WSL flirts with Pay Per View
Overnight, the World Surf League sent out an email soliciting feedback from surf fans. "Help us out," began the message. "We're considering offering a premium paid experience with no ads in 2018! Please tell us what you think."
After following the prompts, the survey asked questions pertaining to cost - "How much would you pay?" - and regularity - "Would you pay per event? Per month? Per year?"
Since acquiring the ASP in 2013, the WSL has repeatedly said they'd never revert to Pay Per View (PPV), the most recent denial just last week when CEO Sophie Goldschmidt told The Business Of Surf. "All of our events next year will be broadcast live and for free on our WSL platforms."
Paying for ad-free viewing isn't the same as PPV, however it does show the WSL is turning to viewers as a revenue stream.
It's also an ideal litmus test for PPV viability as the WSL gets a gauge on how many people would pay to view their product.
The problem at present is the webcast stream is made for ad breaks, so people who pay for the WSL's 'premium service' will still see the breaks, all they'll miss is the repetitive jingle of the respective sponsors. Whether that alone is worth paying for the WSL will soon find out.
Comments
Saw this this morning, and filled it in. Is it possible they're basically looking for a secure form of (albeit, small) revenue?
I personally don't see the value in it. To introduce a pay wall, when the ad-frequency is relatively low, could see an overall reduction in viewership.
Comparatively, ad-frequency on WSL is quiet low and the ad-breaks are never annoying. I feel like a pay wall would be a bad idea.
Where's the option to say...
"Nah...I wouldn't pay a cent"
Or don't they want to hear the truth...
If they are leaving it in Foxtel I can't see them attracting much interest.
Not enough people actually watch it though? In Australia it's on a pay per channel. In Hawaii it's on local pay per channel cable t.v.
Not sure about Europe? I think it's also on cable South America ( Brazil) . So some people already pay for it.
Most contests are in different time zones than the wider international "live" viewing public at any given event. And many viewers aren't interested in every event. A lot of people like myself scroll back through the event timeline on the broadcast and its pretty easy to skip the adds doing that anyway. If they can afford to buy wavepools they won't need my subscription.
It's a poorly worded survey .
It should say how much would you be prepared to pay, not how much would you want to pay.
Nobody 'wants' to pay anything, yet many are probably prepared to pay an amount to see the comps.
Already on pay tv why pay extra
Funny that use write an article about them wanting to charge next year..but hipercriticle don't You think? Since youse charge to watch surf cams $9 a month LOL. Plus can't even watch a surf cam for more then 20 seconds without a 30 second add coming up. Tell ya what would rather pay to watch WSL then pay $9 a month to watch your cams.
Eh?
You've given yourself an appropriate name with a comment like that!
Wouldn’t pay a cent
Is there really an American billionaire that doesn't surf asking taxpayers to pay for the comps , taxpayers to empty the public line ups and taxpayers to pay per view ?
How's get fucked sound , Dirk ?
And I consider myself a core fan of professional surfing.
I'd second that blowin
Apart from being a core fan
I'm more a periphery dabbler nonplussed by every event unless the waves are smoking then I would watch a highlight reel.
I'm pathetically addicted to comp webcasts myself, so would pay like the junkie I am.
Same here.
It's hard to stay angry at Dirkbaby.
A week till Pipe !
A very good day involves surfing myself into a standstill early then watch the replay in the arvo when I'm cooked.
Always seem to catch a spoiling view of the day's results beforehand though. Virtually impossible to avoid.
From this vantage points seven days out the Pipe forecast looks radical.
How so ?
I thought it was going to be small backdoor ie Toledo victory.
That would be extremely disappointing.
Probs my favourite year was when Kieran Perrow won. Tear jerk end to a few days of hefty pits. First time I'd really paid attention to JJF if I recall correctly . Maybe a heat with Slater ? One wave where he went high into a pipe left then dropped down the double up. Amazing.
To watch I like it big and blustery with wind. Pipe proper. Screaming hectic death pits. The perfect days are pretty to watch but a bit too predictable.
Here's what's showing on the forecast, keep in mind distance out so liable to move around.
Big and wild for days with unruly winds but hopefully the commish keeps the comp days on hold 'cos there'll be pockets of light and variable where it will smoke.
