Could better dvd distribution help indies?

[wildojinx]

I know we live in the era of streaming media and such, but does anyone think that if ROH or other indie feds had better mass distribution of their dvds it could help them get more mainstream? I have seen dvds of them at fye, but its not like they get sold at big box retailers like wal-mart and target which only carry WWE dvds.

[chazraps]

Which indies have you seen at FYE?

[4TheGlory]

Dec 20, 2014 20:44:39 GMT -5 chazraps said:

Which indies have you seen at FYE?

I used to see FIP, Japanese Deathmatch, and yard tard DVDs there before. But I havent been in a FYE in a few years

[Crappler El 0 M]

I don't see them getting mass distribution because they simply aren't popular or successful enough. Independent wrestling is a very niche, specialized product. Selling the DVDs at their shows, via their websites, and at wrestling conventions is probably their best way to sell DVDs.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2014 20:54:33 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

I don't see them getting mass distribution because they simply aren't popular or successful enough. Independent wrestling is a very niche, specialized product. Selling the DVDs at their shows, via their websites, and at wrestling conventions is probably their best way to sell DVDs.

There's also sites like Smartmark who act as a middleman and make it easier for smaller groups to reach new fans.  They do everything from filming the show to pressing and shipping dvds for quite a few companies.

[Deleted]

The answer is no. Stores aren't adding more DVD stock to their DVD section in 2014, especially now that streaming video is a popular alternative.

If the question is rephrased to include all methods of video distribution, rather than DVD distribution, the answer is yes. A lot of promotions are already doing it properly, with offering live iPPVs, after the fact download ability and streaming options. Plus, also DVDs. Obviously, the iPPV technology is still flawed, but that's not entirely based on inept independent wrestling promotions. It's based on the technology being imperfect in its current form. In three years, everyone will likely be able to flawlessly broadcast a live iPPV, simply due to better technological advancement over time.

One thing indies can certainly do better in 2014 is utilize free video services like YouTube and Vimeo as means of promoting live event ticket sales and pay-per-download type video offerings. YouTube is free to everyone. If a promotion can create a DVD or an MP4 of their show, they can upload free videos to YouTube to promote their product to everyone in the world, at no extra cost.

Two promotions that do it better than basically everyone else right now are CHIKARA and PWG. The CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go was crucial to that company's growth over the past 5 years in particular, going from a company that was sometimes drawing double digit crowds to a company that has drawn over 1,000 fans on several occasions due to the product being exposed to more people. In the case of PWG, they do amazing highlight videos after each show which they put on YouTube to hype the DVD release. Those have been a huge part of the company's growth as well. Any wrestling fan can happen across a highlight video on YouTube and expose the promotion to that fan. If the video is effective enough, the promotion has a new customer. And all for free by simply uploading video content that they were already filming to begin with.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

What would help indies is being able to put out webisodes that the fans have easy access to and can watch on a regular basis. If a single promotion has the resources to be able to run at least one show a week, tape it, edit it, and have it online in a timely fashion, they'd be good.

[Chuck Conry]

I remember when Big Vision use to have releases of XPW, early ROH, SHIMMER, and some other stuff they use to get into places like Hastings and such. Good times!

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2014 0:28:53 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

What would help indies is being able to put out webisodes that the fans have easy access to and can watch on a regular basis. If a single promotion has the resources to be able to run at least one show a week, tape it, edit it, and have it online in a timely fashion, they'd be good.

I think you're grossly overestimating how much money you can make from a youtube video. It's only a few bucks per 1,000 views. You'd need an unrealistically high number of views to offset the production costs and make up for the loss of home video sales. And as far as greater exposure goes, someone in the UK watching your video doesn't help you when you're trying to sell tickets in Texas.

[Ashy Larry]

Nationally produced indy dvd's would be heavily edited given the use of commercial music. All of Big Vision's DVD's that were XPW/FIP/IWA/ROH/SHIMMER usually either A. removed the entrances, B. redubbed the entrances, or C. crowd sound lowered or dubbed over. Because XPW had a national distribution deal with Big Vision from 2003 - 2009, few people were able to attain the uncut releases as opposed to the nationally released 90 minute DVD releases.

[Andrew is Good]

People buy DVDs? I remember I went into HMV one time. It's like I was going into an antique store.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

DVDs? No. Some kind of online platform that's reliable and works? Yes.

[Mayonnaise]

I am surprised more indies aren't taking advantage of something like Highspots' DIYWrestling service.

[thegame415]

No, they would be better served through Internet distribution and streaming.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2014 19:10:10 GMT -5 @noggy said:

Dec 21, 2014 0:28:53 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

What would help indies is being able to put out webisodes that the fans have easy access to and can watch on a regular basis. If a single promotion has the resources to be able to run at least one show a week, tape it, edit it, and have it online in a timely fashion, they'd be good.

I think you're grossly overestimating how much money you can make from a youtube video. It's only a few bucks per 1,000 views. You'd need an unrealistically high number of views to offset the production costs and make up for the loss of home video sales. And as far as greater exposure goes, someone in the UK watching your video doesn't help you when you're trying to sell tickets in Texas.

True, but if the promotion was also trying to sell MP4s of a big show, that person in the UK could still become a customer without attending a live event.

What could (or should) be done with free video content really depends on the promotion. Not every independent promotion has the same business model. There are the low level local indies which spend a few hundred dollars on paying guys nobody has ever heard of, and then there's the higher profile indies which have stacked cards, fly in 6 name value guys every show, and a have a $10,000 payroll. The higher profile promotion would be foolish to post their shows online for free, because it would kill their video sales. But the low level promotion which doesn't rely on video sales to help cover the show expenses, in my opinion, should just post as much of their material online as possible. In their case, they should just use YouTube like it's a TV show, as a method of spreading the word that they exist, to maybe convince more local wrestling fans to attend their future shows.

There can also be a decent middle ground, where the promotion posts free content regularly, but never posts their big main event type matches.

[Macho Pichu]

It could hep the promotions, sure, but I don't think they would sell well enough to benefit the retailer.

[Reflecto]

As said- indy promotions should focus less on distribution for their DVDs and focus more on getting iPPVs and events onto Netflix or Hulu. That'll be the easier way to get mainstream for shows- I'd venture that the corpse of LLUSA (because the episodes are still on Hulu) and that one, seeming one-off indy show that got on Netflix Instant [even though it seemed to be a one off] were in better shape than most indies due to it.

[mcmahonfan85]

Dec 21, 2014 21:50:14 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

I am surprised more indies aren't taking advantage of something like Highspots' DIYWrestling service.

thats because a lot of indies are hooked up with Smart Mark and release stuff through their VOD service smvod.com/

[Johnny Flamingo]

I'm a big fan of Remix Pro Wrestling and order DVD's of pretty much every show that they hold. Never had any problem with finding recordings of their matches/cards.

With that said I don't really think there is a high enough demand to have a larger scale distribution of Remix Pro events. I think Remix being available on Smartmark, having DVD's available from their site in addition with the few Youtube videos they have seem to be the right level for a promotion their size.

With some of the larger indie promotions it may make more sense to go to Netflix or Hulu. I just don't see the interest level there for most indie promotions.

[Deleted]

Also, being on Netflix and Hulu would mean less money coming in for those promotions which have strong DVD/MP4 sales.