GlobeSelect?
Well, it looks like the Globe is at least toying with its own version of the TimesSelect pay-for-play model, only in this case with sports. This e-mail was sent to an e-panel subscriber who has agreed to test market Globe ideas. Word is that this is simply an embryonic concept being tossed around right now. But it sure is fascinating.
The Boston Globe and Boston.com are considering launching a special online section called Sportsplus in early 2006. Sportsplus would be the essential resource for news, opinions and discussion about New England's sports teams, produced daily by the country's best sports writers.
Would potentially include:
a) Daily columns by Bob Ryan, Dan Shaughnessy, Jackie MacMullan or other Boston Globe sports columnists
b) Sports feature stories, pre-game and post-game analysis
c) Sports articles from opposing teams' newspaper web sites
d) Daily Blogs such as Reiss's Pieces, Extra Bases and Net Minders
e) Game-time Blog by Boston Globe reporter
f) Blogs by players and managers
g) Opportunities to submit questions and comments directly to Globe sports writers h) Monthly online chats with sports writers from The Boston Globe
i) MP3 recordings of live interviews
j) An email that alerts you about the subjects of new articles
k) A scrolling banner on the Sportsplus home page that highlights key articles or breaking news
l) Access to archived articles from The Boston Globe, including organized collections of articles
m) Access to archived photos from The Boston Globe, and the ability to create your own photo gallery, screen saver or electronic greeting card
n) Poll other subscribers on subjects chosen by you
o) Opportunities to attend live interviews of players, coaches and managers
p) Opportunities to attend live player panel discussions
q) Opportunities to be in the audience during NESN broadcast tapings
r) Venues for subscribers to meet at games
If this potential product were launched, the exclusive content and access provided through Sportsplus would be available for free to those who subscribe to The Boston Globe printed newspaper. Others could subscribe to Sportsplus for a low monthly or annual fee. Those who do not subscribe to The Boston Globe printed newspaper or the Sportsplus section of Boston.com would no longer have access to Boston Globe sports columnists or the other benefits noted in the previous question through the main Boston.com web site. Based on a fee of $5.95 per month, or $49.95 per year for access to Sportsplus, what would you do?
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A couple of interesting options here that catch the eye.
1) Blogs by players and managers.
2) Opportunities to attend live interviews of players, coaches and managers.
3) Opportunities to be in the audience during NESN broadcast tapings.
In principle, I'm all for media organizations figuring a way to make money online before too many more newsroom jobs get slashed. But with some of these options, we're talking real synergy between the media company and the baseball team in which it has an ownership stake. I'm sure Curt Schilling will have no problems with his blog, but what about Keith Foulke?
The Boston Globe and Boston.com are considering launching a special online section called Sportsplus in early 2006. Sportsplus would be the essential resource for news, opinions and discussion about New England's sports teams, produced daily by the country's best sports writers.
Would potentially include:
a) Daily columns by Bob Ryan, Dan Shaughnessy, Jackie MacMullan or other Boston Globe sports columnists
b) Sports feature stories, pre-game and post-game analysis
c) Sports articles from opposing teams' newspaper web sites
d) Daily Blogs such as Reiss's Pieces, Extra Bases and Net Minders
e) Game-time Blog by Boston Globe reporter
f) Blogs by players and managers
g) Opportunities to submit questions and comments directly to Globe sports writers h) Monthly online chats with sports writers from The Boston Globe
i) MP3 recordings of live interviews
j) An email that alerts you about the subjects of new articles
k) A scrolling banner on the Sportsplus home page that highlights key articles or breaking news
l) Access to archived articles from The Boston Globe, including organized collections of articles
m) Access to archived photos from The Boston Globe, and the ability to create your own photo gallery, screen saver or electronic greeting card
n) Poll other subscribers on subjects chosen by you
o) Opportunities to attend live interviews of players, coaches and managers
p) Opportunities to attend live player panel discussions
q) Opportunities to be in the audience during NESN broadcast tapings
r) Venues for subscribers to meet at games
If this potential product were launched, the exclusive content and access provided through Sportsplus would be available for free to those who subscribe to The Boston Globe printed newspaper. Others could subscribe to Sportsplus for a low monthly or annual fee. Those who do not subscribe to The Boston Globe printed newspaper or the Sportsplus section of Boston.com would no longer have access to Boston Globe sports columnists or the other benefits noted in the previous question through the main Boston.com web site. Based on a fee of $5.95 per month, or $49.95 per year for access to Sportsplus, what would you do?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple of interesting options here that catch the eye.
1) Blogs by players and managers.
2) Opportunities to attend live interviews of players, coaches and managers.
3) Opportunities to be in the audience during NESN broadcast tapings.
