The Drive Network-Reality vs Fantasy

"Groagun" (groagun)
07/31/2014 at 16:51 • Filed to: None

The news for fans of The Drive Network this week was one of mixed emotion. Many seemed to be rather pissed that their slice of automotive heaven is changing and simply wont be the same anymore. The pay for play model has come be and for many it has or may signal the end of the innocence or the beginning of tyranny from the smite-full overlords.

Do you remember seeing this just a few weeks ago however...

The first of a few wide spread mentions that Drive would be airing content on NBC Sports Network. We were so excited, weren't we? It coincided with NBC winning the broadcast rights to F1 in America.

Instant legitimacy brought to the Drive Network, at least in the eyes of the misinformed or uneducated. Fans like me had always known they were legit and brought some of the best car content to the game from anywhere. But the average Joe now new the name and had access to the wonderful world of the Drive Network.

That unfortunately was not what I thought that day however. Mt first thought was that the Drive Network as I knew it was over and about to change: the free and easy days of the YouTube experiment were over!

Having worked in the media world I knew it wouldn't last and the model YouTube has set up would eventually fail. Fail may be to harsh and not totally correct but you may feel that.

The YouTube model is basically the old television model we have had for decades that was solely supported through advertising. It is quite clear that if given the choice, people would rather skip the ads and just carry on through the content uninterrupted.

In the YouTube age, advertising alone is not enough. If you watched the Drive Network evolve over the past few years you've heard the comments on how they are constantly up against 'it' when it comes to budget and were always looking to bolster the bottom line.

Their intent always seemed to be about making more and better content and that was great but profit for them, you know, putting food on the table and a roof overhead is important too. I want them to make good money and they deserve to, there's nothing wrong with that.

So when this appeared:

I wasn't upset, I just knew that the original ways of doing business were over.

Jalop Ask Drive Anything

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

So this week we have a new subscription service for $3.99/month or $40.00/year. I mentioned earlier the old advertising only TV model: so what model do we have today? Well we are at the beginning of the 'a la Carte' age.

You and I have been asking for decades why we have to pay for channels on our cable bill in the dozens, if not hundreds of channels we never watch and don't want. The internet has made the 'a la Carte' model totally possible. Only get what you want and pay for only what you want. A special shout out to the 'cord cutters' the first group of people who have pushed this agenda forward.

Now this all sounds great and it may very well be but, I'm willing to bet that your cable bill will be higher even with less channels in the future. The grass always looks greener on the other side until you get there.

So what we have now is 3 separate ways to view Drive Network content. Free, but less content on the existing YouTube channel, NBC Sports and the new Drive Network Plus site, again on YouTube.

At $4/month or $40/year it really isn't so bad and it's the new model we will all live by in the not to distant future. The Drive Network as it existed and was born was just the first step and you may argue even early in the adaptation of the "TV" viewing habits and system of a new generation.

I for one hope the price can be adjusted, brought down, over time with popularity but at $40/year for the already great content and a promise of new and more is good enough for me and I encourage all of you to do the same.

The future of specialty and enthusiasts content is now in our hands, don't blow it!

DISCUSSION (39)

Reigntastic > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 16:53

Eh, I can just stop watching them all-together. I think I'll do that.

dinobot666 > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 17:04

There's a reason that pirating is rampant in the internet. This is one of them.

Reigntastic > dinobot666
07/31/2014 at 17:06

Yes, they'll be available on demonoid or TPB, commercials removed and free of charge.

Mike Spinelli > Reigntastic
07/31/2014 at 17:06

See ya later!

Reigntastic > Mike Spinelli
07/31/2014 at 17:09

Bye! Nice to meet you Mike. Love your content, always thought you did a great job being genuinely excited doing what do you. Best of luck with NBC.

