and the Premier League generating around £6.3 billion per year, non-league clubs across the country often struggle. It’s these clubs at the bottom, though, that represent what the English game is about, as they offer communities a chance to connect and an opportunity for young players.
Worcester City FC is a prime example of a club that has been around for most of football’s history, and it has a buzzing local scene at the club. Now, live streaming could offer a way for more people to connect with clubs such as Worcester City and bring in more revenue for the team.
Live Streaming Has Taken the UK By Storm
The days of people having to live near a club like Worcester City to be able to support it could be nearly over. While live streaming in high level football has existed for decades, there has also been a live steaming in other sectors and platforms, which has enabled people to experience a range of real world settings from the comfort of their homes. Social media has been at the heart of the technology’s boom, with sites like Facebook and YouTube offering everyday users a chance to transmit live videos and give their viewers a chance to participate in the action through comments.
Online gaming is another example. For example, the online bingo industry has played a role, and now it’s possible to find live bingo games that make players feel as if they’re sitting in a bingo hall. This is a great example of how you no longer need to be somewhere to feel a part of something, and it can apply to non-league football clubs like Worcester City as well.
Technology Enables More People to Connect with the Football Club
Even though Worcester City has been around since 1902, there has been plenty of turmoil over the years, and the club almost faced financial ruin at one point. For local teams in the lower echelons of the English game, generating enough cashflow to stay afloat can be difficult. That’s because the main source of revenue is from ticket sales to locals, with few people from outside the area having any interest in the team.
This could all change thanks to the rise of live streaming and the ability to promote content to a wider audience. Part of the reason why Worcester City has historically only attracted people from the area is because there has been no other way for fans from different regions to discover them. With good content creators who can promote the team and make it appeal to more people, there’s a chance that Worcester City could grow its fanbase.
This has already been seen with Wrexham over the last few years, with the Welsh club climbing up three divisions, largely thanks to shrewd marketing after the Hollywood takeover in 2020. This is an inspiring model that others could potentially try to follow.
Worcester City and other non-league clubs have an opportunity that simply wasn’t available to them a few years ago, and should seek to take advantage of it. The continued rise of live streaming means that, with good quality content, these smaller clubs can widen their fan bases.