In principle, I'm all for media organizations figuring a way to make money online before too many more newsroom jobs get slashed. But with some of these options, we're talking real synergy between the media company and the baseball team in which it has an ownership stake. I'm sure Curt Schilling will have no problems with his blog, but what about Keith Foulke?
11 Comments:
I'm sure this would have been a moneymaker back in the day when the Globe Sports page was something worth going out of your way to read. Today, not so much.
Would they do this to make a buck, or just to make it harder for the online critics to hound them (i.e., Would we actually pay just for the privilege of mocking them?).
http://danshaughnessy.blogspot.com/
The Chicago Tribune tried a subscription-based Bears site within ChicagoSports.com with premium and web-exclusive content. It went away after one year.
Or how about Manny blogging? Yeah right..
Anyway, this would be the nail in the coffin.
I'd say go ahead, do it, Morrissey, be even less relevant.
And please please please, Put Shaughnasty behind the wall. Quick! (can they name his blog the "Goober Corner"?)
They benefitted from a popular sports section being partly walled off in the Herald, now other people will benefit from this partition.
I don't see any need for anyone to pay extra for this stuff. You can definitely do without reading the Globe sports pages. There is no edge there at all.
I am up on all what goes on the sports scene, nationaly and locally, and I assure you I haven't opened a Globe sports section in a long time. And I get the damn thing delivered.
I haven't visited it online in a long time either, except to check Shaughnasty's pieces on Theo but for media research purposes and not seeking info.
So one can definitely go without it very easily.
Notice that among the prized 'benefits' they don't list their Op-eds on their. You'd think they'd be up there in value for a newspaper.
But hey, after Tom O is leaving, like him or not, who is caring about HDS Greenway or our own Prince of Darkness Jacoby. ( Can Jeff be the Goober blogger on the political side? How about GooberCon??)
Boston.com , for how mediocre and cluttered it is, is one of the most popular and visited newspaper sites in the nation. Top 5 site. SO what else do they want??? More money beyond Ad money?? Is this highway robbery or what???
Or should we call it 'Expressway Robbery'.
....Reminds me of those 'Tayoda' goofball brothers ON the Expressway. It looks like the Globe is emulating some of its neighbours. Hey, they have no class, might as well try to make money anyway you can.
"ExpressGlobe, is the best way to get your money" ....isn't that close to what they usually SHOUT?
Ahhh, what is it going to take to get this Pinch to back off this Timeselect fever??
N.
I haven't read Gammo on ESPN for the last year (it seems). How many pay-per-read venues can we handle in addition to our other multi-media costs?
Hasn't anyone noticed that the sports pages of the Globe are nearly devoid of advertising?
There are promo ads for Globe products and a few classified blocks, but they don't seem to have anything that advertisers want.
I wish they would make the sports pages a stand alone and put the resources they waste on that topic into local news.
I also wish they would stop putting other content in the back of the sports pages. I toss it in the recycling box and then have to go back to look for some worthwhile section that was used to fill it out on slow sport days.
Even though I'm already a subscriber, I wonder if they'll finally give us more Pats coverage than Reiss and Evil Ron Borges...
The features that the Globe is thinking about charging for are the very same ones that would be most likely to attract advertising. If you go to Shaughnessy's column right now you'll find a bunch of ads. On the flip side, I don't think I've seen an ad on a Times op-ed columnist's page since TimesSelect began. The Globe needs to think about the actual money it's going to lose, not just the theoretical money it might gain.
"The Globe needs to think about the actual money it's going to lose, not just the theoretical money it might gain. "
Dan exactly pinpoints wha these numbskulls miss in putting these walls. It is so obvious that I cannot comprehend how high-paid execs and consultants can miss or downplay this fact.
And to the gentleman (or lady) mentioning Gammons and the Insider Zone on ESPN, at one point, they put soooooooo much content , about 2 out of every three stories were behind the wall.
If you go now, the wall has lifted on a lot of content and is no where as prelavent. They realized the difference and so will other papers. Many papers across the nation HAVE rolled back their walls, raising the white flag, like in Houston and Chicago.
I can't believe with all the expereince from other outfits that Globe see this unfold in front of them, the failures that is, and still think they might get away with it.
N.
Am I the only one who believes that someone needs to fund the creation of this content?
Are you the same people who believe it is still okay to download music for free or to hotwire cable with a black box?
It cost money to create content. Hey intellectual property is two words. Whether you think it is intelligent, it's still someone's property.
What do you think will happen when traditional media goes the way of typewriter and everyone gets their info from webzine and blogs? Can you say dual revenue stream - ad and subscription.
Watch Sirius and XM radio as the latest/greatest example.
Well, anon 9:06, the owners of the content are deciding to start charging for content they've been giving away for free at the precise time said content has been at its lowest quality and has its least credibility ever. Sure, it is their right to charge for this content, but the end result could be that more people than ever realize than can live without the product.
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