Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Paintball, TV & Money

This continues to be a highly polarizing subject--at least in some quarters. I suspect most of y'all hold a strong opinion about this one way or the other but defending that opinion isn't a very high priority. This subject usually comes up when there's a whiff of greenbacks in the air or the latest announcement of competitive paintball's imminent success on TV is made. ('Cus everybody knows TV=buckets o' cash.) And it will continue to come up--whether VFTD gets that ball rolling or not--because nobody ever does anything about it. Yet, if real money arrives it will bring its own set of problems to be resolved.
First another history lesson. (I know, I'm starting to hate them too.) The game's first encounter with TV (ESPN even!) occurred in 1996 (I think) and featured a custom made pallet field carved out of an orange grove and eventually led to Jerry Braun threatening ESPN with lawsuits for breach of contract over air times, if I remember correctly. Needless to say that didn't pan out. (Braun was part of the group that by that time had been named as the promoters of NPPL events and who would become one of the original PSP owners.) Without getting too bogged down in details the next few forays into TV were promoted by both the newly independent NPPL (1.0) run by Pure Promotions and the NXL--as distinct from the PSP. In the case of the NXL it was structured like the NFL with franchise teams owning the league. TV would ostensibly have seen the teams organize around agreed upon terms, etc. with players under contract. The NPPL 1.0 version merely promised the existing pro teams that there would be an opportunity if TV jumped in with both feet. As envisioned the TV deal would be with the league and since teams that were in the league would be on TV they could make their own separate deals with potential sponsors. Now that may sound reasonable and workable but it largely isn't. First thing it doesn't address is oversight of the sport--which NPPL 1.0 had negligible interest in anyway--and the second thing it didn't address was the fact the league would be in competition with its teams for sponsors--and have an enormous built-in advantage.
Back to the present nothing much has changed. NPPL 3.0 is closer to the NXL model but without the organization, contracts and paperwork--just the big idea of one day collecting TV cheese. And the PSP is a tournament promoter tied to the PBA by shared ownership stakes. (Part of the PSP ownership also owns part of PBA.) Where the NPPL 3.0 has made no real progress landing the TV whale it remains their reason to exist. The PBA has gone a different direction. It is using new technologies to build an audience that sponsors will want to reach with advertising. Be it TV or live webcasting the income source is the same.
For fifteen plus years elements of the industry and two leagues have chased TV money. And what have they been trying to sell? Pro paintball. And just who plays pro paintball? The pro teams.
Today PBA is working hard, spending a bunch of money, doing an excellent job with their webcast and building an audience. An audience that is watching pro paintball matches.
Today the PSP determines who will play in the Pro division and who won't. (As does NPPL 3.0) There is no independent oversight or rules governing the sport. (There is no sport.)
If/when PBA begins to see ad revenues coming in what happens? Do they collect as much as they can and everyone goes home happy? [Were you aware PBA is looking to expand beyond the paintball market in the future into other arenas where they might make live broadcasting profitable?]
The answer of course is no. And it remains no no matter what anyone thinks or how anyone feels about it. It's still no whether it's right or wrong in your's or the next guy's estimation. It's no because the transaction hinges on the pro teams playing matches and as soon as anybody turns those teams into a commodity that has some value they will insist on receiving value in return.
Today nobody sweats the details. Nobody is worried about rights or licenses or use permissions for a whole host of things related to the teams playing and the webcast broadcasting them. And being on the webcast is better than not but make no mistake--the pro teams only have the option of making passive decisions, decisions available only on the margins.
But but but . . . it isn't fair! Somebody else spent all the money and took all the risk. So what? Did anyone put a gun to their heads? Do you honestly think either the PSP or PBA would sell shares of either company to any of the pro teams that have the means to buy in? Sure they took a risk but they also called all the shots. It doesn't mean they alone should profit--not when they're selling something they neither own or have any agreements with or rights to.
Look I'm not saying this is good or bad or something in-between. I'm saying it's something that will be a problem and a big one at that if everyone simply waits around until forced to do something. It is far more prudent and sensible to think about now and begin to lay the groundwork for resolving these concerns before things get ugly. What's wrong with that?

28 comments:

Israel said...

There you go making people see the light again. Good stuff Coach.

Fullbore said...

VFTD TV FTW

Nick Brockdorff said...

People are scared to debate it, because they are scared PBA may find it all too cumbersome and go away.

Unfortunately, there is a rather large history in paintball of personal affronts and perceived insults ruling business decisions.

Everyone knows it, and thus, everyone is afraid of breaking the first rule of PBA..... you don't talk about PBA ;)

But you are ofcourse right.... these things have to be discussed - and people need to stop being so sensitive.

- oh... btw - I think the PBA webcasts this year have been great, as well as the great majority of their other content :)

Reiner Schafer said...

Hey, anyone enjoying those NHL broadcasts during the paintball off season?

p8ntballnxj said...

Red Wing fan here, dont make me cry RS.

Anyway, the product that is being sold is watching the best players in the world play each other. PBA is just being the medium in which the coverage gets pumped out to everyone who actually wants to watch it. If/when the money does flow in, the teams and players need to have an equal hand in it, other wise the product wont be around much longer.

NPPU (National Paintball Players Union)!!

Nick Brockdorff said...

Actually, APBF ;)

Their website is not operational yet, but found this text:

http://www.alphasportsinc.com/272.html

Anonymous said...

We're supposed to buy into a paintball federation, one of whose chief missions is supposedly unified rules, whose chief proponent hasn't been able to turn out a rule book in the past 6 years?

Baca Loco said...

Anon 1:39
Nope, you don't need to buy into anything. If competitive paintball is ever going to be a real sport however there will need to be some independent or quasi-independent oversight authority whose role and purpose is to act in the sport's best interest.

