I subscribe to FloPro.
They have a good model. Once I wanted to watch something live so I signed up just for that event, and now the tiny payment trickles out every month and I don't even think about it. Their offerings are great in terms of live events and workout videos, etc.
Even though LetsRun is populated exclusively by guys making six figures and running 14:xx, you guys sure get worked up about paying coffee money for top-flight access to the sport you follow.
It's been years and they're still doing it. They're a business. They don't care about us
Give me liberty or give me free internet.
MAGA
While Flotrack has bought the rights to broadcasting content that was initially provided free of charge, they have also bought access to meets that previously did not have any media exposure.
Paying for access to their content isn't just normal; it just makes sense. All of the content they produce are valuable intangible assets. If they were selling t-shirts, shorts, running shoes, this wouldn't even be a discussion. You wouldn't expect them to give away those products for free.
Also, I cannot provide any hard evidence, but I would suspect that the majority of the meets that provided "free coverage" to meets were able to fund that coverage through meet entry fees, ticket sales, etc. Flotrack doesn't have that luxury, so they are funded through subscriptions.
supply and demands, kids wrote:
Even though LetsRun is populated exclusively by guys making six figures and running 14:xx, you guys sure get worked up about paying coffee money for top-flight access to the sport you follow.
This.
$12 a month is too much to pay for series, interviews, training videos & race coverage? Good lord, hope you guys don't follow any other sports, you'll sob yourself broke in a week.
I won't pay for it.
The biggest sin is having to pay for NCAA Championship races.
Flotrack can't attract advertising dollars. They don't know how to do business.
letsbereal wrote:
supply and demands, kids wrote:
Even though LetsRun is populated exclusively by guys making six figures and running 14:xx, you guys sure get worked up about paying coffee money for top-flight access to the sport you follow.
This.
$12 a month is too much to pay for series, interviews, training videos & race coverage? Good lord, hope you guys don't follow any other sports, you'll sob yourself broke in a week.
I pay $12 for runnerspace. No way I would ever pay $12 for flotrack and their joke of a product. Plus it's not $12, it's $29.99.
People still visit Flotrack?
Business Model wrote:
Also, I cannot provide any hard evidence, but I would suspect that the majority of the meets that provided "free coverage" to meets were able to fund that coverage through meet entry fees, ticket sales, etc. .
Don't most universities have a department that teaches videography? The big ten was showing games that were filmed by the students. Those kids would probably love to provide coverage if given the chance.
Journalists, cameramen, photographers, etc., like to eat too.
Why is it that it's okay to charge someone money for pizza, but you cannot interview, photograph, or video them and NOT GET PAID!!!
Teachers get paid more for working for Flosports. A lot more!
I ought to know I've done both.
Not having the 5000 meter run in the Diamond League is the kind of thing that could kill our sport.
is there to improve our sport.
Okay okay this REALLY sucks. Older people will understand a business needs to make money and so forth. But once we view this for what it is...
Superior track athletes are fighting for social mobility the same way NFL and NBA athletes are. This starts at the high school level and unfortunately the athlete who runs 4:12 or jumps 23-8 is now an opportunity for multiple customers because, honestly, no one else cares.
We are only as good as we ourselves make the sport. Despite the beauty found on the basic levels -- kid goes out, discovers their talents and lives happily ever after -- track or cc just isnt much to people outside of the activists. People at letsrun, tracktalk, dyestat, etc. are the activists. Next level out people lose interest drastically after 4 to 8 years. It is what it is. Beauty within but hard to identify with outside.
There are people who are paying to watch meets on Flotrack? What a bunch of idiots!
Those of you complaining are cheap.
NCAA basketball players don't have to pay to watch their games because there are advertisers that put those games on television, and even there some of those games are on ESPN, so you have to pay for that unless you use a rogue free feed from somewhere.
Videos of these track and cross country races you want to see wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Flotrack.
You are not entitled to free videos. You want free videos, get involved in a sport that enough people give a damn about so that advertisers will support it on broadcast television.
Flotrack can charge and we don't have to buy. I don't subscribe because the product they put out is really poor quality
SomeoneWhoKnows wrote:
NCAA basketball players don't have to pay to watch their games because there are advertisers that put those games on television.
. . . which also costs money. The March Madness app putts out after 3 hours unless you put in cable or satellite subscription information.