AlexHunt96

I'll see what I can do!

@yakimonti: perhaps you need to look a bit deeper than subs fees before calling ignorance. Subs feed are literally just an enabler to more investment in the sport. Like I have said before this can be an opening for long term sponsorship deals built on the confidence the sport has revenue and viewership backed funding. New sponsor money based on this new format, potentially bigger reach and more money in the broadcast sector of the sport will encourage new long term sponsorship, this in tern drives the value of the athletes up and can allow for proper financing of a world cup racing series. If the added money and new organisation structure added more airtime or more rounds because they have the income to support that then sponsors would get more promotion and broadcast time equalling a better investment, also ppv would mean the viewership numbers can be monitored and will allow potential sponsors an objective overview of potential reach which will most likely encourage sponsorships. Also I'll add it hear as i have else where, we don't know the full picture but if RB was doing such as stellar job and it almost seemed too good to be true that it was free... it probably was, broadcast of live mountain biking across a weekend on a mountain is a very resource intensive media, couple that with world wide travel and massive increasing costs of everything from wages, to travel costs and the free model probably became completely unsustainable.

@jackal555: exactly that but until it happens we might as well wait an see and then vote with our views/money when the the comes. I think it may even be a sign that if Red Bull were doing such a good job and it was unbelievable that it was free, it may well have been too good to be true, perhaps the Red Bull model wasn't working and they were happy to see it go from their hands. I just think if things seem too good to be true they normally are and what with the rising cost of everything perhaps the free stream just was too much of a loss now.

@jackal555: vote with your money, everyone seems to be in the same boat that if it is worse than RB then they won't pay, if all the long term fans ditch the coverage and no one pays then they will have to do something to rectify it. Give it a chance pay for 1 month and make an assessment. I am really not saying i think this is the best thing to happen but i think its worth giving them a chance and seeing what they offer. as an organiser and a broadcaster they are going to be all about the viewing figures so engagement is going to be a massive driver for them.

@DHhack: and thats fine. if WC racing was something you adored and followed extensively the justification would be there. If you only watch it because it is there and free rather than an invested interest it doesn't seem like to much of a loss. Like someone else has said here, mountain biking is an expensive sport and compared to other outlays such as tyres or cassettes or whole bikes a few (insert currency) a month isnt the be all and end all.

@DHhack: don't pay then and don't watch it. if it isn't worth much you wont be missing out on it.