It may be a development some Swansea City fans are not aware of, but tomorrow night’s clash with Wigan marks a milestone of sorts for the club.

The DW Stadium encounter will mark the first time Swansea have been able to stream live coverage of a first-team fixture for supporters in the UK and Ireland.

Previous league games this season have only been available to various international customers due to EFL regulations.

On Tuesday, it extends to the domestic market.

It brings with it a sense of pressure for those who have worked to introduce live matchday coverage this season, a new development with the greater freedom provided by the EFL -in comparison to the heavily controlled set-up in the Premier League - creating a chance to offer bespoke coverage.

Given Swans TV Live was only formally given the green light some five weeks before the opening game of the season at Sheffield United, the timescale was very tight and there have been some small teething problems along the way.

A six-figure investment has been made in the equipment required to help provide elements such as pre and post-match content, slow-motion replays and graphics displays.

The club had previously streamed under-23 and under-18 fixtures with some success - indeed over 7,000 watched the former side’s meeting with Chelsea last season, with a regular audience of over 3,000 - but this was an altogether different undertaking.

“With relegation it did create an opening for live streaming. We were obviously aware that the EFL had started their own iFollow service and dipped their toe into that area,” says Rebecca Edwards-Symmons, Swansea’s head of digital, who has played a prominent role in the roll-out of the new service.

Leon Britton and Sioned Dafydd in the studio

“What we had to decide - as we started from scratch - was whether we joined that project, which is one camera and is then tied in with BBC commentary and limited graphics, or could we provide a better, bespoke product.

“So we opted out of iFollow, and we were backed financially by the club to create a studio and an infrastructure to allow the feeds to work.

“We wanted to be able to offer pre-match and post-match analysis as with iFollow there would just have been the feed of the game itself, nothing at half-time and it would stop straight away at full-time.”

While all Championship clubs offer some form of steaming services, only around half-a-dozen have opted out of iFollow to pursue their own platform, with Leeds and Derby among them.

The rules regarding which territories a game can be shown in are straightforward in some respects, but more complex in others, which is one of the reasons why it has taken until the 11th game of the campaign for a Swans fixture to be shown in the UK and Ireland.

No match kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday or taking place on a bank holiday is eligible for domestic streaming in the UK. It can be shown to an international audience, although this is limited for certain games depending on whether the EFL have an existing broadcast rights agreement with an outlet in a respective country.

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There are some countries that do not have a broadcasting rights deal in place. These are called ‘dark markets’ - and includes the likes of Spain, South Korea, Cyprus, Singapore and Hungary - and ensures that the club can stream every game to Swans fans somewhere in the world.

Live coverage by Sky Sports also has an impact. The EFL rights holder have already picked fixtures against Sheffield United, Birmingham, Leeds, Millwall and Stoke this season meaning - even though those games fell outside the Saturday 3pm kick-off window - they could not be streamed in the UK and Ireland.

Sky have also shown midweek fixtures on their red button and app services via a single camera model - but this option does not prevent domestic streaming - although WalesOnline understands that is likely to be phased out following an EFL meeting in London last week.

The device used to stream a game is also important. Anyone wishing to view a game through a laptop or desktop computer must access the stream through the club website, while those viewing on mobile or tablet devices have to use the Official Swans app otherwise the feed will not work, a factor that caused some confusion to fans at the start of the project.

Similarly, because of EFL restrictions, footage cannot be accessed through a smart TV.

Another issue raised by some supporters has been the price of the streaming options.

The equipment in the Swans TV Live studio

International subscribers can pay £110 for the season, £14.99 a month or £7.99 a game. In the UK the only option is a flat rate of £10 a game.

Audio-only packages are £5 a game or £45 for the season.

Minimum prices are set by the EFL, who do not permit clubs to make streaming available for free and take a percentage of the subscription fees.

Indeed, packages offered by clubs who have elected to go it alone are on a par with what supporters would pay for an iFollow subscription.

“You have to charge for it under EFL rules, that is non-negotiable,” adds Edwards-Symmons.

“Supporters will remember that audio commentary was free last season, but that was while we were in the Premier League and that is not an option in the Championship.

“There are minimum charges you cannot drop below.

“So if supporters were going to pay we wanted to be able to offer something more comprehensive, which is why we opted out of iFollow and looked to provide coverage bespoke to Swansea fans.

