What Flotrack is doing is bad for the sport

Ace_RF wrote:

Ability to sell advertising is linked to audience size, not quality of content.

If your content is good, your audience will grow.

I can't stand Flotrack. Let me just watch the darn videos. If runnerspace were smart they would upload the videos and let viewers watch them for free. I want to see Flotrack go bankrupt.

I disagree. They are just trying to earn profit so that they can provide that footage and maintain quality service.

Besides, they put the race videos up for everyone to watch (subscription or not) a couple days after the meet. It's not like they are withholding the footage. They're just making those who don't want to pay wait a bit longer.

Some people mentioned universal sports and how they offered a cheaper pay-per-view option, but notice they no longer do that. It wasn't profitable for them and now you have to pay for direct tv to watch the events.

I don't know how successful it is going to be for Flotrack but have you seen the number of employees the company has? Something must be going well:

http://flocasts.com/#team

FLOTRACK SUCKS. Everything, and I mean everything now is only exclusive on Flotrack pro... I was really hoping to watch Mt. Sac live...for free. Why can't they just live stream for free for the love of God.

Truth. I haven't visited there site in a while. Please don't support them.

No problem with the content they provide or with trying to make a buck, but FTP is simply too expensive. FTP is somewhat of a grassroots effort, but is being sold at a commerical price.

Once an Expert wrote:

Putting events like the Armory Collegiate Invite, and the BU Terrier Classic behind a pay wall is not good for the sport at all.

Hey Rojo!

It is funny that you complain what is good for the sport on Letsrun. Yes, this is the place where the sport is treated well. Ha

I'm done with Flotrack.

Nuttly wrote:

FLOTRACK SUCKS. Everything, and I mean everything now is only exclusive on Flotrack pro... I was really hoping to watch Mt. Sac live...for free. Why can't they just live stream for free for the love of God.

Yes, because it costs them nothing to travel there, host and maintain the website, purchase equipment, etc.

The reality is that the smaller the audience, the more niche the product the more that needs to be charged to cover costs.

As an example, compare the prices on specialized industry or scientific pubs with very low readership vs. general market rags.

Nuttly wrote:

FLOTRACK SUCKS. Everything, and I mean everything now is only exclusive on Flotrack pro... I was really hoping to watch Mt. Sac live...for free. Why can't they just live stream for free for the love of God.

If you had a service that no one else was willing/able to provide and there was demand for that service would you give it away for free?

never owned a business wrote:

Yes, because it costs them nothing to travel there, host and maintain the website, purchase equipment, etc.

The reality is that the smaller the audience, the more niche the product the more that needs to be charged to cover costs.

As an example, compare the prices on specialized industry or scientific pubs with very low readership vs. general market rags.

I can respect your viewpoint and comparison BUT those scientific publications contribute to a higher entity -- say a university, private firm, think tank -- and the research topic itself is something that actually matters. Whether contributing to something as simple as public instruction or the cutting edge medical arena it yields value.

Unfortunately, admitting it as an avid track fan myself, track & field is just a hobby. It does not matter in the grand scheme of things when comparing to life. It is a game/sport and will never be more. Years ago people were satisfied with a faxed, twice scanned, once copy machined pdf with the results rendering through some chicken scratch hand writing. Flotrack is a treat but it is not a necessity.

You don't NEED to know results or even see the event live. You WANT to. If you WANT to, then pay. But if you're like me, I don't WANT to. I view watching 10000 after 10000 at Mt. SAC as a waste of time.

Well, industry pubs or subscriptions don't contribute to a "higher entry" - and that is really beside the point. A product targeting a small audience can't take advantage of economies of scale so the price per subscription has to be higher to meet costs. I have no idea where their optimal price point is - I doubt if they have conducted any kind of formal pricing study as those tend to be expensive.

Personally, I have no problem paying. I would rather pay a fee to watch than be subjected to constant ads. But if most track fans are like you Flotrack will probably not survive in its present format.