My big question is about the business model. How does Victory Plus actually make money? Are they making money now with their current advertisers? Also, I would love to see more discussion of analytics and hockey strategies. Not all of their viewers are total hockey novices who can’t even describe what an offside is. But so far they are doing a very good job.
Glad you wrote this piece and clarified what Victory+ intended.
However, this guy is full of crap. Well, he isn't full of crap if we accept that the Stars are being used to launch a discount sports network based on a bro-cast template and the fans of the hockey team will have to suffer through that.
The broadcast is much worse than last year. For him to say this set/intermission is as capable as last year is ridiculous. Two capable guys are sitting in a closet with no screen to break down plays, the aesthetic is pathetic, and Underdog gambling nonsense is a large part of their analysis.
Any fan that floats around the team broadcasts with a ESPN+ subscription is going to see intermissions that make this one look amateur.
Regardless, my main takeaway is that the promise of Victory+ we had in that first year (no cost, freedom to cover the team on a more personalized level than Bally, new and fun features coming) has been replaced by a podcast network that also happens to have the Stars TV rights. Cool.
Again, great work on getting these comments and calling bull**** is only intended for Victory+ management.
I get all the business and economic factors. Having said that, the studio looks like the set from the old Seinfeld episode when Kramer was recording from his apartment (but worse). It makes me believe that much trouble lies ahead.
Change for the sake of change, that's what I'm hearing. Get rid of Frank; you cannot force Dallas Stars fans to care about the rest of the league in the middle of a game! And treat Brien and Sevvy like the professionals they are by providing the set and technical backup they deserve. The fact that production people had not detected the sound problems before the new setup launched implies either haste or incompetence. The Stats are not an ECHL team Victory+ is broadcasting!
I'm glad to see I'm not alone in finding the Blonde and Blowhard intolerable. Overall, Victory+ has taken a huge step backward this year, and this interview makes clear that Walsh is a fool.
Little rough on Walshie. I'll give him some rope if he is really trying things out and is flexible. Brian and Sevy look like they are in a closet and could be in Des Moines. Blah.
Hi Robert. I thought I would check with you first on this, before contacting ESPN+. As you may remember, I'm in the Anaheim area and now instead of using NHL Center Ice, I am watching almost all Stars games via streaming on ESPN+, unless the game might be on the national ESPN feed. They normally offer the Stars Victory + broadcast with Josh and Razor.
Because of the time difference, I rarely during the regular season can watch the game live, such as last night. By 8 pm Pacific, the game is normally over. Then I go into the app on my TV and attempt to watch, usually within an hour of the conclusion of the game. I've noticed, though, that when I do that, I cannot fast forward the game at all. It won't allow me to. Only if I watch like the next day is that feature allowed.
Do you know anything about the contract with Victory + and replays? Is it because I am out of market? Unfortunately, it's a total pain in the rear. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Bob
Hi Bob. Last night’s game wasn’t on Victory+, as ESPN picked it up exclusively to stream on Hulu and ESPN+. So it should be available immediately for you if you have ESPN+, along with all playback capabilities.
The only 24-hour element with regard to broadcasting is that fans in local markets have to wait 24 hours before they can watch their games back. So if you’re in the Los Angeles TV market, that could be a factor.
Yeah all of this smacks of business speak for themselves”we want to pump out as much garbage at the lowest cost possible” and not some grand creative strategy. De-professionalizing the studio set because of the popularity of podcast content churn (outside of sports games) is just a cost-cutting thing, and so is bringing in another national podcast during intermission rather than paying for studio content. Victory+ is not a national service and won’t be until 32 nhl teams are on it, so viewers do not care about Frank Seravalli prattling on about non-Stars related things. The Stars have some of the best on air talent out there in Josh, Razor, Sevy, and Brien. They should be front and center as much as possible.
The changes to the platform this year are all shit. They're optimizing for profit and the ad-tolerating idiots and degrading, on purpose, the experience for loyal fans who'd be happy to pay for an ad-and-bullshit-free experience.
Removal of start from beginning means that, should I start watching late, I see the damn score via the score bug. They literally removed features.
Removal of fast forward through commercials is also actively hostile. If I'm wanting to fast forward over shitty commercials, I'm probably not interested in the product. In fact, I'm hostile to it. Forcing me to watch it (or trying to, mute and look away) sours me to the product. Prey on the lazy with commercials, victory+. That's the majority anyway. Do things differently from the legacy media companies that are dying because they're assholes.
I'd like to be a paying customer, but after one season, I'm considering putting on a vpn and finding an online stream. The effing pirates have better user experience than current victory+.
I was very happy with this service last year. It seemed like the Stars were going to forge a new, unbundled path. It's reversed this year.
There was one game I was watching on Victory+ recently, and they had background music playing during Rea + Sevryn’s intermission segment. It was like they were testing-something-out from the high school football broadcast.
I think I've heard that on a segment or two. I know some podcasts like to have music underneath certain segments--maybe it was that sort of a thing, like you do with highlights?
Stars fans do not want Seravalli. Period.
Agreed. To date, that segment brings a big bag of nothing.
Yep, Frankly boring.
