Fans Quit As Arsenal TV End Reserves Coverage

A growing number of furious Arsenal TV Online viewers are cancelling their subscriptions following the news that the Gunners’ Reserve League South fixtures will no longer be streamed live. In a statement on the club’s official website on Tuesday, the announcement was made along with the offer of an improved highlights service, although this is yet to come to fruition.

The live games have been one of the huge successes of the channel which have undergone several changes in recent years including featuring briefly as a TV channel under Setanta. MP & Silva agency will take charge of the rights to the channel in the summer from Level 3 who currently operate the service.

Young Guns contacted Arsenal yesterday morning to ask for an explanation but we were told this was not a club matter and were referred to Level 3. Nobody from the media company was available for comment. We’ve received a number of e-mails regarding this matter with many feeling cheated after paying £45 for 12 months with the purpose of being able to watch the second string live along with a number of other exclusive videos.

If you’d like further information on how to claim your money back then get in touch with Arsenal TV at: arsenaltvonline@level3.com. Young Guns will be helping to rally the fans dissapointment and you can keep up to date with all the latest on this issue by joining our Facebook group.

Article By – J.Sanderson

52 thoughts on “Fans Quit As Arsenal TV End Reserves Coverage

  • January 14, 2010 at 1:16 pm
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    I had already fallen out with them months ago when they started taking double payments, i am still waiting for my money back so good luck!

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:25 pm
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    We must have the shittest TV/now web channel from the “top 4”

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:33 pm
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    its a complete joke
    how many media guys have they hired now and still there is no resolution-“customer service” is non existant!

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:35 pm
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    This is not good. This happens all the time here in the states. NFL.com is a huge rip off. I used to subscribe to their services so I oculd listen to the Eagles play when they weren’t on TV. The prices went up each year and the dicked me around. So I found ways to listen to the games for free on the internet. Check out the internet to see if you can listen or watch the games.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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    Thanks for taking this up J. We have all been well and truly shafted unfortunately. I actually cancelled my subscription yesterday…

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:37 pm
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    i quit the moment it was announced.. poor from Arsenal.. you can get highlights anywhere.. most people only tune in to watch the ressies

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:40 pm
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    Can you provide stats to back up your claim?

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:53 pm
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    Too right and i thgought we would be able to watch the game against west ham reserves. This really pisses me off they should at least announce stop date not just cut the screening completely. Goes to show how much they really care about fans and whats more on their agenda.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:54 pm
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    I must say that I was very disapointed with this decision. As a fan from abroad I found it very exiting to watch our reserves play as they gave me a sample of our future.
    Now this is gone I really don’t know if I will keep my subscription for the future.
    As I do the news section for the website of our fanclub I use it to give transcriptions of interviews and so I still have a little benefit but to watch the reserves play and last years succesfull youth cup team was the icing on the cake.
    Now only the cake is left.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:55 pm
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    it should have been “exciting” … sorry

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  • January 14, 2010 at 1:59 pm
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    Moan moan moan.

    When Setanta went belly up the club added the reserve games (at no extra charge) to the online service and were clear it was a short term thing.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm
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    it is indeed bad form from The Arsenal – but to be honest i bought the subscription so i could watch all matches in full rather rely on poxy 5 minute highlights from match of the day when the game aint live on tv. That way i can watch in my own time and form my own opinions on the games/players rather than listen to the drivel from lawro et al

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  • January 14, 2010 at 2:07 pm
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    Unfortunately my Steam Driven Laptop has never been able to get a decent Match reception so It is no real loss to me. I still think the Press Conference and Interviews are worth viewing. I think there is value hearing the answers from Arsene rather than when it is twisted and reported by the Sports Press Pack.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 2:30 pm
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    well done j for bringing this up with the club. i, like other posters, am disgusted with the way the club have gona about this. i signed up for a year just to watch the reserves and so will now cancel my subscription.

    great website j, keep up the good work..

