Easts Tigers increase spending on live streaming of Intrust Super Cup games in bid to grow fan base

EASTS Tigers have increased their spending on live streaming of Intrust Super Cup games in a bid to grow their share of the market.

Easts Tigers Intrust Super Cup: Shane Neumann, Billy Walters, and Jake Foster. Picture: Peter Cronin

EASTS Tigers have increased their spending on live streaming of Intrust Super Cup games which can be watched for free on the Tigers website.

The Tigers see it as a way to build their audience, starting with Sunday’s first-round match away to Tweed which will have four commentators, including former ABC and Fox Sports caller Warren Boland.

The Tigers and three other ISC clubs live streamed games last year.

A QRL spokesman said Wynnum Manly, one of those clubs, was again committed to live streaming matches this season, with others likely to follow suit.

Channel 9’s Sunday matches of the day cannot be live streamed by the ISC clubs.

“It’s a right retained by the QRL to stream, but because we don’t have a solution across all games at this point, we are comfortable with clubs doing it themselves until such time,’’ a QRL spokesman said.

Tigers football club vice-president Brian Torpy said there was no significant degree of resistance within the club to live streaming because of a perceived impact at the gate.

The first match at Suzuki Stadium, the rebranded Langlands Park, will be against Sunshine Coast on March 12.

“We don’t believe it will reduce our crowd numbers – we’ll get a lot of country viewers, especially when a team like Northern Pride play here,’’ Torpy said. “We are trying to put together a more profes­sional broadcast this year.

“It’s a great opportunity to promote the club and the game of rugby league. We believe the fans who want the full match-day experience and can get there, will.

“We are hoping to do some away games, like Cairns and Townsville. We are looking for partners so we can do all games.’’

The QRL wants to arrange a sponsor of ISC games for streaming so there is a common standard of production.

The ISC starts on Saturday with three matches, including defending premier Ipswich’s home match against Norths Devils.