How Data Hike Prevents UDUS Football Fans From Streaming Live Matches

Dayyabu Muhammad, a 400-level student of primary Education UDUS is not so lucky like other football fans on campus. Being a person with a disability, visiting the viewing center to watch matches is a luxury Dayyabu do not enjoy. Hence, streaming live matches became the viable option for the die hard Man-U fan.

“I am a handicapped and crippled person who can't Walk on my legs, and I have been supporting Manchester United for over 15 years which has become something I have become addicted to. I prefer to watch matches alone due to my condition," Dayyabu Muhammad told News Digest.

Unlike Dayyabu, the roaring crowd that better defines the landscape of every football viewing center plays a role in restricting football supporters like Abdul-salam Nasir, a 200-level student of geology UDUS, from going to the football viewing center. Hence, the Barcelona fan (Abdulsalam) prefers streaming matches from the tiny corners of his room.

“I feel very bad at the football viewing center when our rival's fans are shouting at me. When we lose a Match, it's something usual in football viewing centers and it happens to everyone, but I couldn't tolerate that, some even use drums to sing and disturb people in the football viewing centers,” Abdulsalam explained.

“And It's something usual in almost every football viewing center: to lack proper ventilation such as electric fans and shortage of chairs, you will see people sitting on the ground to watch a match. Unlike when I stream the matches from my comfort Zone,” He ended.

The recent approval of the Nigerian federal government of 50% percent on Data traffic hike for telecommunications companies under National Communication Commission (NCC), made services like MTN, GLO, Airtel, and 9 mobile, increases their call cost, and data price.

As the increment take effect, it has brought a various impact on the on people, especially people who are very addicted to the social Media, student, and Football fans who are streaming live matches on thier phones, feeling the decision will limited thier presence in social Media platforms, which has done so.

All our Nigerian telecommunications services increases thier call cost from N11 per minute to N16.5 per minute, and data price up to 200%, but these new rates were aimed to address the rising of operational Expenses. Almost 90 percent of Football supporters are now finding it difficult to stream their favorite team's matches.

Barcelona's supporter and a 300 level student of Physics, UDUS, Dalhat Aminu Ahmad, Stated in a frustrated voice,

“Football stream is turning to something else after the new Data price. before, I used to stream a complete football match with 1gb or even less than that, which I use to buy at 100 Naira only as a smart data offer, but now 1gb will not be enough for you to do so, and the price of 1gb ranges from 600 to 700 in every telecommunications services.”

“Live streaming is now for rich people only. I believe a student like me can not afford to buy 1gb Data at 600 or 700 Naira just to Stream a single match when there are football viewing centers  where you just pay 200 Naira for a complete match," he added.

"I prefer to tolerate the noise, the crowd and Everything in football viewing center's than to be Streaming Matches in a huge amount of money," Dalhat concluded

A Different Case to Abubakar Muhammad

Abubakar Muhammad a 300-level student of literature in English, UDUS who is currently living at Bakassi hostel, while speaking with the News Digest press Board, he stated In a trembling voice.

“Data is one of the major thing that is currently troubling my pocket after the recent Data hike, as a student, being a football fan is part of the things that adds to my happiness.”

He furthered on his worries about leaving football streaming. Pointing at the fact that he has become addicted to the game being a Manchester United fan for over nine years.

"I am still streaming some important matches for my club and I used to miss some of our Matches. I prefer to miss matches than to go to the football viewing center due to some certain reasons such as; the Long distance between Bakasi and soccer palace, and most especially the insults in the football viewing centers and the wrong statistics about some players and some teams, coming from some supporters who doesn't know anything about football,” Abubakar concluded sadly.

Although, the receding percentage restore a long lost smile in the mouths of owners of viewing centers, yet the center fails to hold for fans who are too cool headed for the roaring crowd at the center. As the harsh policy bites, fans like Dayyabu are left at the crisscross of turning towards quitting football or enduring the unhealthy environment of UDUS viewing center.

By Safwan Abubakar