TurnDownForWatt > Reigntastic
07/31/2014 at 17:09

Pretty much. Show isn't that good to begin with, so not sure what a "premium" model really brings to the table.

deekster_caddy > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 17:12

I have no problem watching ads for video content. I disable adblocker for sites that are worthwhile (Jalopnik/Oppo). I would rather watch ads and cherry pick content than pay a subscription fee. My problem with subscriptions is that I barely have time to sit for 30 minutes and watch TV, I'd rather watch one show here and one show there, but damned if I'm going to pay for a monthly subscription for that. I have the same issue with Xbox Gold - I might have time to play Forza once a month, and I would like to play online, but I don't think it's fair that I pay the same amount as someone who plays 3 hours a day. Same problem with Sirius/XM - I listen for only a little while each week (in the car, when I'm done catching up on the free podcasts I listen to). I only listen to two or three channels. I have a really hard time paying a monthly fee for this.

I would much prefer a 'use based' model than a subscription model.

Pay to play models should be "Pay x per show/hour/episode/movie, up to 5 things, then the rest of the month is free" or something.

This model lets me encourage content I like, and ignore the rest.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Mike Spinelli
07/31/2014 at 17:12

For the record, I would have paid more :D. Hell, a year of EVO costs me $115. I'm thinking of subbing on my second youtube account just to support you guys more. Keep up the good work.

Reigntastic > TurnDownForWatt
07/31/2014 at 17:13

I disagree, I really quite like their show, even Mike. I just don't watch cable, or advertisements.

I'll pay for their content, but not if it has advertisements anyways. Looking at you, Hulu.

Mike Spinelli > TurnDownForWatt
07/31/2014 at 17:15

The premium-channel shows have nothing to do with this show. It's all first-run programming like the stuff Matt and Chris and Mike have always done, but at a higher production value. Give it time.

Mike Spinelli > Reigntastic
07/31/2014 at 17:17

Thanks. Hopefully we can win you over later. There's been a lot of anger, speculation and lashing out this week. Once it dies down and the programming stands alone, we'll find out if we've got a product people will pay for or not.

Groagun > deekster_caddy
07/31/2014 at 17:18

Good point and that may be 'a la Carte' version 2.0.

Christopher Keach > Reigntastic
07/31/2014 at 17:23

Of course you can stop watching Drive, but what will you watch instead? I know, it's the internet and there's no shortage of stuff, but what about quality stuff?

I would draw a parallel to free broadcast TV (ABC, CBS, etc.) vs. paid TV (AMC, HBO, Netflix, iTunes/Amazon/VOD downloads, etc.): The best content is usually found on paid TV.

Internet content is trying to move in the same direction where rather than trying to attract millions of views and waiting for ad revenue to trickle in, content creators can get paid more directly from the people who really appreciate their work. Hopefully this results in more quality content from those creators - and they'll be motivated to work hard because their customers will cancel that $4/month subscription as soon as they aren't satisfied.

And of course there will be the black market of illegal downloads for people who won't pay for anything at all.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 17:30

See I would totally do 1 or even 2$ for a regularly updated channel. But 4? I'm very skeptical, but we'll see how regular updates are. I hope they stick with this experiment for at least half a year or so. And I hope their higher ups can see they are taking a risk that might take some time to pay off. Part of the "a la carte" channel package is you can be pretty well assured of 24/7 shows and entertainment. Then 5 or even 10$ a month is far from unreasonable. Not unlike having netflix or amazon prime for about 10$ a month to have "movie channels". This is where a premium youtube model needs to tread lightly - you aren't streaming content 24/7, even if it is low rent stuff. You're still just posting videos when you can find time to post them.

If you regularly post high quality, unique content then it's worth the 4$ easy. And yes it is "just 4$" but 4$ can get me a surprisingly large (1L), locally brewed craft beer that can give me quite a lot of entertainment at my local bar. So let's see how you measure up to beer. There is a very high bar being set.

Soloburrito > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 17:35

I just want to point out /Drive+ = Drive Plus = DP

I do love me some DP.

Dr_Watson > Reigntastic
07/31/2014 at 17:41

yeah, seriously... in my attempt at going without subscription TV I gave them all a whirl and Hulu made me laugh so hard. "I pay for access AND watch ads?, well this is fucked, see ya!" ... so far Amazon is the best model IMO. Lots of old stuff covered under the Prime subscription and new stuff at a reasonable price.

Now, if only HBO would shut up and take my money... HBO Go needs to be for sale without a TV subscription. They would have a ton less piracy if they would actually be willing to sell to people direct.

