RE: Pay per view: PH Blog

[Truckosaurus]

The lack of content over the first few weeks seems odd, I was expecting them to flood the new channel during the 2wk free period in a bid to get people to pay up.

It is almost as if they are keeping their powder dry for a third incarnation of the channel (on another platform).

Also. The latest 10min 'driving in South Africa' video was shown on the free channel not the 'plus' channel, further muddying the waters about what content will be on each channel.

[DonkeyApple]

Truckosaurus said:

The lack of content over the first few weeks seems odd, I was expecting them to flood the new channel during the 2wk free period in a bid to get people to pay up.

It is almost as if they are keeping their powder dry for a third incarnation of the channel (on another platform).

Also. The latest 10min 'driving in South Africa' video was shown on the free channel not the 'plus' channel, further muddying the waters about what content will be on each channel.

Or given up already having failed to do enough research on YouTube's new business model and realising that various parts aren't ready yet or take too much revenue.

It is surprising to have what does seem to be a limited amount of launch content.

[North West Tom]

SpeedBall said:

I always felt that when Clarkson and co offloaded Top Gear to the BBC it signalled that the money wasn't rolling in quite as much as it had previously been doing. It's got to the point where the cars are almost a side feature filling in and gaps left from Clarkson, Hammond and May's fake arguments and pranks.

Regardless of its current level of popularity, Top Gear ran out of ideas years ago and cannot go on forever. Now would be a great time to introduce a truly car-based show focusing around Chris Harris and a couple of respected car guys.

Top Gear isn't about cars. It's about the characters. Same with any TV Show. I doubt people will get bored of Jeremy, Richard and James, the same way people still watch Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin. Some people on here need to open their eyes. Imagine the outrage if the BBC announced they were cancelling Top Gear just like that because poor Chris Harris doesn't have a job and he and his team of (American) car nerds will do their best to bore you to death in the space of an hour. Drive do well, because they aim their content and car fans. Top Gear don't. Would 5 or 6 million people tune in on a Sunday night to watch a VW Golf vs BMW hatchback head to head?

[Motorrad]

As an outsider (only ever watched a few videos wouldn't pay to watch some other persons opinions of a car)I have to admit it's funny watching this turn to st. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

Edited by Motorrad on Sunday 24th August 16:43

[thegreenhell]

DonkeyApple said:

Truckosaurus said:

The lack of content over the first few weeks seems odd, I was expecting them to flood the new channel during the 2wk free period in a bid to get people to pay up.

It is almost as if they are keeping their powder dry for a third incarnation of the channel (on another platform).

Also. The latest 10min 'driving in South Africa' video was shown on the free channel not the 'plus' channel, further muddying the waters about what content will be on each channel.

Or given up already having failed to do enough research on YouTube's new business model and realising that various parts aren't ready yet or take too much revenue.

It is surprising to have what does seem to be a limited amount of launch content.

I got the impression that the YT money dried up some months ago. Harris certainly didn't release any free videos for quite a while before the subscription channel started. I think it was more a case of not having enough money to make the videos during this period, rather than them making and stockpiling them. The LaLa and M3 videos were both made a while ago, and presumably held back specifically for the subscription launch so they at least had something to tide them over for the first few weeks while they used the new revenue stream to get back on track with newly-made content. The latest couple of videos of Harris' own cars filmed on his local roads will hardly have broken the bank either, and bought them a little more time.

[swimd]

They are now uploading unedited and uncommented raw GoPro footage of their laps. Not sure I’d pay for that. Whatever floats their boat.

[chrispmartha]

So basically you're subscribing to watch chris harris drive his own cars around? That seems like real good value, did those videos cost 10K each?

[b0rk]

In a nutshell currently yes.

I do wonder if more content is available for US subscribers due to the NBCSN deal. It is somewhat strange that only the monkey video's are on drive+ and likes of after/drive, shakedown, drive central etc are not being produced, these where surely cheap content.

Personally if the channel stays at single review video per week (as spinoffs etc of the same) I won't keep my subscription going.

[lamboman100]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Top Gear is the world's most popular motoring show (and factual show of any kind).

Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and all other online car shows are vastly inferior and there is absolutely no comparison. TG is the only car prog that measures its audience in the hundreds of millions.

[Durzel]

There's surely enough sycophants on here to keep Harris in frappacinos and keep his exotic car tastes satiated that it's a wonder he's even bothering with something as ambitious and elaborate as DRIVE+ (which, incidentally, sounds like it's dead on it's feet already)

[thegreenhell]

lamboman100 said:

Top Gear is the world's most popular motoring show (and factual show of any kind).

I think it's a bit of a stretch to call TG factual. You'll find it on iplayer under 'entertainment' not 'documentaries'.

lamboman100 said:

Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and all other online car shows are vastly inferior and there is absolutely no comparison. TG is the only car prog that measures its audience in the hundreds of millions.

That's like comparing Mock the Week to Newsnight as a source of current affairs information, and claiming MtW is better because it has higher viewing figures.

