Myroslav Nebesnyk, the media manager of FC Minaj, said in an interview with theUkrainian Footballwebsite that the Transcarpathian club was leaving Megogo's TV Pool 12.
Miroslav Nebesnik- Myroslav, is FC Minaj leaving the TV pool?
- We are joining another TV pool. We are leaving the one with 11 teams. The decision was made to start broadcasting on the UPL-TV YouTube channel, along with the Suspilne-Regional TV channels and the Sport-1 cable channel.
- Is this the same UPL-TV project that FC Rukh is promoting?
- Yes, it is.
- At the start of the season, Rukh's UPL-TV was criticised for the quality of the picture.
- Give us some time. Let us correct all the mistakes that were made in the opening round.
- What do you see as the advantages of stand-up?
- We hesitated for a long time. We chose the path of popularisation to a greater extent. The clubs will still pay for the production of broadcasts from their wallets, so why limit themselves to closed platforms? It is better to promote your club where everyone can watch us.
- What are the benefits for Minaj?
- The bigger the audience, the more broadcast partners we can attract. Partners come where there is coverage. On the channels - cable, available on T2 (digital - Suspilne) and YouTube - the reach will be much greater, and the opportunity to attract partners will be greater. And the likelihood that production costs will be compensated is higher.
Another aspect. Megogo is strongly against the broadcasting partner we have agreed with. The economic aspect comes first.
- Would you like to attract more partners now?
- Yes, of course, YouTube provides such an opportunity. YouTube is accessible information that anyone can see. And it would be foolish to refuse it. We tried to reach a consensus with our colleagues (other FCs). But most of them decided in favour of a TV pool on Megogo. These are wealthier clubs that can afford to go into the red. We cannot afford it.
- Will your broadcast partners be able to place commercials?
- Yes, both Suspilne and Sport-1 have agreed to this. Megogo also intended to sell advertising, but for broadcasting to OTT platforms, which are less accessible. Which, moreover, may later become paid for by the consumer. Perhaps even during the season, if they decide so. That is, they will put up another barrier for the viewer.
- Did Megogo bear any costs?
- No, they were just one of the platforms that took over the placement of content paid for by the clubs. It's a little bit incorrect for them to dictate terms to the clubs. But that's how they saw this partnership.
We thought that in such a crisis season, when everyone is trying not to lose what we have left, we could meet each other halfway. But... we didn't. Megogo does not provide any financial assistance to clubs. But they dictate the conditions on which they can host the broadcast.
- Let' s clarify: you pay for the broadcaster (the producer of the broadcast) yourself, but they want to influence the choice of the broadcaster?
- That's right. Our broadcaster, NAZHYVO TV, also works with Karpaty, and last season they filmed Veres' head-to-head matches. This seems to be enough to understand that the broadcaster is serious and experienced.
The TV pool of the eleven remaining clubs work only with certain broadcasters who meet their requirements. And for Uzhhorod, they have the highest price tag because of logistics. For us, producing a broadcast would be more expensive than for a team from Kyiv or the centre of Ukraine. This also affects the payback.
The broadcaster we chose is more in line with the price/quality ratio. So why should we listen to what one (!) of the platforms dictates now?
- Do you plan to do pre-match and post-match studios in addition to broadcasts?
- Yes, we do. Everything will be according to the standard used by Rukh in organising the first broadcast of the season. The team of UPL-TV will come to us for the match, they will host the pre-match and post-match studios. The broadcast will have a complete look.
- So you will take into account the shortcomings that Rukh's broadcast had in the first round?
- Yes, Rukh has already commented on this situation. We hope that neither our match nor Rukh's match will be repeated. We won't have to apologise to the fans again. Repeating mistakes can damage the image of the UPL-TV project.
- How big can the audience for Rukh's matches be?
- We will see these figures on YouTube. You can see the numbers on Sport-1. It is more difficult on Suspilne. We need to order special expertise. But it will be many times more - because T2 is T2. As some club owners say, "grandparents" will be able to see us (smiles).
We care about every fan. Thanks to Suspilne, we will be able to show for rural areas, which is a definite plus. It will be a cool bonus. But not the main factor.
- Will Suspilne include regional channels?
- Yes, each region has its own Suspilne - Uzhhorod, Kyiv, Cherkasy, etc. It is available in every city on any network. And on OTT. So we will still be on Megogo, no matter how much they put a spoke in our wheel (smiles ). We just won't be displayed as an icon of a single match in the sports section. But if you select the Suspilne channel on Megogo, you can watch the match there.
This platform (UPL-TV) will be absolutely everywhere. That's why the strategy is that advertisers will pay attention to it.
- Have you already reached an agreement on this?
- We are already in negotiations. We wouldn't just go into this project for nothing.
Anton Terekhov