Dr_Watson > deekster_caddy
07/31/2014 at 17:45

The amazon instant and iTunes model?

Bricks > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 17:57

I remember hearing about the youtube subscription model last year, /DRIVE is the first channel I've seen use the model. anyway, I didn't subscribe on youtube until the end of last season, so It sucks that I wasn't able to sample new material before this :(

Arben72 > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 18:59

There's only so much advertising can cover, and I feel sorry these guys are limited. You can compare their work quality to that of top gear uk currently, but they're still limited in what they can do. The bigger budget will definitely help them out, and they're still keeping they're YouTube stream. I can't wait to see the new episode.

E92M3 > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 19:08

So how is this going to work? I already have NBC Sports thru my cable subscription. I don't mind recording their shows on the DVR vs Youtube. My question is the content going to be the same or different on both? I don't think I should have to pay $40 a year for half, plus a cable subscription for the other half.

Kickplate > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 19:11

Drive was always a pleasure to watch, but it was never something I made a point of watching. I came across it on Jalopnik, and I'd click. It's not even a consideration to pay for it. They will have to think of something else.

killerhurtalot3 > Christopher Keach
07/31/2014 at 19:38

There's all the other car channels on youtube... EVO, motor trend, etc... Sure, it might not be the same format as Drive, but most of them are still entertaining some of the times just like Drive...

Howdy Harrell > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 19:45

Keep up the good work! I plan to subscribe. Yall are putting out the best content on Youtube!

Groagun > E92M3
07/31/2014 at 21:54

So from what I gather, all 3 channels will have similar and shared content but not identical. The standard channel that exists now will have smaller 5 minuet vids while the new YouTube+ channel will get 15-20+ minuet vids and the NBC Sports stuff will be specific to that particular show but aired in part or whole on the other 2 channels: I think.

Groagun > killerhurtalot3
07/31/2014 at 21:59

True but be prepared for them to go the same way as Drive and go for a subscription service as well.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 22:13

Meh they were doing fine with advertisement money. Ill just wait for it to be free on streetfire or something else

killerhurtalot3 > Groagun
07/31/2014 at 22:45

Doubt it... Evo, Motor trend, cars and driver all got magazines (and the smaller ones doesn't) to back them up with additional funding... and their magazine subscription price is way cheaper than Drive's subscription price.

Groagun > killerhurtalot3
07/31/2014 at 23:50

That used to be true. Look at the number of people subscribing to their print magazines and it may be surprising to you. That base and the revenue from it are drying up.

deekster_caddy > Dr_Watson
07/31/2014 at 23:55

almost. Amazon's streaming model sucks hard, I can't find jack on it that's any good. They need UI designers so people can figure out what's part of 'paid streaming' and what's extra. Itunes is different - it's pay and pay and pay, never turns to 'that's enough' with the exception of a tv season. But I think they are charging too much for a season. I like Netflix's model and use it, works for me. Price is right and content is good enough.

I have watched a few seasons on the NBC app or the like, that just inserts one or two ads into each show and it's a done deal. I don't mind this model - targeted ads, single shows. Ads cover at least the streaming costs.Biggest complaint is that they only keep shows around for a few weeks (months at most).

Dr_Watson > deekster_caddy
08/01/2014 at 00:45

Yes, Amazon's UI is a fucking horrible mess. My only gripe so far. My problem with Netflix is I get bored of its library. So I only pick it up once a year to watch Orange, House of cards, and anything new-ish I find... then drop it and wait for their catalog to build up again.

killerhurtalot3 > Groagun
08/01/2014 at 01:10

That's why they're branching out into the new mediums... They have to make up their losses on advertising from the magazines somehow. If anything, if they do go subscription based, it wouldn't be $40 a year (maybe just require a magazine subscription or something) for the videos since they know that's a HUGE amount of money to pay compared to what they were charging.

Reigntastic > Mike Spinelli
08/01/2014 at 10:24

We'll see, I'm always open for flattery or bribery. You guys have families to feed and cars to buy just like the rest of us, I think you'll all make it. Compared to any of the other car programming I was raised on (MotorTrend, Grassroots, car crazy, etc), Drive continues to excel.

titsinmymitts > Groagun
08/01/2014 at 10:30

"So what we have now is 3 separate ways to view Drive Network content. Free, but less content on the existing YouTube channel, NBC Sports and the new Drive Network Plus site, again on YouTube."