[camshafted]

lamboman100 said:

Top Gear is the world's most popular motoring show (and factual show of any kind).

Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and all other online car shows are vastly inferior and there is absolutely no comparison. TG is the only car prog that measures its audience in the hundreds of millions.

Lots of People are very quick to criticise Wheeler Dealers, but it is possibly the most successful motoring show in the world after Top Gear. The production company sells it to dozens of countries. It is a very simple formula, and it works.

Wheeler Dealers works because there's a story every week, they go on a journey, so to speak. It's not always about supercars going slow-mo sideways as a camera with a funky filter films it.

[Wollcage]

Top Gear 'factual'

[DonkeyApple]

thegreenhell said:

DonkeyApple said:

Truckosaurus said:

The lack of content over the first few weeks seems odd, I was expecting them to flood the new channel during the 2wk free period in a bid to get people to pay up.

It is almost as if they are keeping their powder dry for a third incarnation of the channel (on another platform).

Also. The latest 10min 'driving in South Africa' video was shown on the free channel not the 'plus' channel, further muddying the waters about what content will be on each channel.

Or given up already having failed to do enough research on YouTube's new business model and realising that various parts aren't ready yet or take too much revenue.

It is surprising to have what does seem to be a limited amount of launch content.

I got the impression that the YT money dried up some months ago. Harris certainly didn't release any free videos for quite a while before the subscription channel started. I think it was more a case of not having enough money to make the videos during this period, rather than them making and stockpiling them. The LaLa and M3 videos were both made a while ago, and presumably held back specifically for the subscription launch so they at least had something to tide them over for the first few weeks while they used the new revenue stream to get back on track with newly-made content. The latest couple of videos of Harris' own cars filmed on his local roads will hardly have broken the bank either, and bought them a little more time.

Yes. It gives the impression that firstly the original source of funds running out came out of the blue as there seems to have been no advance planning and secondly that there is no operating capital and they are working hand to mouth, which may explain the killing of the annual subs as YT won't hand over that money for a long time, unlike monthly subs that can simply be paid a month in arrears.

Regardless, it hasn't exactly been a slick model switch or launch and the strange social antics of the ry Cuzins suggests it has all be a bit fraught and panicked.

As anyone who has ever launched a business knows, you just can't escape 11th hour screwups and as I've mentioned before, when your business is social media then you can't hide these, so it is much tougher.

Running a business that also is reliant on a mammoth third party for product delivery and revenue collection is also a huge concern.

I very much suspect, having been in similar situations, that YT told them everything worked fine and they have since discovered that this was bks. You can't blame Drive for the regional fiasco, that stinks of YT and the typical American error of forgetting the rest of the world or not appreciating its relevance.

I'm sure Drive tried to find a sponsor and that this route was their fallback.

I hope they get traction and it succeeds. But if it doesn't then I hope CH continues on his own and that we will all back him to do so.

[AstonZagato]

Are they tied in to YouTube? There are plenty of platforms out there that give a far, far, far bigger slice of the revenue pie.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Motorrad said:

As an outsider (only ever watched a few videos wouldn't pay to watch some other persons opinions of a car)I have to admit it's funny watching this turn to st. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

Edited by Motorrad on Sunday 24th August 16:43

Even as someone who doesn't think very highly of Chris Harris, that's a bit uncalled for.

[thegreenhell]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

But even the almighty Google isn't omnipotent. Remember how quickly their Streetview cars were banished from Germany, a country which coincidentally also doesn't allow you to subscribe to Youtube + channels...

[Shmee]

AstonZagato said:

Are they tied in to YouTube? There are plenty of platforms out there that give a far, far, far bigger slice of the revenue pie.

It's true to some extent but I posted some figures a while back that would suggest 90% or so of Drive's views come from general YouTube traffic and most likely only around 10% from 'Subscribers'. Whether that large portion is search results, related videos or recommended ones; you can't not rely on YouTube because of the sheer quantity in numbers it provides and moving to another platform you will immediately thump those numbers.

[DonkeyApple]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That explains it all then.

Of course, it's inconceivable for a multinational to have a centric structure for new models.

[AstonZagato]

Shmee said:

AstonZagato said:

Are they tied in to YouTube? There are plenty of platforms out there that give a far, far, far bigger slice of the revenue pie.

It's true to some extent but I posted some figures a while back that would suggest 90% or so of Drive's views come from general YouTube traffic and most likely only around 10% from 'Subscribers'. Whether that large portion is search results, related videos or recommended ones; you can't not rely on YouTube because of the sheer quantity in numbers it provides and moving to another platform you will immediately thump those numbers.

True but that's sort of my point. If you are going the paywall route, then the platform isn't driving the traffic. Post teasers on youtube and have the main content elsewhere. Sir Chris of Harris has enough of a following on here to ensure some potential clicks are bing driven to whatever platform.

I also hear that YouTube does not give you any traffic data - which must have a large value in and of itself.