Travel budget. Insurance. No way on earth he could make it on a solo subscription service.
Our official Ohio athletics Youtube videos get literally dozens of views. If Ohio didn’t play a game this fall, outside of this board no one would blink.The market is not there.
Guys in markets like Pittsburgh and Boston couldn’t make a go of it on their own websites. ESPN...DISNEY...dropped team beat writers. The Athletic is on borrowed VC money time.
We’re headed to a world where sports writing is a hobby you do on the side from your couch.
It’s okay. The world will survive if it doesn’t get coachspeak pablum after every game. The bubble was gonna burst. It just happened in a weird way.
Nonsense, you're preaching corporate propaganda that discourages startups. That is their goal, to eliminate competition.
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I didn't major in Journalism, so I'm not going to pretend to understand the intricacies of the business. However, I did major in Finance, so I will pretend to do some numbers.
On a pure revenue basis (no costs)
If he charged $5 a month
100 annual subscribers=$6,000
500 annual subscribers=$30,000
1,000 annual subscribers=$60,000
5,000 annual subscribers=$300,000
I have no clue what Arkley's salary was at the Messenger, and my point wasn't to suggest he'd immediately be able to make as much money as he way making... He'd need to build it up like any business... Realistically, the 1,000 subscriber number gives you some room for costs and puts you at a comfortable livings (especially in SWO)
Obviously, you would aim for more and 1,000 subscribers is a lot considering Ohio is a mid-major and not all Ohio University alums are like the diehards on this board. But that is where a business needs to get creative. Offering single articles for 99 cents or some kind of discount for college kids or casual fans is the route I would personally take (again, not a J-School guy)
Not sure he would be able to take a lot of road-trips either, but was the Messenger really sending him a lot of places? Get creative. I flew Frontier and Jet Blue to the Bahamas and stayed in an Air-BnB for 1/2 the price of the Atlantis Resort... Took bus from there to the game for 50 cents... (paid $6 for 12 bud lights at game, but that is neither here nor there)
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It's worth a shot. Worst-case, he does it and it just becomes a side hussle. That's better than nothing IMO.