Nickled and Dimed to Death

August 25, 2023

𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱
𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?
In a world where everyone seems to have their hand out, and it feels like there is a fee for everything, are we as an industry pricing ourselves out of an audience? Class fees, office fee, security fee, drug fee, video fee, photography fee, stall fee, shavings fee, RV fee. The list of fees on an entry can often feel never ending, but often owners who are unable to attend can count on tuning into the live feed and watching their horses and friends show without having to pay. However this year’s 100X Reining Classic has started a new trend- charging for the show live feed. This has left many fans and owners in an uproar over being charged $35 to see a live feed that was traditionally free, paid for through video fees and sponsorship money and provided to viewers worldwide. (And please note that entries have still been charged a $15 video fee per run at this show.) In fact many sponsors would argue that their sponsorship money buys them a commercial on the live feed to advertise to those viewers, but behind a pay wall these commercials will be seen by far less viewers than normal, thus making their sponsorship less valuable to them. The goal of most every sport is to grow their audience, thus growing the sport, thus attracting the biggest and best sponsorships that they can, and the goal of sponsors is to put their sponsorship where it will be seen positively by the most people who are most likely to become customers. Do you feel that this move by 100x shows accomplishes that? Or are we to move the way of a Pay Per View model where to see a run you’ll need to provide your credit card? What are your thoughts?