The date was the 11th of August 2017. On that day, our very own Phil Vogel levied what would turn out to be a disappointingly accurate premonition:
“It will be a learning process for both supporters and the club. Anytime a new product is launched there are bugs — the audio feed against Hull was poor enough that the club offered a refund for those who paid for it.”
This past Saturday, some 99 days since that statement was penned, it was quite evident to many Villans, whether abroad or in the UK via possibly nefarious means, that AVTV Live is quite the slow learner.
Continued problems with the club’s streaming service left many subscribed supporters unable to witness Aston Villa’s impressive comeback victory at Loftus Road.
Throughout the duration of the match, our Twitter feed was littered with frustrated (i.e. to put it mildly) supporters who could not access the service they had paid for.
Such ire was undoubtedly directed to the poor sod responsible for running the club’s Twitter handle that is dedicated to “…any issues, queries or problems Aston Villa-related,” @AVFCSupport.
Within the first half of the claret and blue’s trip to QPR, the feed had put out the following statements:
AVTV Live - We are aware there are some connectivity issues and we are looking into this as a priority. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
— AVFC Support (@AVFCSupport) November 18, 2017
If you're having issues watching or listening to the game then please e-mail AVTVsupport@streamamg.com and we will look into this as a matter of urgency. Thanks
— AVFC Support (@AVFCSupport) November 18, 2017
Whilst positive tactical changes were made on the pitch, off of it — well that was a different story. By the time the final whistle blew, many subscribers to AVTV were still left in the dark due to some of the following issues:
Yup. Disappointing morning - took 20 min to login & order game. Then received a “you need to subscribe” error msg. Did appreciate AVTV prompt emails
— LAVillaGal (@LAVillaGal) November 20, 2017
#AVFC website is down. Does this mean the game won’t be on? Answers on a postcard. pic.twitter.com/tzs7IqBHc2
— AVTV (@avtv) November 18, 2017
I've just paid to subscribe to QPR game TWICE and it's still saying I need to subscribe.
— Alt, Rock, Repeat! (@altrockrepeat) November 18, 2017
Ultimately the whole debacle led Dr. Tony Xia, via Twitter, to personally respond to angry supporters on Saturday afternoon:
“Sorry for all. The service provider is not good. We will have a very serious meeting to solve it. Sorry again.”
To the chairman’s credit, the AVTV support staff has since been responsive to both direct messages and emails. The club has also announced that all subscribers can claim a refund for Saturday’s match by emailing AVTVsupport@streamamg.com.
Whilst the refund is all well and good, the question remains, what will those who have signed up for long-term subscriptions get tomorrow night when Sunderland visit Villa Park?
Nearly four months into the season, it is evident that the club’s streaming service still faces some throbbing growing pains. At this rate it seems that AVTV is the equivalent of a bloody box of chocolates, you just never know what you will get.
Perhaps if the troubles continue tomorrow evening, Dr. Tony might look to a Corona-sipping man who possesses the surefire belief that he can build a platform that yields greatness:
He might not have a background in IT on his CV, but he did tell the Independent that he is “…interested in any job...” in football.
Whatever the case, hopefully the club can get the ongoing issues with AVTV Live sorted as soon as possible.