After the collapse of the original Carlton / Granada tv deal it now looks as though many clubs won't be getting quite as much as they hoped for their websites either...

NTL have had many problems and were looking in trouble. A couple of months ago they proposed various restructuring to solve their difficulties.

The developments may well have a knock on effect to clubs and their fans.

To begin with many clubs were expecting regular rights fee payments. The rights fees are in return for a number of factors linked to the website, including page impressions, new visitors, the betting facility, shopping, SMS and customer deals. The more people that visit and shop through the official site or take up the offers available, the better the rights fees for the Club.

Since launching the new websites the smaller clubs such as Oldham Athletic have earned something like £200,000 from the venture. Many fans though have started to boycott official sites, switching to fans sites instead. Less pop ups and advertising, none of the compulsary registration, something that looks different to other clubs and news just as fast as the official site, sometimes faster.

With the downturn of NTL (who own PTV who do the footy website portals), proposals are apparently now being discussed with the Football League as to a possible restructuring of the venture.

These discussions are currenlty underway and there could well be no further rights fees and the emphasis will be on the Clubs to generate revenue streams through the site. For example LeicesterCityWorld, the on line shop, the deals on offer etc etc.

Those clubs who did their own sites and didn't go with NTL seem to have made the right choice this time...

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