Paywall

[Ejay]

Landmark Conference Becomes First Division III Conference to Sign Historic Multi-Year Agreement with FloSports
https://landmarkconference.org/news/2023/7/12/07132023-lc-flosports-partnership.aspx

How to sign-up for FloSports
In order for fans to enjoy Landmark Conference events, a FloSports subscription is required.

Why are you choosing to go behind a paywall?
We understand there will be initial frustration with this new platform - however the funds received from your subscriptions will go back to all of our Landmark Conference member institutions to help them enhance our streaming product and experience for all.

um yeah, sure.

[NEPAFAN]

Hey but you also get access to: Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) action!

[Kuiper]

I don't begrudge schools trying to fund their athletic departments with streaming access if possible.  After all, some may charge for tickets if they can or at least hope they can pick up some parking revenue and sell some school swag (Simple Coach seems to be doing his part by purchasing a hat from every DIII school in the country).  I do think streaming pay per view is not a great strategy for accomplishing that though.  My guess is you're getting barely any revenue from anyone other than parents of the players and the most loyal and dedicated alums of that sport, both of whom already provide a revenue stream in terms of tuition and donations that could be threatened if they are feeling nickled and dimed.  To add to that problem, Flo Sports has a really bad reputation for quality/service etc, so you risk aggravating these potential subscribers even further.

At least with ESPN+ (which, admittedly, probably doesn't pay much to the schools or league), there is enough content that a fan might sign up even if it only gets a few games for their team. Flo Sports has nothing anyone else wants, so it's not a purchase most people will make.

It's also possible that this helps fund Landmark Conference operations more than anything, which makes this a net loser for the schools and a win for a few sports administration types only.

[SimpleCoach]

To bad the University of Pay Wall doesn't play in the newly name PayPerView Conference.  Too bad.  Enjoyed my time watching games.  Guess I will spend my time with the other conferences.

SC.

[BigSoccerFan]

FLOSports is expensive and very difficult to cancel. 

[Hopkins92]

Well, that sucks. That said, and not trying to be a jerk, but I'm just glad this isn't the MAC or Centennial or NJAC.

Those of us Mid-Atlantic aficionados are going to have to make a point of finding OOC games for teams like Catholic and E'town to try and get a handle on RRs late in the season.

I just  hope this isn't a rising trend. I've been loving following D3 soccer, but if they start going the paywall route, I've got enough other things in my life to keep my more than busy.

Hopefully this floats like a lead balloon and a) they drop this model and b) other conferences see the downside and keep up what they're doing.

[Falconer]

Ouch. Messiah always plays Lycoming and Etown, there's a couple of road games in a given year that I won't see—though the trip to Etown is always easy and fun too. But, this season, the Falcons begin with a pair of games hosted by Catholic. Maybe I'll plan to make the trip down to DC....

[Kuiper]

NEWMAC has now officially signed with Flo Sports. 

https://newmacsports.com/tournaments/?id=39

Westwood, MA (February 28, 2024) – The NEWMAC and FloSports, a global independent sports media company and streaming platform, today announced a historic five-year media rights agreement under which FloSports will become the exclusive media partner of the NEWMAC beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year. By providing the NEWMAC with a national platform and additional resources, the agreement will enhance the NEWMAC's standing as a preeminent NCAA Division III conference.

"As a conference, our mission is to be at the forefront of the evolving landscape of college athletics to create the best possible experience for our student-athletes," said Patrick B. Summers, NEWMAC Executive Director. "Our partnership with FloSports enables the NEWMAC to continue building on our success as a conference by providing our student-athletes and institutional brands with increased exposure and a national platform."

Under the terms of the agreement, FloSports will distribute more than 1,100 regular season and postseason NEWMAC events live and on-demand across 17 sports, with member institutions having the option to post full games free of charge on their institutional platforms 72 hours after each contest. FloSports investment into the conference will enhance overall production quality and media operations of member schools throughout the term of the contract. FloSports will also leverage the nationally and internationally recognized brands of the NEWMAC member institutions by producing original content and social media programming throughout the conference over the five-year term.

"This partnership will allow the NEWMAC to continue to elevate its brand and highlight our most valuable asset – our student-athletes. We are proud to be a leader among athletic conferences, and our NEWMAC Presidents Council is unanimous in its belief that this is the right path forward for the NEWMAC," added Stephen Spinelli Jr., President of Babson College and Chair of the NEWMAC Presidents Council.

With 90 percent of the revenue from the agreement going back to the NEWMAC member institutions, the agreement will enable the implementation of improved broadcast production standards and continued equity in production quality between corresponding men's and women's sports.

I don't think this will be the last conference to sign up with Flo Sports.  With Landmark and now NEWMAC, it's pretty clear that their plan is to sign up as many conferences as possible so that the value proposition for D3 fans will shift in favor of subscribing.  See the statement below from Flo Sports:

"We are committed to providing the comprehensive destination that NCAA Division III conferences, schools, student-athletes, and fans deserve, and are proud to make an investment in the NEWMAC to serve this mission," said Mike Levy, Senior Vice President, Global Rights Acquisition & Partnerships at FloSports. "We remain steadfast in our belief that there is significant value to be unearthed at the Division III level, and the NEWMAC's combination of athletic excellence and nationally recognized member institutions makes the conference a significant addition to our platform."

Ironically, I don't think this move will be a good one for D3 sports' argument for avoiding employer status in the eyes of the NLRB and the law.  Any new revenue streams are going to make D3 look closer and closer to D1, even if the amount of money is minuscule in the overall picture.

[Ron Boerger]

Ryan Scott did a deep dive of the sad Flo-nomenon(tm) for D3hoops:  https://d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2023-24/d3-go-with-the-flo

[Hopkins92]

And I'll stand by my point above. This is a fun little hobby, but I'm not paying $30/month for ANY streaming service. All the way up to... I'm looking at you Netflix, who continues to creep into "i'm not paying that much for that" territory.

Already bounced Disney and Max until they build up a library I care about again.