What is Vinco Plus?
Similar to the likes of Global Cycling Network+, TriathlonLIVE, FloSports, Runnerspace+ (including USATF.tv) and Motorsport.tv, Vinco Plus will be a subscription model for fans to access high production value sports coverage and additional exclusive content.
But this will not be a case of taking what we’re already doing and putting a paywall between the content and the viewer; there will also be a range of new content promoting the athletes and your events.
In phase one, we will work with each partner to provide a ‘season pass’ for your content, whilst also selling day tickets for 24 hours of access for those who don’t wish to watch every event.
In phase two, we will move to a site-wide subscription with recurring annual and monthly subscriptions whilst keeping the option of signing up to a day ticket.
Within each phase, we will work with our partners to share the revenue generated. The ambitious rationale is that we can invest in athletics ourselves through job creation and improved coverage while enabling partners to secure profitable coverage. More events can be covered and our domestic stars can be championed through quality digital content being included away from competition.
Why have we proposed this change?
Our aim is to strengthen the production value of athletics coverage and bring more investment into the grassroots level of the sport, whilst giving athletes new commerical opportunities through a heightened profile.
Athletics fans want more. They want to watch more at a better quality, get closer to the action and see a wider range of coverage of all disciplines, whether that be on the move or fitting into their daily lives.
The viewer experience is changing and to keep up with this consumer demand, it is more important than ever to invest in the technology that can provide this. Long gone are the days where a basic camera can capture this level of streaming.
Furthermore, this changing technology requires skilled personnel, with specific training, to produce high-level coverage.
The demand for this level of coverage is there and reinvestment into the production will also help increase the popularity of the sport, and in return bring more revenue for the sport at the top level, which can be filtered down to the grassroots level.
How does it benefit you, the partner?
One goal of the Vinco Plus revenue share is to ensure you receive high quality event coverage on a cost neutral or even profitable basis.
Vinco will be investing in the technology and personnel to deliver quality, while striving to increase the amount of coverage available to the fans.
This is not just about offering live content. We will also expand ‘on demand’ coverage at a range of smaller events at no extra cost to you. This footage will be under the same package, enabling both parties to benefit and the viewer to see more of your event and brand.
We look to include an agreed amount of events covered on demand for the first year, and increase this number as the number of subscribers increases, which in turn will attract more viewers and therefore more revenue opportunities for you.
As well as developing new creative production ideas, we would also provide you with more content directly for your social media channels by creating a range of promotional material designed to engage the fanbase. This could include, for example, a ‘second screen’ experience to promote on both Vinco’s and your own social media alongside the stream. More on this can be found in the reinvestment section of this page.
Vinco Plus will allow you, our partner, to reach a well informed and highly engaged audience for your events. More events being covered will not only be elevating your brand and events, but it will also give you more opportunties to attract sponsorship and content for your website and social media platforms. Combine this with the revenue share from Vinco Plus and you can invest more into your events, team and grassroots sport.
How will it work?
Phase One
The key difference between the two phases is the method of subscription to allow for a gradual rollout.
In phase one, fans will be able to purchase a ‘season ticket’ to watch all of your events for a set price, along with an additional option to purchase a ‘day ticket’ if they want to trial the coverage or just watch for one day, allowing them 24-hour access.
The season ticket will offer you a direct commission of any sales. You will receive the same commission for day ticket sales, however these will be tracked by affiliate marketing.
An affiliate account will be created for you, which will enable you to access promotional material including the affiliate links you need to promote the coverage in a way that will generate a revenue stream for you.
The below calculator allows you to alter the season ticket price, number of days you have coverage for and estimates your share (after all fees have been taken into account and we have paid VAT on the incoming revenue).
Amount displayed is show after processing fees and revneue share, but before you pay any VAT. Suggested share is 75% / 25% for season ticket sales and 65% / 35% for affiliate sales such as day tickets, with the additional % to Vinco contirbuting towards the additional server and developer costs to maintain the platform. For the benefit of the calculation, it has been assumed that all transactions will come from European cards. Fees are marginally higher for non-European cards. All prices displayed are in British pounds.
Phase Two
When we move to phase two, we will simplify the structure for the viewer by allowing them to access all coverage under a single subscription offered on an annual, monthly or daily basis.
This approach will not only be more straightforward and cost effective for the viewer, but using the affiliate marketing tools established in phase one you will be able to earn revenue on all subscription content, whether this is event coverage or the additional exclusive content mentioned below.
For example, if Vinco has the rights to an international event that has athletes your audience would like to follow then you, as an affliate, can promote the link and earn revenue on that event.
The calculator below allows you to estimate the revenue share you may expect to receive based on referral traffic (after all fees have been taken into account and we have paid VAT on the incoming revenue).
Amount displayed is show after processing fees and revneue share, but before you pay any VAT. Suggested share is 65% / 35%, with the additional 15% contirbuting towards the additional server and developer costs to maintain the platform. For the benefit of the calculation, it has been assumed that all transactions will come from European cards. Fees are marginally higher for non-European cards. Number of referred subscribers for the monhtly plan includes recurring subscriptions. All prices displayed are in British pounds.
How will Vinco invest within the sport?
Vinco Plus will generate revenue to support both our partners and ourselves, allowing for reinvestment in the sport.
You will be able to use the revenue to further improve events and your offering to your members, whilst Vinco will be able to create more jobs within the sport and invest in it’s marketing.
The improved production value will help bring in more viewers, rights sales overseas and more sponsors as the engaged audience grows.
Over time, we aim to add more international events, more domestic events and a series of exclusive content. The latter will be both part of the subscriptions and freely available on our social media channels that is all centred around the promotion of your events and the athletes taking part.
Some of this content includes, but is not limited to:
- Exclusive video interviews.
- Short-form documentaries that follow an athlete’s story and their training.
- Coaching content in collaboration with some of the best coaches in the country.
- Second screen experience, direct to social media (both yours and our own) during our live events that follows the action via warm up feeds, live results and live chat facilities.
- Review and results shows, made freely available via social media.
- Extensive photography of the events we cover, allowing for improved promotion.
Exclusive written content, freely available via our website.
All of this investment will create jobs in website development, digital media and production within domestic track and field.
An example of content that we were involved with for the Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics can be found below. It is this style of content that we would be looking to invest in to showcase more personalities at the grassroots and national level of sport in the UK.
What are the timelines?
The first wave of technical testing was conducted successfully in 2021, with recurring payments and renewals successfully completed with test data and allowing access to demo restricted content.
Our next stage of development will include a revamped vincosport.com early this year, anticipated by the end of February 2022. Once this has launched, we will begin further testing on the content with an increased number of demo accounts.
We hope to announce the change in strategy at the end of the upcoming domestic indoor season in March and open access to the season tickets in April 2022.
Once the season tickets become available, Vinco will implement a marketing plan to promote Vinco Plus and support you as a partner.