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  • January 14, 2010 at 2:33 pm
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    i agree with you Tom, but press conferences and interviews should be Free to all members after all it our club too. It was only worth paying for live games and then only if they took one payment each month, they started taking 2 off me then simply cut live matches without giving decent notice. That is poor customer service and desrves more than a moan from the fans.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 2:59 pm
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    This is bullshit! Will they be showing FAYC?

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:06 pm
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    I signed up and at that time they were advertising the fact that we could see reserve games live. I really have enjoyed them and it’s a shame it’s stopped now.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:29 pm
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    Not happy. Does anybody have an email address or contact details of somebody we can speak to. Sure its a logistical thing, ie. AFC don’t own any cameras or camera men, therefore heaving them round the country after the reserves isn’t a profitable idea…but even so, not even an email.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:31 pm
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    surely we can find a way to sue these stupid people??? what about taking a banner to next home game?? “bring back reserves live…”

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:33 pm
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    we don’t buy world class players, we adopt a policy of buying young players, if we don’t get to see them, then what the point??????

    WORST TV WOULD BE ARSENAL TV ONLINE, ITS COMPLETE JOKE

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:34 pm
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    come on guys lets sue them

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:36 pm
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    I am not worry about that myself because I am free to subscribe to Arsenal TV online. :)

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:39 pm
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    or atleast a petition

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  • January 14, 2010 at 3:52 pm
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    I don’t mind if it isn’t live, but they probably should show the whole game rather than just extended highlights.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 4:06 pm
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    “We’ve received a number of e-mails regarding this matter with many feeling cheated after paying £45 for 12 month”

    HAHAHAHA, so people are mad and they e-mail a blog instead of the club? loooooool

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  • January 14, 2010 at 4:33 pm
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    The most irritating thing now is that I got LIVERPOOL TV free with ESPN!!!
    I miss the whole Asenal TV setup that Setanta gave us
    We are being shortchanged by Arsenal FC and not for the first time
    After 30+ years I fear my season tickets have to go too

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  • January 14, 2010 at 4:35 pm
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    Its a shame but Arsenal TVO is shite. Even Liverpool kept their channell on after setanta went. The only good thing is fans forum.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 4:47 pm
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    I cancelled my subscription – one day it just stopped working (retrieving license or something) and they gave me a check-list the length of my arm of settings I needed to change and still it didnt work. the customer service is sh*t.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 4:59 pm
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    they are idiots

    y r they doing this???/

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  • January 14, 2010 at 5:00 pm
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    So, they havent got Apple like customer service either, Glad we are cancelling subscriptions.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 5:36 pm
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    im leaving them as well

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  • January 14, 2010 at 5:44 pm
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    Cancelled mine today

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  • January 14, 2010 at 5:47 pm
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    we adopt a policy of buying young players, if we don’t get to see them, then what the point??????

    WORST TV WOULD BE ARSENAL TV ONLINE, ITS COMPLETE JOKE

    —————————————————————-

    Spot on.

    Send your Letters of Anger straight to the arsenal registered address with the letter being directed at Tom Ford the new commercial director.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 5:47 pm
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    logged on for WestHam game – got the no more reserve team games message, cancelled my subscription. useless

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  • January 14, 2010 at 6:05 pm
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    All I want from Wenger right now, is one player, one bloody player 2 sign 4 us.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 6:09 pm
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    Maybe all this should go to Ivan. He’s the CEO and has a lot more marketing sense than the regular club head. I think this is one of many things he’s probably got on his agenda, but he’d be the best person to reach out to for resolution.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 7:47 pm
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    its 7.45pm uk time and Games Night on ATVO (which is scheduled to start at 7pm) hasnt started yet!! whats going on with ATVO???

    i think it was last month that the club offered two weeks free ATVO hoping to get new subscribers. well they got loads of new subscribers and then cancel reserve games with no warning and no reason and now Games Night isnt showing. Im pissed!!

