Pool television channel?

Keith Jawahir

Keith Jawahir

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So, I figured I'd just throw this out there, since there's a channel for pretty much everything else(and it just popped in my mind). What do you guys think about a channel you would subscribe to on cable, that would show all the major events, rerun classic matches, maybe throw in some challenge matches, shows with interviews, instructional material, product reviews, documentaries on players from the past, things of that sort. And it would have advertising by Kamui, Predator, and other companies involved in the industry? Maybe even some custom cuemakers?
 
Maybe not impossible, but I seriously doubt it's viable in the U.S. at least.

The cost for even getting a lowly runt of a cable channel operation is beyond the scale of the "willing to pay" pool community. The pricing is large, where licensing money goes tothe event producers, the video production company, a cable distributor, and the final cable companies... And there is probably much more on top of that.

Each one of the above wants a piece of the pie, and now you haven't actually filmed anything yet. For the existing video you'd have to go to each producer and rights holder and gain approval and negotiate for the initial licensing option payment, and ongoing revenue. If they have exisitng licensing agreements that preclude them from licensing to you then you're SOL anyway.

Finally, if you don't have about 1,000,000-plus viewers (old number, probably different now) to subscribe then good luck. It may be possible to have a smaller viewership and exist in a micro-market. The Cartoon Network started with a micro small viewership (still bigger than pool could bring in the US) and survived, but I don't see the general population buying into a pool channel in the US, and I don't see the fine citizens (by fine I mean cheap) of AZ billiards doing so either... Heck it's hard to get people to pay $10 to watch a convenient pool stream for a prime tournament that may come along once a year.

I think the future for pool is the online stream. We now can get more pool via online stream than we ever got from ESPN. Maybe one day Amazon and/or Netflix will start providing such a structured alternative streaming video service which would be similar to or rival "standard" cable (both have that goal), and that it would prove to be a good venue for the existing streaming pool producers to show their conent through. Or maybe Ustream will step up to the plate with professional production quality offerings, which I am sure they would love to do.

Be it Amazon, Netflix, Ustream, or whatever, if pool video producers want to show their stuff they will need to invest in better production quality. That investment equates to higher cost, and that means a lot of viewers are needed.

All that being said, a few years ago I read about a cable station in Japan that was going to have 24x7 broadcasting of pool. I wonder how that went?
 
abs said:
Maybe not impossible, but I seriously doubt it's viable in the U.S. at least.

The cost for even getting a lowly runt of a cable channel operation is beyond the scale of the "willing to pay" pool community. The pricing is large, where licensing money goes tothe event producers, the video production company, a cable distributor, and the final cable companies... And there is probably much more on top of that.

Each one of the above wants a piece of the pie, and now you haven't actually filmed anything yet. For the existing video you'd have to go to each producer and rights holder and gain approval and negotiate for the initial licensing option payment, and ongoing revenue. If they have exisitng licensing agreements that preclude them from licensing to you then you're SOL anyway.

Finally, if you don't have about 1,000,000-plus viewers (old number, probably different now) to subscribe then good luck. It may be possible to have a smaller viewership and exist in a micro-market. The Cartoon Network started with a micro small viewership (still bigger than pool could bring in the US) and survived, but I don't see the general population buying into a pool channel in the US, and I don't see the fine citizens (by fine I mean cheap) of AZ billiards doing so either... Heck it's hard to get people to pay $10 to watch a convenient pool stream for a prime tournament that may come along once a year.

I think the future for pool is the online stream. We now can get more pool via online stream than we ever got from ESPN. Maybe one day Amazon and/or Netflix will start providing such a structured alternative streaming video service which would be similar to or rival "standard" cable (both have that goal), and that it would prove to be a good venue for the existing streaming pool producers to show their conent through. Or maybe Ustream will step up to the plate with professional production quality offerings, which I am sure they would love to do.

Be it Amazon, Netflix, Ustream, or whatever, if pool video producers want to show their stuff they will need to invest in better production quality. That investment equates to higher cost, and that means a lot of viewers are needed.

All that being said, a few years ago I read about a cable station in Japan that was going to have 24x7 broadcasting of pool. I wonder how that went?
Click to expand...

I heard that there was one here, but it went under pretty quick.

I always thought a gambling channel would work. Maybe an amalgam pool, poker, horse racing, etc. channel
 
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IF a pool channel was even a remote possiblity in this country, Accu-Stats, with its vast collection of matches, would have to be a major partner.
 
Keith Jawahir said:
So, I figured I'd just throw this out there, since there's a channel for pretty much everything else(and it just popped in my mind). What do you guys think about a channel you would subscribe to on cable, that would show all the major events, rerun classic matches, maybe throw in some challenge matches, shows with interviews, instructional material, product reviews, documentaries on players from the past, things of that sort. And it would have advertising by Kamui, Predator, and other companies involved in the industry? Maybe even some custom cuemakers?
Click to expand...


For any TV station to survive you have to have ads, you cannot support it with just subscription fee, if you make it high cost people will not join. If you look at Accuestat or Big Truck, or others the viewers count is probably no more than 1000 for a major event and that is with very low fee. So we need to grow the viewers base 1st, i really do not see it happening with just pool as clean sport, maybe mix TV on line live gambling, have some X rated reality pool events, good acting, national tournaments, each State have a pool team, Army-Navy pool games mix in Golf, bring those big stars that like the game.
Other obstacle in pool is the table is small, you cannot have a good view if you are more than say 200 feet, which limits the live spectator base.
 
American pool doesn't have an organization, so there is no central authority to coordinate tournament schedules and broadcasting contracts.
Negotiating rights to various tournaments would be interesting

Consider what has happened to snooker.
At first it was only the BBC.
BBC is highly protective of its rights, even demanding decades old clips be removed from youtube.

Now Eurosport and Skysport also distribute World Snooker tournaments, as do various bookie sites on the web.

The tournament schedule has expanded to Australia, Asia, Brazil, continental Europe.
The tournament schedule and broadcasts run virtually the full year.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3870692&postcount=1

These tournaments are available on the web from various free rebroadcast sites.

Many tournaments have two tables streams.
Live play 13 hours a day.

About a year ago, World Snooker started LiveWorldSnooker
http://www.worldsnooker.livesport.tv/
Cost is about $5 a month (but it is a bandwidth hog)
Reliable, great picture quality (650 kbs)
It provides nearly all tournaments to North America, since none of the broadcasters operate here.

So basically snooker has four groups involved in broadcasting:
World Snooker
BBC
Eurosport
Skysports

How many would be involved in the U.S.?
 
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naji said:
For any TV station to survive you have to have ads, you cannot support it with just subscription fee, if you make it high cost people will not join. If you look at Accuestat or Big Truck, or others the viewers count is probably no more than 1000 for a major event and that is with very low fee. So we need to grow the viewers base 1st, i really do not see it happening with just pool as clean sport, maybe mix TV on line live gambling, have some X rated reality pool events, good acting, national tournaments, each State have a pool team, Army-Navy pool games mix in Golf, bring those big stars that like the game.
Other obstacle in pool is the table is small, you cannot have a good view if you are more than say 200 feet, which limits the live spectator base.
Click to expand...

I agree with all the posts. Instead of expecting the outside world to do something for players, I'm starting Pool America Sports. The sole purpose for it's existence will be to make money for pool players, and will be supported by players, so they have a future. Don't need millions, just need enough players to understand the concept. No big guys having you play for nothing so they can make money and you don't. Keep watching for Pool America Sports updates.

Thanks,
Jim
 
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