The FAI announced today that WATCHLOI will be replaced by a brand new streaming service after the mid season break. First introduced last year, WATCHLOI allowed League of Ireland supporters to purchase streams on a season or match-by-match basis.
After some much publicised teething problems, including patchy audio & video quality, the service provided many fans with live match coverage while in lockdown. However the FAI admitted last February that the service was “not a commercial success” in 2020. Only 11,000 users signed up last season, although around 6,000 season ticket holders were given complimentary passes.
In March, WATCHLOI announced that they would be only be providing Premier Division streams up until the mid season break, which arrives on 29th May. While WATCHLOI have streamed every Premier Division game so far this season, many supporters have been frustrated with the lack of live replays on the platform. Its understood that this wont be an issue when the new streaming service arrives.
FAI league director Mark Scanlon told the media today that “WATCHLOI was created to ensure that we supplied high-quality coverage of the Premier Division to supporters in Ireland and across the world. I’d like to thank the production staff and commentators for their fantastic coverage and passion for the league.”
Looking ahead to June, Scanlon added that “we will be heading in a different direction after the mid season break with a new streaming platform. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.”
In other news, Bohemians announced their own new streaming service today. The northside club have joined up with NoName media to provide “comprehensive, three- camera coverage for all home games this season after the mid-season break”
The new stream will include replays, analysis and punditry, with past players and club figures also appearing. Season ticket holders and members will have access to the service free of charge, with pricing for other users yet to be confirmed.