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Missing out on the big picture
By Zach Arnold | December 19, 2005
Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a lot of people (especially on the pro-wrestling side of the spectrum) trash the concept of “television” on the Internet. There are writers and people online who think it’s popular to make fun of the idea of “internet TV” (a concept first really made successful on the pro-wrestling side by New England Championship Wrestling), including WWE’s attempt to put Heat, Velocity, and other programming online.
News flash for the critics – you’re going to be on the wrong side of history if you don’t take “internet TV” seriously.
With iTunes, video-on-demand, and other media platforms, we’re in an age right now where the media giants are starting to lose control over distribution channels. No longer is it necessarily profitable to own a newspaper (a dying business) or a TV channel. The big markets are starting to transform into a bunch of smaller, more niche-oriented markets with more and more programming options being available.
The concept of “Internet TV” is not a bad idea. It’s a good step in the right direction. Producing programming is becoming less and less expensive due to upgrades in technology. What has not changed, however, are the inflated prices of doing business in traditional media channels (such as TV networks). If we were focusing on local TV versus national TV, then I can understand the concept of doing business on that platform. However, it makes no sense to pay a premium to be on a TV network in today’s marketplace.
I’m sure you have heard the catcalls from fight writers about watching programming on a portable multimedia player or on “the box” (your computer screen). Here’s the reality – people are willing to pay for programming in different modes of distribution (whether it’s on the cell phone, computer, portable player, or on DVD). People who are stuck 5-10 years in technology’s past need to quickly realize that we are entering a new era.
UFC has certainly realized this with their new video deal with Amp’d Mobile, which will allow select customers to be able to watch fights on portable phones. WWE will certainly make some new deals with their extensive video library in the future so that footage can be sold on multiple platforms. TV is still an important media platform, but it’s losing ground to the Internet and other modes of communication.
Nobody is saying that “internet TV” video of fight footage is going to replace having a national TV deal. However, the dismissive cat-calls from the old guard in the industry (writers, fans, promoters, etc.) are becoming more and more laughable. The marketplace is growing on a global scale. Let’s see who figures this out first.
Zach Arnold
Topics: MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Considering that many fight fans have to watch fights on their computers anyhow – after downloading them via BitTorrent or other file-sharing programs – it seems likely that these same people would often prefer to watch those same events live, and might be willing to pay a small fee to do so. Hell, it’s pretty impressive how many people follow text play-by-plays on message boards and in chat rooms at 3 or 4 in the morning. I imagine a lot of fights fans outside Japan would pay $5-10 to watch a live broadcast of the K-1 New Year’s Eve card (which, as far as I know, is not being broadcast in the U.S. anytime soon).
I’m not even sure that it’s necessary that the event be live. If the cost is minimal enough, I imagine there’s quite a few folks who would pay a few bucks for delayed content, either because they don’t want to spend the time trying to find the download they want on a file-sharing site, or because they aren’t tech-savvy enough to want to deal with the hassle of using a file-sharing program.
I’m lucky to live near a Japanese video store that can get me most Pride and K-1 events that are either delayed or not televised in the U.S. within 2 weeks of when they air. I occasionally have used file-sharing services to download individual fights or entire events, though I keep getting frustrated by my favorite BitTorrent sites shutting down. But, despite being a poor student, I would GLADLY pay a regular monthly subscription fee, a per-event fee, or even an annual fee if I could watch a lot more of these fights (Shooto, ZST, DEEP, Pancrase, Cage Rage, Jungle Fight, ROTR, Superbrawl, WEC, KOTC, etc.) either live or with a few days delay. Reading results on MMA websites is better than nothing, but being a fight fan is about *watching* fights, NOT just reading results.
To me, it’s interesting how there is this archaic perception (at least with some of the pro-wrestling writers) that watching programming on the computer is almost beneath them, as if it’s contemptuous to even make the effort to watch a downloaded file.
I’ve always believed in portability and giving the audience a product in as many different formats as possible. The footage will ultimately sell itself. It’s about trusting the customer and the customer willing to pay money for a product that they might not normally pay for in a traditional media format.
When you look at DSE, Cage Rage, and these other organizations that pay money to be on TV, they would be well-served to think about MMA as a global business. It’s a pure play as Jim Cramer (of Mad Money fame) would say. Pro-wrestling tends to be more of a regional product in terms of marketing, but MMA is MMA any way you slice it. The rules might be different in certain markets, but it’s still the same sport and concept. Rather than pay for PPV time in America or other markets, it would be a smarter (and cheaper) investment for an organization such as Cage Rage to distribute their product online (a video on-demand sort of deal) in subscription format. However, that kind of thinking requires a certain level of trust with online consumers. I’m not sure we are at that point, yet.
I’m glad to see you commenting on the site, Dan. 🙂
Whether we like it or not, this is going to be the way of the future. I live in Australia, which makes it extremely awkward to get MMA or Pro Wrestling outside of WWE. I, like Dan, would gladly pay a per-event, monthly or annual fee in order to see this stuff at all (I’m not to fussed about a bit of delay, I usually don’t get a chance to read results live anyway) but I’m sure that there will always be people who would exploit the system in order to avoid being out of pocket
I feel somewhat responsible for starting this “phenomenon” as it pertains to pro wrestling. We started the weekly online shows in November of 2004 and almost immediately, several other companies followed suit. Now dozens of promotions offer some sort of video programming online.
The reasons, from a promotion’s point of view, to distribute TV online are many. First off, it elminates the cost of buying a conventional TV airtime. The cost of that in a market like Boston is excessive – anywhere from $750 to $2,000 per week – and you still have to pay for production. Also, that money does not buy you good time slots. TV stations sell the time they can’t program profitably, which means late nights and off times on weekends.
The second advatage is distribution. Upload your show and you are instantly worldwide. Unliek American public access cable channels, you don’t have to send tapes town by town. One upload and you are everywhere.
The third advantage is a creative one. Unlike coventional TV, which must be 30 minutes or 60 minutes, an Internet show can be 22 minutes one week, 36 minutes the next, 29 the week after, etc.
I am deeply disappointed that the major wrestling sites – i.e.; wrestlingobserver.com and pwtorch.com – have failed to even acknowledge the existence of pro wrestling Internet TV or its importance to pro wrestling, particualrly at a time when diversity in the product fans can consume should be encouraged. So many promotions are using this medium, you would think that a mention of some kind would be in order. The reasons why should be a column of its own.
For myself and NECW, there was never a thought given to charging people to see the shows. We considered it a showcase and a way to promote interest in our live shows, DVD’s, etc.
It is also not a substitute for conventional television, but a means to demonstrate our viability as a commercial television property.
We’ve had great success with it and will be returning to new original episodes very soon.
[…] Internet television is quite possibly the biggest change in professional wrestling since television itself. It’s use in wrestling is something that I introduced. (Related link: Missing out on the big picture.) […]