RE: Pay per view: PH Blog
Discussion
Chris Harris said:
This is a business that has proved the model developed by YT doesn't work for more expensively produced content.
b
ks. And I suspect you know it is too. There are a number of channels/networks operating in much smaller niches making it work, most with equal production values.
At the end of the day, subs is the easiest solution and I guess your relying on your dedicated hardcore fans to carry you through.
Annoyingly they could've left the core content free and sold 'bonus' content like behind the scenes and q&a stuff to plug gap.
trashbat said:
^ How do you reconcile that idea with the concept of independent journalism?
Only by the fact that all manufacturers want and need positive appraisal of respected independent journalists. I do recognise it isn't quite that simple, but it is maybe where leveraging the brand that Chris has built on YouTube comes in. Fundamentally if Drive or Chris have accesses to such a significant audience, manufacturers and sponsors want access and have to have confidence in their products that they will stand up to independent criticle review. Once again, I know it isn't this simple but I do think the new business model will ultimately significantly reduce the market that Drive reaches and in doing so will then close the door to any more creative funding routes.It's good content and I have no problem with the need to increase revenue, I'm just unsure this is the best way.
FWIW I personally think that the production quality as brilliant as it is, is too high. This has to be where the money can be saved and the 'free' watching of vids better (with revenue via adverts)
As I understand it, it's the consistency of videos/views/subscribers that YT take note of, so my theory would be to produce more videos, but maybe not continue to fly everyone out to a different country each month/week to film the next LaF et al. Maybe film more in UK/Europe, and stop the slow motion/blurred/arty drifting nonsense and concentrate on more interesting car reviews or as someone else said, adventures in older cars. Mightycarmods seem to manage to do this rather well. You have a massive pool of fans with all types of cars of all levels and budgets, I'm sure many would love to see their car in a video and be happy to lend you it for half a day.
Pewdepie and other trash such as that earn as much as he does by pumping out loads of vids regularly now he has a large fan base. I'm not saying, sell your soul to satan and produce ste, but you have a great fan base, keep hold of it and continue to feed the desire for more videos, they don't have to have the equivalent of the next Transformers movie budget. I for one preferred the CH vids that weren't so overly produced. A brief chat with other mates who watch your videos said the same.
I won't be subscribing, not because of cost, but because there is just too much else out there that will fill the spare time I get to watch such videos. I do feel you'll lose rather than gain from this.
I do however admire your ambition and belief in this and wish you all the very best of luck.
As I understand it, it's the consistency of videos/views/subscribers that YT take note of, so my theory would be to produce more videos, but maybe not continue to fly everyone out to a different country each month/week to film the next LaF et al. Maybe film more in UK/Europe, and stop the slow motion/blurred/arty drifting nonsense and concentrate on more interesting car reviews or as someone else said, adventures in older cars. Mightycarmods seem to manage to do this rather well. You have a massive pool of fans with all types of cars of all levels and budgets, I'm sure many would love to see their car in a video and be happy to lend you it for half a day.
Pewdepie and other trash such as that earn as much as he does by pumping out loads of vids regularly now he has a large fan base. I'm not saying, sell your soul to satan and produce s
te, but you have a great fan base, keep hold of it and continue to feed the desire for more videos, they don't have to have the equivalent of the next Transformers movie budget. I for one preferred the CH vids that weren't so overly produced. A brief chat with other mates who watch your videos said the same. I won't be subscribing, not because of cost, but because there is just too much else out there that will fill the spare time I get to watch such videos. I do feel you'll lose rather than gain from this.
I do however admire your ambition and belief in this and wish you all the very best of luck.
KarlMac said:
bks. And I suspect you know it is too.
There are a number of channels/networks operating in much smaller niches making it work, most with equal production values.
At the end of the day, subs is the easiest solution and I guess your relying on your dedicated hardcore fans to carry you through.
Annoyingly they could've left the core content free and sold 'bonus' content like behind the scenes and q&a stuff to plug gap.
Do you honestly think that the whole Drive team haven't spent months and months desperately working through every available scenario?ks. And I suspect you know it is too. There are a number of channels/networks operating in much smaller niches making it work, most with equal production values.
At the end of the day, subs is the easiest solution and I guess your relying on your dedicated hardcore fans to carry you through.
Annoyingly they could've left the core content free and sold 'bonus' content like behind the scenes and q&a stuff to plug gap.
I'm 100% certain that none of them wanted to go down this route but they had to in order to survive. It's an incredibly brave move and I for one applaud them.
