HUNDREDS of Bolton Wanderers fans will be tuning in to see their side in action at Plymouth on Tuesday night - but rules changes in the summer mean it is no longer possible to watch every game live.

We spoke to the club's chief executive Neil Hart to get his views on the changes and how he sees the future of streaming in the EFL.

The Bolton News:

WANDERERS chief executive Neil Hart has praised the “phenomenal” uptake of iFollow passes among fans this season.

Though most Bolton supporters will not be able to follow their team down to Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night the club still expect a huge following via the league’s streaming service.

During last season, when fans were unable to watch the vast majority of games in the EFL, Wanderers were among the biggest online audiences outside the Championship.

The club declined to disclose official figures, as others chose to do, but it is understood they sold more than any other club in League Two - and sales even eclipsed several clubs in the second tier.

The decision to revert back to pre-lockdown rules on streaming this summer mean that fans can no longer watch every match, but midweek away games such as the one at Home Park will be available.

Hart believes the right balance has now been struck between the commercial considerations of the clubs and accessibility for supporters who cannot commit to travelling.

And the Bolton CEO does not envisage a return for the ‘total streaming’ enjoyed during lockdown.

“I don’t see it coming back any time soon but I think I would want to do some broader consultation with the fanbase and with the Supporters’ Trust because it isn’t anywhere we have looked into with the discussions so far,” he told The Bolton News.

“Ultimately, we want people in the stadium, bums on seats, and clearly if you broadcast and open it up via iFollow it would affect attendances. That would then have an impact on the club’s commercial revenue.

“I think there are more discussions to have with the EFL on that but we’re fairly well set with where we are at. “I have to say the take-up for our midweek games has been phenomenal. It really surprised me.

“If it different if you are playing Plymouth Argyle on a Tuesday, as we are doing next week, then I would imagine the sales will be excellent. And that is a totally different point to broadcasting home games, and we do need to be very clear about those differences.

“I think what has been agreed for this season is a good solution and appears to be working.”