Participant Observations 14/12/2020 - The 2021 AFL Floating Fixture

This is concerning.

After locking in the fixture for the first six rounds next year, the AFL is introducing a floating fixture for weeks 7-23

This concerns me for several reasons. Firstly, as a member from a regional area, a floating fixture is going to make it difficult to plan when I can go to games. My weekends in the winter are made up with Masters games of football, and this will make commitments with them compromised as well.

Secondly, the cynic in me says that while the AFL may appear to be doing this for COVID reasons, they are in fact making the fixture more broadcaster friendly, and less about the fans.

Broadcasters are not locked into the fixture from round 7 onwards, and can lobby the AFL for what Friday and Saturday night games they want. This puts less equity in the free-to-air coverage for teams. Great for the broadcasters, but what about the fans.

I remember working at Fox Sports when the NRL had a floating fixture. the NRL executives at that time would obviously make their decisions based on the highest rating match-ups, with no consideration at all for the fan interests.

For me, this is another indicator the AFL is acquiescing to the broadcasters when it comes to the fixture, which serves their bottom line more than the fans attending the games, or even watching on television, especially those of the under represented clubs.

I appreciate that the AFL may need to create value for the broadcaster in the fixture over the next few years to compensate for a loss of revenues during COVID, but once this decision has been made, I think it's very unlikely it will ever go back to the way it was.

With a full fixture locked in for the season, I could plan a weekend to Melbourne months in advance, when I knew there might be three or four games on there in a particular weekend.

Can't help but feel this decision is not made in the fans interest.

Participant Observations 14/12/20 - Chromecast Ultra

 So after battling with my 1st generation chromecast and trying to get it to work with Kayo, over the weekend I decided to bite the bullet and buy a better version that is supported by Kayo.

The Chromecast Ultra was $79 and supports 4K and HDR streaming.

I have to say, first impressions are pretty good. It installed easily and on the first go. It has not experienced any noticeable lag or pixilation, and it streams Kayo seamlessly.

I bought the Ultra instead of the 3rd Gen model ($50), because I wanted the 4K and HDR capabilities,  but on reflection, I'm unlikely to stream anything in this format. Most of the content I watch in that format comes through the Netflix and YouTube apps installed on my smart TV, so possibly should've gone with the cheaper option, but my last chromecast lasted for over 4 years, so if I can get the same amount of time out of this one, I will have no reason to complain.

I plan on giving my old chromecast to mum for Xmas.

I've already noticed that I'm watching less FTA because of the Chromecast dongle. Basically, Kayo now is the go-to option a lot more often, It loads faster than the old chromecast, and it's pretty easy to switch channels via the iPad tablet that I stream from.

My iPad will also become the media center in the living room now. There is less need for me to stream any content through the gaming PC anymore, except maybe Twitch, but I'd be surprised if there's not an app for that that I can't install on the iPad as well.

Side note: I also purchased a new HDMI cable for the gaming PC-Smart TV connection, after the old one was dropping out all the time. The new cable works perfectly. 

All set for Summer now (Hopefully!!)

Participant Observations 8/12/20 - Kayo subscription renewed

 On Friday night, I renewed my subscription with Kayo streaming service, and there were a few things to take away from the decision behind it, and the performance of the service since I last had it.

Firstly, having exclusive ownership over rights works! I wanted to watch the T20 between Australian and India on Friday night, and the only way to (legally) watch the game was via Kayo, as there is no free-to-air coverage of the T20 or ODIs, thanks Cricket Australia's last rights agreement. So I signed up, and now have it back on.

Secondly, the performance of the app still has not improved much since I last had it. Chromecasting from the app on my iPad is ok for about 5-10 minutes, before becoming almost unwatchable. The signal is more stable when I watch it throguh the gaming PC, which is connected to the big TV, but when the signal fails, the whole stream collapses, requiring a refresh of the stream.

All my other apps stream fine from the iPad - Netflix, Amazon, and all the FTA apps, even when they are 'live' streams from the FTA channels.

Perhaps the Kayo app is still trying to deliver the picture in a higher resolution than those other linear apps, or perhaps the app is just rubbish.

Another alternative reason for the poor performance may be the fact that I am using an older Chromecast dongle, and I think a friends newer version ran much smoother with the newer version. Actually, that's exactly what they say on the Kayo Help page:

For the optimal streaming experience, Kayo recommends Chromecast Ultra models or later (including Chromecast with Google and Chromecast 3rd Generation) and similar capability Android TVs.

Note: Chromecast 1st Generation is no longer supported by Kayo. 

Anyways, it's good to have it back, and I will almost definitely get it back for next AFL season. However, I may drop it for a few months over the summer, as I probably won't need it after the T20 series is over, as most of the other games are Tests, which means they will be on FTA.

They do have a lot of good docos and other similar content that could come in handy over the summer, however!!

Participant Observations 8/12/20 - Swans new marketing video

 A few weeks ago, the Sydney Swans unveiled their new marketing video for 2021:

Our Club was born from hard work, grit and a relentless drive for success.

Today the next chapter begins.

Everyone who is proud to call themselves part of the Bloods has reason to be excited about the future. pic.twitter.com/rLGccVpTS2

— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) November 18, 2020

Firstly, I like the video. It's well made, and I don't think it's too naff.

I also like how the Swans are trying to change the narrative about themselves. I think there is a perception that the Swans fans, and to a lesser degree the players and the club, are seen as being the theatre-going, champagne set, who don't know anything about the history of the club, and are only interested in following the fortunes of the team as long as they are winning.

I also find it uncanny how the Swans, in attempting to shift the narrative in this direction, are a lot more closely aligned with my own value system, and what I choose to see in the club, which can then be reflected back onto myself through my fandom.

It's very close to what I discussed about Sandvoss's look at fandom, and my own experiement where I attempted to identify the value system I wanted relfected back to me through my own fandom of the Swans. What I found was that I identify with particular types of paleyers, specifically those players:

“such as Jarred McVeigh, Brett Kirk, and especially Paul Kelly. I would categorise these players as tough, gritty, hard workers who are humble and do not seek admiration. This is what I like to try and think about myself. And when the Swans have been most successful, this is what they have been known for – unrelenting tackle pressure, team before individual, no 'dickheads' policy.”

Amazing! The Swans have tried to build a narrative in this direction - well, that's the reading I get from the video anyway.