Wanderers have profited greatly from the streaming boom over the last few years – but chief executive Neil Hart admits the time has come from a proper discussion on the way money is distributed.

The club made around £500,000 during the 2021/22 campaign from the EFL’s iFollow service, which allows supporters to purchase a pass to watch a given game via a laptop, phone or tablet.

Domestic viewers are currently unable to watch matches that kick off between 2.45-5.15pm on Saturdays or those which are picked for broadcast on television – although that will change during the upcoming World Cup Finals.

International viewers, which accounted for around 60 per cent of the iFollow passes sold by Bolton in the last 12 months, are subject to a different set of rules and access most matches.

Launched in 2017, the streaming service was somewhat of an afterthought until the pandemic, when it really came into its own. The EFL announced at the end of the 2020/21 season that clubs had generated more than £42million in revenue from a domestic and international audience, a timely boost given that fans were locked out of stadia.

During that Covid era, home clubs kept revenue from the first 500 streaming passes sold by the visiting team. Such was the huge demand when Wanderers played in League Two, that their earnings often eclipsed those of their hosts.

Nowadays, clubs keep 100 per cent of the net revenue from the UK match passes they sell, home or away, with a royalty going to the EFL for other digital subscriptions such as the sale of overseas match passes.

That arrangement has led to several dissenting voices within the league, the loudest being Accrington Stanley owner, Andy Holt, who has gone so far as to threaten to withdraw the iFollow service completely in protest.

Wanderers CEO Hart has found himself at the opposite end of the argument, often extolling the virtues of streaming but doing so from a League One club often selling more passes than clubs in the Championship.

“From our point of view, iFollow did really well last year in terms of revenue and engagement, and I think the product has also been enhanced by the EFL, which is great,” he told The Bolton News.

“I have first-hand experience – I was recently unwell and watched the MK Dons game at home and I thought the package and the offering had improved. I think it’s well worth £10.

“The whole thing looks better, and though I’d argue another camera angle would add to it, I am sure the EFL will look to develop that side of it further.

“Certainly, from our point of view, it has been an important form of revenue. And, importantly, it gives fans a chance to watch games they might not have ordinarily got to see.

“It has now been firmly established that all games outside the 3pm kick off on a Saturday will be broadcast, unless they have been picked up for TV. And that will be extended during the World Cup as well, so all games will be on iFollow. I think that’s a great opportunity.

“Of course, we want people to fill seats in the stadium – but that doesn’t stop us embracing streaming. It isn’t one or the other, it can be both.”

With all that said, Hart recognises there is a need to look at how the money made from iFollow is used. Such is the demand for some away games – where ticket allocations are not large enough to cater for travelling fans – Bolton can often make a tidy sum from travelling to one of the smaller stadia in midweek, such as Cheltenham Town back in October.

Hart says he would be willing to discuss a different approach.

“I don’t think clubs are against iFollow but I think there are clubs who are unhappy with the distribution of funds,” he said. “And what I’d say to that is: Let’s get around the table and have that debate.

“We need to have that discussion as clubs, sit down and talk to the EFL, agree a motion and a way of working. That’s what any group of sensible businesses should do.

“I would expect that will happen very soon and I totally get where some clubs are coming from.

“I am not speaking out of turn, but you look at the clubs in League One who have the larger attendances, bigger fanbases – Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton, Sunderland last year – and those clubs have done very well out of iFollow.

“Then there are the ones who have the smaller fanbases who have not done as well, and I understand the counter-argument, but I’d certainly be willing to talk about it to reach a model everyone is happier with.

“Streaming accelerated quickly during the pandemic because it had to meet a demand. And maybe there are aspects that do need to be readdressed as times change. But how can it not be a brilliant thing?

“Bolton Wanderers are away at Plymouth, take 500-600 fans, but have 21,000 who want to watch the game. Pay £10, watch on iFollow, and that has to be a great thing for the fans and for club revenue.

“And the offering has improved over the last two or three seasons. The information is good, the camera points are better, and we want to keep embracing it.”

In the summer, EFL clubs voted to expand the iFollow service, lifting the embargo on November and December’s Saturday games during the World Cup and also those played on Bank Holidays and rearranged which fall in midweek or on a spare Saturday.

There is an increasing view that the domestic Saturday blackout will be challenged in the future, possibly as early as 2024/25, although that too remains a hot topic of debate.

Wanderers’ commentary on iFollow is currently managed by community radio station, Bolton FM, who have found their own reach expanded exponentially by the international demand to listen to games.

Along with an ex-pat community, Bolton also have established supporter groups around the world which remain hugely loyal – and eager to tune in – with all the events at the UnBol.

Hart is hopeful that the iFollow content can continue to offer more value and keep every type of fan in touch with their club on a matchday.

“We have to improve streaming because it isn’t going away,” he said. “Let’s be honest, Bolton’s fanbase is global – there are fans all around the world.

“I know it is a slightly different point in terms of international access compared to domestic streaming but with the legacy supporter groups we have from the Premier League days we have big pockets of fans in Scandinavia, in Asia, South America, in the US, Africa, and without iFollow they wouldn’t be watching Bolton Wanderers, so why shouldn’t you give them the very best chance to do that? It is important for us to engage with them too.

“It is just a fact that Bolton have a larger global fanbase than some other clubs in League One. I am sorry about that – I don’t know how you work around it. I can’t moan about Manchester United having fans everywhere.

“There has been a formula and a model put in place, it has worked for some clubs, not so well for others. But I think now is a time to sit down and make it work.”