Let the Battle Commence

Several big games are coming up before the end of the normal season this coming Sunday, and it all kicks off tonight with a couple of interesting matches. At the top end of the table we see Almtuna hosting Växjö - a game that will most likely play a major factor in the outcome for which team will have to go through play offs to Kvalserien. Växjö supportrs have in fact arranged buses for the game. That they could only fill up a couple of mini-buses is pathetic, not surprising seeing that they are said to be more tight-arsed than the Scots, but at least it is a start.

 

Once again, there will be more players than fans representing the Lakers

AIK take on Mora in the other game concerning the three fighting for two automatic qualification spots. AIK has a good record against Mora at home over the last couple of seasons and will be hoping to take all three points. With Mora severely out of form at the moment, this looks likely, but the players will have to be more focused than they were in the loss against lowly Sundsvall last game. Even more interestingly we have an internal AIK battle to look out for as well. The AIK football team is playing a pre season friendly against Syrianska FC at the same time as the ice hockey is happening. Which team will draw in more people? Sadly enough, I suspect a non-competitive game of football is higher rated than an important hockey game in the Swedish capital. Philestines!

How Not to do Marketing

The clubs in Allsvenskan were rewarded with a better TV deal than ever when they signed with Viasat before the start of this season. The clubs are rumoured to recieve something in the region of SEK 1-1.2 million for the rights to broadcast the games.

Viasat in turn has an agreement with the Schibstedt Concern, who among other publications owns Aftonbladet, the biggest tabloid in the country (the paper is also the most visited website in Sweden). Schibstedt has also a fairly new online pay-per-view sports channel in S24.se, the Viasat agreement allows S24 to broadcast a number of games from Allsvenskan on their portal. Viasat has their own PPV service with viasatondemand.se, this unlike S24 is however geographically resticted to Sweden (and possibly Finland - but I am unsure of this).

This has worked well, or at least as well as expected from live online TV broadcasting.

However, last week S24 announced that, due to the economical difficulties faced by AIK, they would donate SEK 10 per ticket bought by AIK fans to view the away game against Bofors IK (AIK won 5-2).

For a media company they do surprisingly not seem to understand the impact of this action - they probably thought they'd come across as nice and helpful with this token gesture. Bofors was of course incensed by this move. AIK supporters who might have come to watch the game are now told they will help the club economically by watching it on the web, hence Borfors losing money from the gate and sale of refreshments. Other clubs and fans are asking how a company supposed to cover the games unbiased are allowed to sponsor one team and not the others.

Supporters from Växjö has rallied around calling for a boycott of the channel, and as Växjö fans are apparently buying most tickets for the online games, this can have unwanted implications for S24.

A supposed representative for S24 has posted a message on different boards explaining their decision. The amusing thing is that some of the claims in the message do not add up.

1. This is part of an ongoing drive to help all individual clubs.
2. Other teams are occasionally given five free codes to offer fans.
3. Other teams has been offered this type of arrangement before, but none have as yet been inclined to accept.

Blahblahblah. Corporate bullshit at its worst! Let's look a bit closer. 

1. That sounds all good, but uncharacteristically  charitable for a profit making company. But hey, each to their own! 

2. It is a slightly different matter to give consumers a freebie than to pay money into the account of the club they support. The clubs provide S24 with a good channel in which to directly source customers. I can't see the clubs rejecting this (unless they are hosting the game and might lose money on people staying in) and it increases the awareness of the company as far as S24 would be concerned. This 'cost' would fall under marketing - this is a known and tried formula they use. Normal marketing - no problem. 

3. This is where it sounds odd. Are they asking people to believe any club would have turned down the prospect of getting free money? I can bet you both my balls and a bluberry pie that this has never happened. I make a good blueberry pie by the way.

The facts are very simple. S24 are not making money and need to sell more than they have so far. AIK has many fans (that few care about ice hockey is another issue) and as so few go to watch the games, S24 simply see this as an untapped part of the market that they want in on. The general idea was most likely that they would get some publicity through this move - at least Aftonbladet ran with it (surprise!) and AIK fans knowing the club is needing all the money they can get, might just start watching the games online - and hopefully more than just this once. I can't see that this move put more than a few hundred in the AIK coffers, why this is in practical terms means that S24 just shat in their own handbag for no good reason.

The clubs have sold the TV rights and should not be expecting any more money than they have already received. But maybe due to the ill thought out move by S24, they might be in line for a small additional contribution as they will be forced to do this for the other teams as well. Thank you!

Canadian on his way to Växjö?

A little bird whispered to me that Växjö has been in contact with a player from the Toronto area. Any deal is far from done, but inquiries have been made.

Is this him?

Round Up: Mora on fire!

Mora IK took thir ninth (!) consecutive win when they ripped apart Malmö on away ice. The final result was 4-1 to the guests. Mora is now in the final automatic qualification spot for Kvalserien. Harald Lückner has done a brilliant job with this young team and has surprised most experts with their performance of late. Malmö on the other hand has shown very patchy form lately and needs to improve if they are to avoid having to go through the play offs for a place in Kvalserien. It might help that they are finally getting rid of goal tender Jani Hurme who has not only been one of the most expensive players in the league, but also a complete liability once he has been on the ice. A reported salary of around SEK 310.000/month is now taken away from the expenses account at Redhawks. I'd happily open a door for a few days per month for 3x20 minutes for less than that. Percy, call me!

Good bye and thank you for the fish!

In the mid-season final, injury hit Leksand beat Växjö comprehensively with 8-3. This will give LIF a little bit of breathing space at the summit. Off the ice rumours are rife the club is about to sign a forward (center?) of some some statue. As always with Leksand in the rumour mill, more or less realistic names are branded around. Suffice to say, one the day arrives, we shall all find out.

In the fight for the play off spots, Bofors secured in important result by grabbing the extra point following a penalty shoot out at Borås. Borås  now has six points up to play off place and Bofors are now pleased not to have to feel them breathing down their neck.

At the other end of the table, Sunsvall lost important points after ending up on the wrong side of a 6-3 score at Björklöven and Oskarshamn looks on the money for relegation after losing at home against demotion rivals Troja/Ljungby 3-0.

There is still much to go of the season, but the table seems to divide up in clear sections. However, any team getting on a streak like Mora is currently would quickly move up the table. One thing is for sure, the league is tighter than it has ever been and teams keep dropping and taking points from each other like never before. Is this a sign of the strength of the league, or is it because the top teams are weaker than in recent years? I guess we will find out in Kvalserien.