“For a home game we have a four-camera system to allow a greater range of views, away from home there are three.

“It was a bit of a mad rush, it was not up and running for pre-season and the first game at Sheffield United was a bit of a step into unchartered territory for us.

“It has been a massive learning curve to get everything up and running.

“There have been teething problems but not as many as we thought. It has gone well.”

And while the number of games picked for Sky coverage has limited the chance for local supporters to watch the in-house coverage, it has given the dozen or so staff who work on each production time to iron out any niggles.

“Sky games limit the market, and there are dark markets for certain countries with no broadcast deal but the flip side has been it has allowed time to work on things and get up to speed and last four or five games have seen a massive improvement from where we were at the start of the season,” says Swansea’s head of media and marketing Jonathan Wilsher.

“With a new studio set-up, mixing desk facilities and the heavy reliance on technology that is new to us it has been a case of working out those connections and what does and does not work.

“We have had some small issues, which we expected, with away games where you are heavily reliant on the quality of internet or 4G coverage and we have briefly lost some camera feeds early in the season.

"There have been small issues around how the graphic overlays would occasionally freeze if they were formatted a particular way, but we have learned from those instances.

“So there is excitement and nerves knowing this will be the first time a UK audience can view the production.

“We have improved dramatically since the start of the reason. It was a bit of a rush and a major achievement to be ready, now we want to make sure everything goes well.

The studio set-up at the Liberty Stadium

“We want to keep trying to improve it and become more polished.

“We’d like to expand as we go along. We have a camera ready for a post-match flash interview with a player in the tunnel which allows us to show exclusive content live to supporters which no-one else sees.

“There are things like Graham Potter’s pre-match interview after the team has been named, that is content you cannot get elsewhere. It’s that aspect of it that we want to offer fans, it’s insight only they get.

“We want to make it more stable and reliable, but every week it gets better and provides something fans can enjoy and be proud of.

“We have made huge strides across our digital platforms in the last 18 months. There’s a new website, the app has been nominated for industry awards and we want to provide the best service we can. We view our live streaming service as part of that.

“There has been significant support from those running the club, it has been a six-figure investment but one that will have paid for itself by the end of this season.”

Aspects of the production have already been picked up on, with the likes of Leon Britton, Lee Trundle, Kristian O’Leary, Andy Robinson, John Williams and Cameron Toshack providing analysis of the action.

Wyndham Evans - part of the first Swansea side to reach the top-flight under John Toshack - has also proved popular as a match summariser alongside Anthony O’Connell and James Snaith.

Swansea City players and manager Graham Potter applaud their fans.

The former full-back’s commentary of the sensational come-from-behind win at Millwall, particularly Jefferson Montero’s input, was widely shared on social media.

And the club hope it can provide former players with an outlet to learn and improve their broadcasting skills should any wish to move into TV and radio work once they hang up their boots.

“I certainly think it is useful. We can see that Leon Britton does a lot of work with Sky already, and Lee Trundle, Kris O’Leary and Andy Robinson have a great platform to experience that and they have been excellent, as has Cameron Toshack,” added Wilsher.

“It is less pressurised as an environment and a good testing ground for them, and we want to use different people as we go along.

“Wyndham Evans has been fantastic with his passion and his emotions on the commentary, he is a true Jack and all that comes across and I think supporters recognise that.

“The commentary at Millwall is an example, which was just great.”

While supporters at home and abroad may only see the finished product, an awful lot of work goes on before and after the cameras start rolling.

During the week Swansea’s multimedia team will prepare content for the pre-match segment, which might include player interviews, highlights packages and clips of the studio guest in action for the Swans.

UEFA Champions League action is streamed on Facebook in parts of Latin America.

The running order is also put in place, with host Sioned Dafydd Rowlands heavily involved in ensuring the timings and links between the different segments are in place and rehearsed.

For a 3pm kick-off, staff will arrive at around 10am to go through systems checks, setting up feeds and checking sound levels.

The show is rehearsed from 11am, with the studio guest - at Wigan it will be Leon Britton - joining preparations once the team line-ups have been announced while graphics are prepared.

Pre-match coverage has started around 25 minutes before kick-off, although that will be extended to half-an-hour at Wigan.

The post-match segment lasts around 15 minutes.

So far viewers from as far afield as Australia, America, North Korea, Canada, Russia, Spain, Malta and Thailand have been among those to use the Swans service to follow Graham Potter's men in action.

