What the new EFL streaming rules mean for Watford supporters
Watford’s upcoming clash with Millwall will still be available on the club’s Watford Millwall streaming page at watfordfc.com, but the way you watch the live action has shifted dramatically. The traditional iFollow video feed that fans have used for years is no longer carrying live domestic matches. Instead, the English Football League has signed an exclusive deal with Sky Sports+, making that platform the go‑to source for every live EFL fixture.
For many fans, the news feels like a double‑edged sword. On the one hand, the club’s website will keep its familiar match‑day hub – you can still check line‑ups, statistics and post‑match highlights there. On the other hand, the live picture you used to see right on your phone or laptop will now be locked behind Sky Sports+’s paywall.
Sky Sports+ isn’t a brand‑new service; it already streams a massive slate of games across the Championship, League One and League Two. This season the platform will deliver more than 1,000 live broadcasts, covering roughly 1,891 scheduled matches from the league, the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy. In practical terms, every club in the three divisions will be featured on Sky Sports+ at least 20 times during the campaign.
If you’ve been an iFollow regular, the transition means you’ll need a Sky Sports+ subscription to watch Watford’s away game at The Den. The service can be accessed via the Sky Go app, a web browser, or through compatible smart‑TV devices, so there are several ways to tune in. Prices vary, but the basic package usually starts around £8-£10 a month, with occasional bundle offers that include other Sky channels.
That said, you’re not completely locked out of alternatives. Some clubs have negotiated secondary streaming arrangements with platforms like Amazon Prime or BT Sport for specific fixtures, though those tend to be high‑profile games rather than routine league matches. Keep an eye on Watford’s official communications – they’ll post any extra viewing options well before kick‑off.
In short, the iFollow brand lives on as a hub for club news, but live video has been handed over to Sky Sports+. Adjusting your subscription or exploring the free trial periods many services offer will ensure you don’t miss the action when the whistle blows at Millwall.
Kathryn Susan Jenifer
September 23, 2025 AT 09:08Oh, wonderful-just when we thought we finally got a free pass to watch the game on our phones, the EFL decides to lock us behind a paywall. It's like being handed a golden ticket only to find out the chocolate factory is now a subscription service. Cheers, Sky Sports+, for turning our beloved iFollow into a nostalgic memory.
Jordan Bowens
September 24, 2025 AT 12:55Honestly, the whole switch feels like a lazy cash grab wrapped in a shiny new interface. Sky's got the miles of content, but for a fan just wanting the match, it's a maze of apps and monthly fees. I guess we’ll all just mop up the highlights on YouTube later.
Kimberly Hickam
September 25, 2025 AT 16:41So here's the thing, the iFollow to Sky Sports+ transition is not just a simple platform swap, it's a microcosm of modern football's commodification. When you strip away the marketing fluff, you see a pattern where clubs become content factories feeding the ever-hungry appetites of streaming giants. Fans, who once enjoyed the modest, community‑centric vibe of a club‑run service, are now forced to march into the cathedral of subscription services, where every match is a ticketed sermon. The economics might make sense for the league-over a thousand live broadcasts for a modest fee-but for the average supporter, especially those on a tight budget, this feels like an exclusionary gate. Consider the psychological toll: you log in, expecting a familiar user experience, only to be confronted with a login screen demanding credit‑card details. That moment of hesitation is precisely where disengagement takes root, and we risk losing a generation of faithful fans. Moreover, the promised 'free trials' are often riddled with automatic renewals, turning what appears to be a generous gesture into a sneaky subscription trap. From a philosophical angle, this shift raises the age‑old question of whether sport belongs to the people or to profit‑driven enterprises. If we answer that sport is a communal ritual, then the current model is a betrayal of that very principle. If we say sport is a product, then the model is just the natural evolution of market forces. Either way, the transparency of the deal is crucial-clubs should openly discuss why they're handing over live rights and what that means for fan engagement. Fans deserve to know whether their season tickets, membership fees, or even small donations are subsidizing these costly platform deals. The downside is that many supporters will simply accept the status quo, rationalizing that 'everyone is doing it' and thus surrendering agency. But passive acceptance is the very thing that allows these monopolistic arrangements to persist unchecked. Therefore, we must advocate for alternatives: regional broadcasters, club‑specific streaming bundles, or even a cooperative fan‑run platform that keeps the soul of the game intact. Until such solutions become viable, the only recourse for the average fan is to budget for the subscription, schedule the match, and hope that the experience is worth the price.
Gift OLUWASANMI
September 26, 2025 AT 20:28Honestly, the whole discourse sounds like an over‑intellectualized rant from someone who reads too many think‑pieces over their pint. The market exists for a reason, and the league's decision is a pragmatic alignment with a proven broadcaster. Your melodramatic lamentations ignore the simple fact that better distribution equals higher revenue for clubs, which we all want.
Keith Craft
September 28, 2025 AT 00:15Dearest fellow enthusiasts, let us pause and contemplate the tragedy that befalls us when a beloved tradition is eclipsed by corporate ambition. The very air of The Den shall feel heavier, as if the ghosts of past matches sigh in disapproval of our modern shackles.
Kara Withers
September 29, 2025 AT 04:01If you're looking to avoid the surprise of a subscription bill, check whether your mobile carrier offers Sky Sports+ as part of a bundle-many do at no extra cost. Additionally, Sky often provides a 7‑day free trial that can be cancelled before the first charge. For those on a tight budget, consider sharing a family plan or using the web browser version which sometimes offers lower data usage.
boy george
September 30, 2025 AT 07:48Sky Sports+ is the new way to watch.
Cheryl Dixon
October 1, 2025 AT 11:35While the practical tips are certainly useful, one could argue that relying on third‑party bundles perpetuates the very dependency we should be challenging. In other words, we might be swapping one gatekeeper for another, simply shifting the control from the club to the telecoms.
Charlotte Louise Brazier
October 2, 2025 AT 15:21Enough of the melodrama-just pay the £9, grab a brew, and watch the lads battle it out at The Den. If you can't afford it, you probably aren't a true fan anyway; real supporters find a way.