Something very wicked looking now showing at the end of model runs.
too much sand to get excited
There's a big swell due two days before the start of the waiting period. 12-15ft NW, so hopefully it sweeps the reef clean.
wow 12-15 3rd reef bombs
jjf advantage - how are jordys figs - i am not even going near medina 34-1 + before his wins in europe
Missed most of the sunset event so far, watched Wilkos heat , impressive. Still not sure how many people would want to pay money to sit through the events add free when the majority of viewers really only wish to view select heats, at select events. How many people are really out there hanging out for, and watching every live heat, of every event , especially given some of the waiting periods. Surely they don't believe the rest of us are waiting frozen on our lounges clinging to Kieren Perrows next call.
too much down time...name one sport - look at golf, tennis, fishing ect... it is only the fight game and entertainment ie. wrestling, music that people pay. but damm pipe is the masters or wimbleton of our sport can not wait if we get true pipe and makes a big ? on the new tour decision
" when the majority of viewers really only wish to view select heats, at select events. "
Bingo.
I aint payin nuffin to nobody to watch surfin
FWIW, the ad-free model is already on display across their Facebook and TV App streams anyway (where they are unable to monetise the vision via online mid-roll ads).
As Stu pointed out, this just means that instead of showing ads, they roll 90 seconds of static footage (with no commentary).
I have no problems in paying to access WSL events. However, one of the current gripes is that ads are often played at a time when waves are being ridden - so for a paid product, I’d expect this to be eliminated, and to see nothing but live action and commentary.
But I’m not sure how they’d do it as they’d also need to concurrently cater for the free (ad supported) stream - and from a continuity point of view this would be difficult.
Whats next , fencing off beaches and charging admission?. The WSL is pushing shit up hill if it expects your average Joe to pick up the tab for poorly managing a highly profitable industry. Surfing corporations have ridden on the back of this shit since day one, and most of the WSL chronies have enjoyed the ride. That's a NO from me Joseph Carr.
"a highly profitable industry."
Which part is highly profitable?
Good question. Industry is definitely at an ebb point. The WSL have tried many angles to monetize surfing . Any working ....not to sure . Here's three that will always sell regardless good wax, good wetsuits , good boards.
The corporate side of things basically. I,m talking about the brands that have ridden on the back of pro surfing names to create products that are manufactured cheaply and sold on to brand aware consumers at highly over inflated prices. And if they expect the whole thing to go mainstream then surely there should be many more sponsor/advertising dollars outside of the surf industry, like Corona.
When the surf industry was highly profitable, the large brands did spend tens of millions (if not collectively hundreds of millions) of dollars on pro surfing. It's important not to forget this, because we all benefited from the ongoing free webcasts they provided for many, many years.
But, times have changed, surfing is no longer cool, the major surf brands are shrinking in size (and revenue) rapidly and the large profits of yesteryear are a distant memory.
As is any kind of significant marketing $$ for professional surfing.
I'd rather listen to the adds than WSL commentators talking about their personal lives 2 minutes before the end of crucial heats. Your'e an idiot Kaipo . I usually mute anything I watch on the WSL, but my old playlist was boring me.
If the WSL cut down the numbers of Journeymen , and had a 1 day comp with 16 surfers with overlapping heats , so there we lots of waves being surfed all in perfect surf , well that could be entertaining.
I doubt with the current format, they could sell their current format as its too long, boring which makes it a commentators nightmare , as there is no other subjective sport that only has 5 mins of action every 1/2 hr, fix the product!
One day is too short for me Sharkman. Don't mind 36 surfers. Just get rid of round four and five . the whole double chance thing does not breed winners. Sometimes the competitors throw their round 4 heat to better stage them selves for the quarter finals.
They need to start taking the top scores from the rounds and send the best surfers through to the next round .
Get rid of the continual priority battles and get back to surfing ;)
IF the WSL want real buy in and... revenue for covering the show, many may pay to 'judge' a surf heat like "the voice" talent show...with say....50% vote from (the customers) & 50% vote from (the prosurf community; judges, surfers, coaches & sponsors)...the delay in heat results will give suspense, intrigue, adverts...mmm...maybe we vote on the adds, judges and commentators as well...healthy feedback.
Brazil will win everything, haha
God, no. Kill me now.