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  • January 14, 2010 at 7:57 pm
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    Cancelled my subscription last night and told them exactly why in the e-mail. The Online service really is poor now, in my opinion. I miss Arsenal TV on Setanta!

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  • January 14, 2010 at 8:21 pm
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    arsenal tone – That pretty much sums them up mate.

    I haven’t cancelled my subscription….yet. I watched the highlights last night. JET took his goals well. It was nice to see Frimpong hit the target with a long-ranged effort (let alone score from it) and the two pens against us were both quite farcical, especially the second one where Bartley made a briliant last-ditch block tackle. The first one was conceded by Gilbert first failing to clear a simple ball and then rashly making a challenge which i can see how any ref may construe as a pen, about 10 secs later, so not many complaints with that one although he did get the ball.

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  • January 14, 2010 at 8:34 pm
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    Can someone tell me where I can see Frimpong’s goal?
    Someone put on JET’s 3, but not a Mannys

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:02 am
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    Like the majority of you I was incensed by that decision.
    I wrote to the club telling them I wanted to cancel my subscription.
    One of their representatives called me this morning and explained the reason behind that decision.
    Apparently 27000 persons subscribe to Arsenal TV online. They were thinking at the beginning of the season that reserve games woud be the highlight of the package and thousands of people would turn up to watch them. Unfortuntely this did not happen so. They had very poor viewing figures for these games (from 700 for the Fulham game to 1700 for the Chelsea one). Their break-even level (bearing in mind that each game costs them £25000 to broadcast live) was 2700. They were basically making huge losses on these games.
    I told him that I understood his position but was really angry at the lack of warning and the fact that we were caught by surprise minutes before the broadcast of the WH game (especially only a few days after seeing during the Everton game that the club advertised Live reserve games at the ground) . He could only apologise and admit the timing of that decision was awfull. He also added that it was ironical. Had they known that Sol was going to make his comeback for that game they would have probably blown their record viewing figures with it as they did with its highlights.
    At the end of the call he really tried to get me to continue with my subscription. I had to tell him I could not since for me that decision meant I was paying more for less. He then offered me a big refund which convinced me to stay on a bit longer.
    I must admit I now feel a lot better about the whole thing. Even though I still feel bad about not being able to see the young team play live, at least I could vent my anger at the lack of respect they showed to their customers (and fans). And we can still see extended highlights of the reserve and youth cup games.
    By the way, he mentioned the fact that if the team was able to progress in the Youth Cup they might be able to include live youth cup games in the future.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:43 am
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    Direct your grievances to the club. I agree it doesn’t have to be “live” but if the games are going to be shown later, at least show them in full. Having watched the highlights v West Ham, I was impressed with Eastmond. I think I can now see this lad’s potential.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 12:23 pm
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    Apparently they made no money from it, as hardly anyone watched. Arseblog said that they might show the youth cup live now.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 1:28 pm
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    Mark Randall joins Milton Keynes Dons on loan

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  • January 15, 2010 at 6:38 pm
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    i cancelled this service long ago… for the reasons succintly setout above by holohoax. i couldnt agree more. what is it about tv people and football, why do they always f*ck it up!?

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:41 pm
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    i quit the moment it was announced.. poor from Arsenal.. you can get highlights anywhere..

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  • January 16, 2010 at 8:35 pm
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    last season, ATVO was showing via direct mms stream and someone decoded the original address that a lot non-subscriber could share the stream by P2P software. to prevent stream leaking, they made more encrytion this season, but this new system made the stream unstable, quite a few user can hardly launch the stream. I think that’s the reason why there were so few live streaming viewer.

    btw, they did show reserves match online last season as there was live stream of ArsenalTV which broadcast reserve games on air, and it’s available for every ATVO subscriber. so the reserves game was not new service this season.

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  • January 18, 2010 at 5:34 am
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    There are a number of legitimate technical and footballing reasons why this might have happened. Rather than unfurling a banner or making stupid comments about sueing the company, the best would be to liase with a supports group like say redaction and try to raise the issue with the club.

    Reply

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