Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Has anyone else noticed FLO Racing is pairing down their weekly streaming options? Just saw they have chosen not to renew with one of my local tracks, Bridgeport Speedway, NJ for this season. Not sure if the fact that Bridgeport did not reschedule a High Limit race for 2024 has anything to do with it?. The initial beauty for me for watching FLO only a few years ago, was the ability to watch some obscure track, in the middle of no where, on a Wednesday night with a Chet Christner announcing. Those were broadcasts from tracks that I only read about and thought, "Boy I would like to see a race there someday?" It now apprears that FLO Racing is leaning toward streaming only certain sanctioning bodies, and larger races and are starting to abandon the GRASS ROOTS dirt tracks. It would not surprise me to see High Limit/FLO buy the LOLMS next year as has been rumored? Your thoughts?

Some of their programming choices had to do with what they bought up when they were acquiring DirtOnDirt and Chet's Speed Shift TV. They picked up alot of random race tracks and series that made the viewing options very diverse. But there was very little strategy behind it. The value was off the charts but they are probably noticing that not as many people watch that weekly stuff versus the big touring series. 

I can see Flo operating more like DV, with the focus being on the touring series and being more strategic in their other offerings. 

My thoughts--it's now been a couple of years and they've had a chance to review their data and figure out which venues and sanctioning bodies are making them money and which are not.  I would assume they will continue to analyze the data every year to make these decisions.  At the end of the day, it's still a business, and as any good business will do, they will get rid of the liabilities, and concentrate on their profitable sources.  

I have filled out a couple surveys that FLO has sent me, and they ask about series that you watch, if you attend or do not attend if you have access to FLO etc..  I am sure some of these results enter into the equation

I enjoy Flo for the all stars (now hi limit) and USAC. I enjoy dirt vision for the outlaws and Xtreme midgets and the weekly racing at Knoxville, Attica, Jackson, Williams Grove, Sharon etc.... now they have added to that weekly racing with Fremont.  Dirt vision seems to be adding to the lineup instead of reducing. 

What I really miss on Flo are the California tracks such as Placerville and Ocean Speedays, and the SCCT as well. Don't know what politics went into the decision(s) to drop those, but I really enjoyed watching those tracks (and series). You could watch races from the East or Midwest and still catch the majority of the California events.

A person only has so much $ to spend on things like streaming services, so as much as I'd like to subscribe to other services like CaliDirt (and others), it just isn't going to happen for me.

I agree.  The Taco Bravo series and King of the West was great to watch after getting home from the track or even during the week.  Miss catching them on FLO.

I'm going to guess politics were not involved, and the decision was purely business.  I'm going to think about it as if I'm the owner of the streaming service and I have to make a decision which tracks to stream or cut. 

 If I know there are enough subscribers to make it worth while to stream those races, and a profit can be made from that service, I continue that service regardless of any other issue.  If there simply isn't enough viewership to warrant the streaming at those tracks, I would discontinue.  

You're right, business is a better word than I what used, and you make a good point.

Sad to lose Bridgeport. Probably the only time I'll see them race is if the STSS visits.

Now if DV would ever drop Knoxville and Flo would drop the Port, then I'm taking to the streets in protest!!  Lol!

There are several possibilities when streaming a track or events is dropped or added. The decision could be the tracks or the streaming service. There is a cost of producing each event. Who pays these costs I often wonder. Tracks may feel they are losing butts in the seats and not want streaming. Traveling racing series typically have a contract for streaming directly with the streaming services.

Tracks that have their own video system typically means they have a jumbotron to feed so these are easy for a streaming service to carry. They can just take a feed of jumbotron. If the track does not have their own video system there is a cost to do this every event. The more cameras and people the higher the cost. 

Hope this makes sense?  Wish I knew more about the dollars and cents of streaming but I don't yet.

Thank you for finally bringing up the other side, PeteP.  All other posters are assuming Flo is dropping the tracks.  There have been plenty of promoters still blaming streaming for cutting into their attendance, so I have no doubt some of the discontinued agreements are being driven by the tracks.  I remember reading scuttlebutt last year about Ocean and Placerville citing attendance as a reason to stop weekly streaming (and I miss watching them from Ohio also!).

Signature here.

The taking to the streets in protest permits have really gone up.

So if I am reading the comments correctly,  Flo is cutting content but charging the same.

Everyone OK with paying the same or more for less content?  Got it.

I know I find value in paying more for less.

I don't intend to be a Flo apologist here, but I do want to point out that "content" is more than just their sprint car offerings.  In the past couple of years they've added NASCAR content and began producing movies and mini-series videos, among other offerings.  You as an individual customer may not be interested in that type of content, but in the overall scheme of the business it is content just the same.  As content type shifts and changes from year to year the individual customer needs to evaluate if the content suits them or not, which obviously leads to the decision to renew the subscription or not.

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Less?  I don't exactly consider the All-Stars to the High Limit to be a lateral, or lesser move----at least not at this point.  

So did you offer to pay more when they added tracks/events and did not charge you more?

At the monthly prices charged by Flo and Dirt Vision compared to other streaming services not just racing they seem like a bargain. I figure the two services cost me about a dollar a day. I cannot travel to any race for $35 . . . . . .

If it was FREE some folks would still complain I suspect.

I have a feeling you're going to be really disappointed when you see what they're doing with Reece's Peanut Butter Cups these days.

We have noticed that Chet Christner hasn't been the voice of the USAC races, that we have viewed. He was our favorite announcer, and now that is gone. Bummer!!!