The "free" content on the original /DRIVE channel is pretty weak. The F70 video with Chris Harris was about 2.5 minutes long and completely worthless.

If /DRIVE really bumps up its coverage in the future I would probably pay for the subscription, but at 45 minutes a week of video (of which I probably care about 2/3 of) it's just not worth it.

I would prefer it if /DRIVE started an e-magazine subscription service that came out monthly and had LOADS of content and interesting editorials. That, along with bumping up merchandise opportunities (/DRIVE hats, more shirts specific to each channel, etc.) might be able to fund the YT channel and keep the same content coming.

Oh well, at least MT still has good content on their YT channel.

Groagun > titsinmymitts
08/01/2014 at 13:15

I like many of your suggestions and there is nothing to say that /Drive doesn't like them either. I can see them doing many of things you mentioned. I think this is just the first experimental step.

Mike Spinelli > Reigntastic
08/01/2014 at 14:30

Thanks! We all have second and third jobs, too, just to keep this going. It's not like anyone at /DRIVE has any real prospects of getting rich at this. I think that's the thing that's killing me the most about the speculation mill. The production dollar figures, and ad dollars we're talking about don't even add up to the catering budget on a TopGear shoot.

Reigntastic > Mike Spinelli
08/01/2014 at 14:50

It's definitely impressive the cars you're all able to demo in some seriously stunning locales, especially on YT budget.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for other jobs?

Mike Spinelli > Reigntastic
08/01/2014 at 16:41

Most of our other jobs revolve around cars and media in some way. Chris writes for PistonHeads and a few other outlets, I write for Jalopnik and freelance with a few magazine clients like DETAILS and Popular Mechanics sometimes, and I take other gigs as they come up (writing and editing or other stuff outside the car world). Matt has another business, Musto does writing and other car stuff on the side, JF produces commercial videos. All of the production guys take other jobs as they come up. /DRIVE is our baby that wants to walk, but sometimes lands on its knees and cries.

Marioshi > Groagun
08/08/2014 at 16:49

This might sound like a weird suggestion, but could /DRIVE ditch youtube? It seems like youtube might be collecting more than its fair share IMO and since drive already has a audience, would it be that hard to host their own videos?

Groagun > Marioshi
08/13/2014 at 15:51

Sorry Alex, been busy and didn't see your response. In the past week or so DRIVE has announced that it will go month to month only because taking our money for a full year and then pulling the plug 6 months from now would cause huge head aches and would/could really piss a lot of people off. So the safe move is just going month to month.

In the statement by JF Musial he does mention that many have talked about creating and hosting outside of YouTube, Vimeo is one they are looking at.

Keep in mind 2 very distinct things: One, YouTube has a huge audience and is the De-facto 'go too' leader and destination for the vast majority of net users who want video of any and all kinds. Two, as I've mentioned in many of my articles, we as enthusiasts make up only, at best, %10 of the overall automotive market.

That %10 is a small number of people and it is sliced and diced into many parts as well. YouTube gives DRIVE the chance to broaden it's audience and appeal. The casual viewer and fan has a far better chance of seeing it there than on any other portal.

Could DRIVE go completely independent and all on it's own, probably not at this point. It's great that people like you and I, assuming you have signed up as a paying member, care and watch their great stuff but, and it's a big BUT, I can not lie, we aren't enough and the mass appeal and viewership is just what they need. Just ask the Top Gear guys who have/had the benefit of segmented and 'forced' viewers that came with cash(TV license money) from the BBC.

Maybe talent does win out in the end but I'm willing to bet that Top Gear would have never made it in the American system and should always be grateful for their success and thank their lucky stars the 'socialist' system of British broadcasting enabled their fame and success. I always find it funny and annoying that JC is an 'absolute' free market guy when he is the direct beneficiary of a socialist system. A bit hypocritical don't you think?

DRIVE and it's members are all talented but have a much tougher road to travel. I hope they make it and I for one am supporting them with my dollars on YouTube or anywhere else.

http://drive.jalopnik.com/a-slight-lift-…