Anonymous said...

So PSP it is then?

Seems you may be confusing sport with "pro" athletes.

Grant said...

Nick - that link is from a UPBF Press Release from way back in 2005.

I can't see PBA being able to cover their production expenses selling advertising space to paintball brands but if they get a non-paintball sponsor to be the main coverage sponsor, then there may be some candy to be had.

For now what I see is that everyone wins. PBA provides exposure for the sport and Pro Teams and if the Pro Teams are smart they can leverage that exposure to gain more sponsors.

Unfortunately calling a sport Professional doesn't mean it actually is...

Nick Brockdorff said...

Yeah, the only one of the continental federations that has traction, is the european one, at present - seems the asians are starting to move too, and time will tell if there is a possibility to get the north american one going.... as said elsewhere in here, I think the US will be the hardest nut to crack.

I agree everyone wins right now, with the great work PBA is doing.... but as Baca says in his post.... that doesn't mean we can't discuss the ifs and whens ;)

Anonymous said...

How many non-paintball players watch paintball?

I haven't seen PBA, but the last time I saw paintball on TV a few years back, it was a poor substitute for watching it in person.

Baca Loco said...

Grant
Tell me how smart teams will leverage that exposure? Logos, patches, product placement in the pits? Even there the league regulates what the teams can and can't display, where, how big and what colors. So that whatever formula or scheme you want to propose they will all devolve to some sort of necessary resolution if and when that requires an agreement--which is all I've been saying all along.

Though why a company would sponsor a team when they can sponsor the whole league instead is beyond me unless all sponsorship values are predicated on ad revenue terms with PBA.

Anonymous said...

They could sponsor / endorse players. That's where a lot of Pro athletes get most of their money. There's player appearances, video game team and likeness rights, etc.

If I were the teams, I'd shut up and play, as right now is when I have the WORST negotiating position.


Laurent has apparently been talking about a federation since 2005. The problem is while Laurent is great at telling you how awesome and important a federation is, he's apparently incapable of actually running one. Doesn't even have a rule book.


If what we expect a federation to do is have rules for the sport, have a system for recognizing players, have worldwide rankings, then we're set - PSP has done it already.

Nick Brockdorff said...

I think you are misunderstanding what the point of a federation is ;)

Baca Loco said...

Anon 2:22 (raehl)
Thanks Chris. That's not what a federation or sports union is for.

And I'm sure the pro teams appreciate the advice to just shut up and play. :) Here I thought I was the one digging a deeper hole.

Mark said...

I find it hard to take this dicussion all that seriously in light of the "Behind the facade" post from WC. PBA is not even able to generate revenues approaching (much less equalling) it's operating costs and here we have player A & B who see some threat to their.....whatever it is they see that they're pissed to not be a part of, or who IS a part of it and they are not, or whatever.

I, most times see this sport (ok, Game) and all who participate as being their own worst enemy. It took decades for radio then TV to generate the revenues for the BIG, and wildly popular sports of the world to effect the players in anyway, and 99% of that time, 99% of those players still needed to take jobs in the offseason. Up until then they were all paid by the butts in the seats.

We're not even that far along!

Anonymous said...

what is the point of a federation?

Anonymous said...

Why do we want to be on TV?

Baca Loco said...

Anon 9:23
If you really want to know you should ask the peeps who keep trying to make it happen.

Anonymous said...

Baca - totally agree that some discussions are needed so that both parties can benefit from increased media exposure. Pro teams need to survive and without Pro teams you can kiss good-bye to PSP.

I have no clue how PSP communicates with Pro teams but it sounds like it's time for a Pro Team/Owners Association and some regular post tournament meetings so that everyone's on the same page...

Grant said...

Sorry Anon 6:37 was Grant

Missy Q said...

OK, so I'm Dave @ Dye.

I sponsor Damage, Ironmen and a couple of others with some fat money, and I also fund the webcast. I also am an owner of the PSP. I hear the teams talking, and it's the off-season.
My first step is to call the other PSP owners and industry heads and have a chat with them about this development. My 2nd step is to amend next years sponsorship contract with my teams, stating specifically that the broadcast rights of the team belong to Dye,and ensuring that the team, who currently would not be able to play the PSP without my support, are not able to hold me to ransom, or there's no deal for 2013. The industry closes ranks. Where's the teams power now? Do those teams go to the NPPL?
Now I'm PSP, and I insist that the teams sign a release if they want a Pro spot next season. I have 16 teams that want in and I only need 12. My plan is to squash the insurgency immediately. Sign or leave.
I mean, what are their other options? They can refuse to play, lose their sponsorships, disband and go to other teams, or just become irrelevant. Another team fills their spot. Maybe people will remember the team in 3 years, maybe not.

NewPro said...

No one watches paintball on TV, except for paintballers. The PBS provides a premium product for those interested in watching it. Yes it showcases the pros, "uses" so to speak but until someone can show me it generates any outside industry revenue, we should stop complaining.

bigbob21 said...

well said Missy Q...

What I'd like to see: PBA sells previously recorded (and re-dubbed) semi and final matches to smaller networks like Fox Sports, etc...
Even dirt cheap or offer them free for late night programming...You know there would be some kinda viewership, which might eventually bring the attention of outside sponsorship.

I say this having seen the silly college championships recently. It's a good start, but boring to watch. The level of talent isn't the same, even w/ some of the Vicious kids playing.

Anonymous said...

Yes, let's create a problem when there isn't one! Paintball as its best.

Anonymous said...

I have to say, Missy's story sounds like the most likely one.

Pete said...

Re: Reiner, I sure am missing the NHL seeing as we have the Cup for the first time ever.