"Tuesday will be a big night for us as we are desperate for Swansea fans in the local area and around UK and Ireland to see what is available to them," says host Sioned Dafydd, who has also appeared on BBC Wales and S4C.

Our brilliant Swansea City features

Here at WalesOnline we like to think we have Swansea City covered. Here is a selection of our feature pieces on the club:

* Swansea City owners analysed: we took a a look back at what they had to say to us in September, and what the current situation is

* The story behind the very important man who sits in the Swansea City dugout

* Swansea's top scorer Oli McBurnie reveals how less time on the PS4 and more time in bed is boosting his performances

* How Graham Potter and his players have gone about getting Swansea City back in track

* It's been one of the season's big talking points, but how do Kristoffer Nordfeldt and Erwin Mulder compare?

* Swansea fans used to dream of a team of Alan Tates. Have they found his natural successor?

* We've had a go at naming the ultimate Swans squad from the last 40 years. Do you agree with our choices?

* Behind the scenes at Swans TV, the ground-breaking way to watch the Swans

* The Angel Rangel interview: I wanted to come back to Swansea this summer... but I never heard back

* The story of Bersant Celina's upbringing, his move from war-torn Kosovo and why Swansea were the team for him. A fascinating read

* Declan John on his 'hard spell' at Cardiff City and the text message that left him absolutely gutted

* Joe Rodon has been one of the stars of the season. Here he explains his rapid rise and why he's not even the best footballer in his family.

* Meet the Swansea City coach whose champions just wiped the floor with Wayne Rooney's DC United

* On the eve of the season our Andrew Gwilym sat down with manager Graham Potter to discuss his footballing philosophy - and his singing

* Swans legend Lee Trundle has revealed the moment that left him in tears in a hotel bedroom

"The look started looking into more live content last season with Facebook Live broadcasts before and after games, and it was felt this season was the right time to take the next step.

"It has been challenging but we feel are are improving all the time and, as a supporter myself, I'm part of a team that wants to provide fans with the best coverage possible.

"Our studio guests have all been excellent. Andy Robinson was a late call-up for his first appearance but he did really well and has gone on to also be part of the BBC's coverage of games.

"We are a small team, but it's an exciting venture because I think streaming is an area that is only going to grow."

The future of streaming in football coverage is a major talking point in the wake of the announcement that Amazon had broken Sky and BT's hold on Premier League rights.

They will stream 20 games a season from the 2019-2020 season, and while Sky have locked up the EFL rights for the next three seasons after this one, there is an anticipation that the likes of Amazon, Netflix and others could be tempted to look towards the Football League when the next tender process begins.

Swans TV has been a success to date

Elsewhere, Facebook have secured the rights for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in Spanish-speaking territories in Latin America.

Eleven Sports - helmed by Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani - have acquired the UK rights for La Liga and Serie A for their streaming platform, and are reported to be set to take on UFC and NBA rights in this country.

In America, Major League Baseball allows subscribers to watch certain games via Facebook.

“Live streaming is an exciting and intriguing development,’’ says Swansea City’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Pearlman.

“It’s still at the early stages of development and the clubs and the EFL are continuing to monitor the findings to assess the best way to move forward in the future.

“As for our own product, then we wanted to make SwansTV Live very Swansea City centric. It provides coverage and access that nobody else can on a game-by-game basis and brings the team and the fans closer together.

“It’s also given us the opportunity to include former Swans players in our shows, whether that’s as a studio guest or co-commentator. I think the fans have enjoyed seeing their passion for the club shine through.’’

Swansea City's chief operating officer Chris Pearlman, addressing an audience in May

"It will be interesting to see how it develops with OTT (over-the-top) products," added Edward-Symmons.

"The bottom line is everyone still want to fill stadiums and have fans at games, that's what gives football in the UK and Ireland it's character, the atmosphere of a full stadium.

"On the other hand it’s becoming more and more difficult to access illegal streams to watch games online, so what will happen if a streaming service purchased the EFL rights?

"Would it have a knock-on effect for the efforts of the clubs? It's going to be one of the most intriguing developments in the industry moving forward."

You can find out more about SwansTV Live HERE https://www.swanseacity.com/match/swanstv-live-streaming and subscribe to watch the Wigan game HERE https://live.swanseacity.com /