If you didn't already know, the major vision I have and the ultimate goal I am pursuing through the platform of Pound for Pound Armwrestling is to reach a point where the company is able to pay Armwrestling stars as well as the stars of any other sport.
The vision may seem crazy, but in this article I will share with you my reasons for believing it is possible and also introduce to you the next chapter in the direction of the company.
To give some context, I am big believer in breaking new ground. Being afraid to approach a challenge simply because it hasn't been done before isn't me. I'm your ultimate optimist kind of guy. I love the process of building business and breaking new ground. That challenge feeds my soul and it's just who I am.
So, aside from having the ultimate key ingredient of willingness to never give up on this process let me outline for you the mechanics behind the craziness.
The majority of entertainment is now globally consumed through digital media. The most comprehensive and thorough digital services are FREE. Think Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc. More people spend their leisure time on these platforms than anything else. Put very simply, there is an enormous opportunity right now for organisations to grow a massive audience of genuinely engaged fans if these FREE models of distribution are the platforms adopted. It is on the back of this framework that Pound for Pound Armwrestling and Armfights Unleashed will flourish.
Many major sports are in an era of subscription services, but increasingly company's are finding it difficult to keep fans happy while charging them to watch a pay per view. Not only that, it is difficult for companies to prevent illegal re-streaming of events anyway. Think Top 8 re broadcast on YouTube and Instagram as it was.
So, the first thing that is a lock for Armfights Unleashed and everything you will ever watch on Pound for Pound Armwrestling is that it will always be free to watch. It will be LIVE and FREE and 100% free to the consumer.
Having content like this allows for the maximum possible reach and exposure for the sport. As quality in production standards rise, the number of viewers rise with it.
So, how on earth do we pay athletes well with such a model?
Snapshot right now of company revenue for this month is $6700 Australian dollars for the month from YouTube and Facebook revenue combined. The ads you see on these platforms made this money. Is that enough to pay athletes? No way, but it is enough to continue to invest in an ever increasing production quality. Where payments for athletes come in is when 3rd party brands get involved.
With a massively growing and satisfied audience of fans, there is significant branding opportunity for partnering sponsors. Think Next Level Apparell. You may not be aware, but this is a reality right now. Due to the numbers that Pound for Pound Armwrestling is achieving, we have had the opportunity to sit at a table and negotiate a brand deal with Next Level Apparell. The deal will provide Pound for Pound Armwrestling with a very significant ability to generate cashflow that is well above the digital revenue. This may not yet be in the form of Millions of dollars up front, but it is enough that we are talking about it adding hundreds of thousands of dollars of value to the business cash flow.
It is these 3rd party contracts that will continue to scale as the popularity of the FREE entertainment grows.
So, where is Armfights Unleashed at? What will make it grow next?
The next phase of development in the brand is the construction of a dedicated studio and couldron style arena for both a weekly show and tournaments to be held at.
Soon you will see an ESPN standard coverage of Armwrestling being broadcast by Pound for Pound Armwrestling via free mediums such as YouTube and Facebook. You will also see extra value added to tournaments with unique live coverage in addition to the mainstream coverage of a tournament. Think something like a live feed on instagram from Jonathan Laba giving you his raw comedic style commentary of matches as well as a behind the scenes coverage of athletes that runs in conjunction with the ESPN standard broadcast going out on the main channel.
Ultimately it is about making the best and most entertaining content possible for the fans and end users. While providing 3rd party advertisers with high quality branding opportunity.
And that my friends is the basic blueprint of what is being built under Pound for Pound Armwrestling. The world's most comprehensive coverage of the sport and a crazy UFC style epic league for the best Armwrestlers to compete in.
Do you believe it's possible? I do. I am 100% dedicated to making it happen.