The more i think about it the more it feels like the price is wrong. I'll subscribe anyway because I like CH, but there isn't really enough content on drive outside of CH for it to feel like I'm really "subscribing" to anything. We talk about the high production values but its not as if all the content is like that.
Most of the content is weekend racing roundups or blokes sitting on a couch talking vaguely about whether BMW E36 M3s came with SMG I or SMG II. Its not really Netflix, is it?
However, when there's a "big event" like a future La Ferrari / 918 / P1 group test, that's something that can be promoted and charged for. 30 minutes of that is worth a few bucks to me, no question. The model is like pay-per-view boxing; I can watch two billies punch each other for free on TV, but if I want to watch Manny Pacquiao, I have to stump up $20.
Most of the content is weekend racing roundups or blokes sitting on a couch talking vaguely about whether BMW E36 M3s came with SMG I or SMG II. Its not really Netflix, is it?
However, when there's a "big event" like a future La Ferrari / 918 / P1 group test, that's something that can be promoted and charged for. 30 minutes of that is worth a few bucks to me, no question. The model is like pay-per-view boxing; I can watch two billies punch each other for free on TV, but if I want to watch Manny Pacquiao, I have to stump up $20.
KarlMac said:
Chris Harris said:
This is a business that has proved the model developed by YT doesn't work for more expensively produced content.
bks. And I suspect you know it is too. There are a number of channels/networks operating in much smaller niches making it work, most with equal production values.
At the end of the day, subs is the easiest solution and I guess your relying on your dedicated hardcore fans to carry you through.
Annoyingly they could've left the core content free and sold 'bonus' content like behind the scenes and q&a stuff to plug gap.
A squandered opportunity in my view. Their goal should have always been this day and to ride it out without smoothly, not to hit it like a brick wall and have to make such a sudden and un-creative choice in their future. To think they arrived here without having some other ideas to try first is amazing!
Dave
Beefmeister said:
Do you honestly think that the whole Drive team haven't spent months and months desperately working through every available scenario?
I'm 100% certain that none of them wanted to go down this route but they had to in order to survive. It's an incredibly brave move and I for one applaud them.
I have a sneaky suspicion that this is just NBC wanting more monies. nothing moreI'm 100% certain that none of them wanted to go down this route but they had to in order to survive. It's an incredibly brave move and I for one applaud them.
KarlMac said:
Well, first video has gone up, and social media says its not good.
- private, then not, then it is, then you can only get there via direct link
- people still can't pay
- paid for content is apparently covered in ads.
- someones already ripped it and uploaded it to another account.
thats entirely bulls- private, then not, then it is, then you can only get there via direct link
- people still can't pay
- paid for content is apparently covered in ads.
- someones already ripped it and uploaded it to another account.
t. I really enjoyed todays videliotrw said:
KarlMac said:
Well, first video has gone up, and social media says its not good.
- private, then not, then it is, then you can only get there via direct link
- people still can't pay
- paid for content is apparently covered in ads.
- someones already ripped it and uploaded it to another account.
thats entirely bulls- private, then not, then it is, then you can only get there via direct link
- people still can't pay
- paid for content is apparently covered in ads.
- someones already ripped it and uploaded it to another account.
t. I really enjoyed todays vidI can't go for this. Not because of the price, but if every provider starts charging a subscription for the videos I watch then I'll have 50 Subscriptions. If it takes 10K to make a video, and 3 million view it then that's quite a lot less than a penny a video required.
Maybe a video site token system would work, where I can use my tokens to view videos from different providers at a nominal cost. Maybe as part of pistonheads or something. 20p to view, see how that works out?
Not in youtube however.. the YOU is in youtube for a reason. It's free content for all. You don't have to make it, but if you post it up there it's for everyone to enjoy.
Maybe a video site token system would work, where I can use my tokens to view videos from different providers at a nominal cost. Maybe as part of pistonheads or something. 20p to view, see how that works out?
Not in youtube however.. the YOU is in youtube for a reason. It's free content for all. You don't have to make it, but if you post it up there it's for everyone to enjoy.
Munter said:
I did wonder how Drive was finding itself as the view counts didn't seem that high considering the content. At least that mystery has been answered.
Not sure I'll be finding £25 a year to watch it though.
Thats the point, you've hit it on the head. Not sure I'll be finding £25 a year to watch it though.
"view count isn't high considering the content". Its the content that's not grabbing the numbers needed to make it pay. I'm not saying I know what it is either.
Its not the same as paying for music, its watching a car journo go about his work, doing it well.
I still buy CD's as I like everything about them and the better audio quality/having something to hold. Same reason people buy magazines still.
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