My big question is about the business model. How does Victory Plus actually make money? Are they making money now with their current advertisers? Also, I would love to see more discussion of analytics and hockey strategies. Not all of their viewers are total hockey novices who can’t even describe what an offside is. But so far they are doing a very good job.
Glad you wrote this piece and clarified what Victory+ intended.
However, this guy is full of crap. Well, he isn't full of crap if we accept that the Stars are being used to launch a discount sports network based on a bro-cast template and the fans of the hockey team will have to suffer through that.
The broadcast is much worse than last year. For him to say this set/intermission is as capable as last year is ridiculous. Two capable guys are sitting in a closet with no screen to break down plays, the aesthetic is pathetic, and Underdog gambling nonsense is a large part of their analysis.
Any fan that floats around the team broadcasts with a ESPN+ subscription is going to see intermissions that make this one look amateur.
Regardless, my main takeaway is that the promise of Victory+ we had in that first year (no cost, freedom to cover the team on a more personalized level than Bally, new and fun features coming) has been replaced by a podcast network that also happens to have the Stars TV rights. Cool.
Again, great work on getting these comments and calling bull**** is only intended for Victory+ management.
Thanks for looking into this, Robert! Some important context in here.
But now I wonder if I should turn off my victory+ stream during the Frankly hockey portion to demonstrate a point 😂
There are a bunch of us doing exactly that.
I’m really grateful for Victory+, the excellent home town broadcast team… and articles like this to give us the inside down-low!
1st, get the intermission a 1st class set… these guys are pros, treat them that way… start a go fund me if needed.
2nd, let the local guys do a “round the league update”, don’t try a Philly guy! Seriously, lose Frank.
I get all the business and economic factors. Having said that, the studio looks like the set from the old Seinfeld episode when Kramer was recording from his apartment (but worse). It makes me believe that much trouble lies ahead.
Change for the sake of change, that's what I'm hearing. Get rid of Frank; you cannot force Dallas Stars fans to care about the rest of the league in the middle of a game! And treat Brien and Sevvy like the professionals they are by providing the set and technical backup they deserve. The fact that production people had not detected the sound problems before the new setup launched implies either haste or incompetence. The Stats are not an ECHL team Victory+ is broadcasting!
I'm glad to see I'm not alone in finding the Blonde and Blowhard intolerable. Overall, Victory+ has taken a huge step backward this year, and this interview makes clear that Walsh is a fool.
Little rough on Walshie. I'll give him some rope if he is really trying things out and is flexible. Brian and Sevy look like they are in a closet and could be in Des Moines. Blah.
Is it just me, or does Sevy seem kind of grumpy/testy since they put him in the closet?
Hi Robert. I thought I would check with you first on this, before contacting ESPN+. As you may remember, I'm in the Anaheim area and now instead of using NHL Center Ice, I am watching almost all Stars games via streaming on ESPN+, unless the game might be on the national ESPN feed. They normally offer the Stars Victory + broadcast with Josh and Razor.
Because of the time difference, I rarely during the regular season can watch the game live, such as last night. By 8 pm Pacific, the game is normally over. Then I go into the app on my TV and attempt to watch, usually within an hour of the conclusion of the game. I've noticed, though, that when I do that, I cannot fast forward the game at all. It won't allow me to. Only if I watch like the next day is that feature allowed.
Do you know anything about the contract with Victory + and replays? Is it because I am out of market? Unfortunately, it's a total pain in the rear. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Bob
Hi Bob. Last night’s game wasn’t on Victory+, as ESPN picked it up exclusively to stream on Hulu and ESPN+. So it should be available immediately for you if you have ESPN+, along with all playback capabilities.
The only 24-hour element with regard to broadcasting is that fans in local markets have to wait 24 hours before they can watch their games back. So if you’re in the Los Angeles TV market, that could be a factor.
Yeah all of this smacks of business speak for themselves”we want to pump out as much garbage at the lowest cost possible” and not some grand creative strategy. De-professionalizing the studio set because of the popularity of podcast content churn (outside of sports games) is just a cost-cutting thing, and so is bringing in another national podcast during intermission rather than paying for studio content. Victory+ is not a national service and won’t be until 32 nhl teams are on it, so viewers do not care about Frank Seravalli prattling on about non-Stars related things. The Stars have some of the best on air talent out there in Josh, Razor, Sevy, and Brien. They should be front and center as much as possible.
The changes to the platform this year are all shit. They're optimizing for profit and the ad-tolerating idiots and degrading, on purpose, the experience for loyal fans who'd be happy to pay for an ad-and-bullshit-free experience.
Removal of start from beginning means that, should I start watching late, I see the damn score via the score bug. They literally removed features.
Removal of fast forward through commercials is also actively hostile. If I'm wanting to fast forward over shitty commercials, I'm probably not interested in the product. In fact, I'm hostile to it. Forcing me to watch it (or trying to, mute and look away) sours me to the product. Prey on the lazy with commercials, victory+. That's the majority anyway. Do things differently from the legacy media companies that are dying because they're assholes.
I'd like to be a paying customer, but after one season, I'm considering putting on a vpn and finding an online stream. The effing pirates have better user experience than current victory+.
I was very happy with this service last year. It seemed like the Stars were going to forge a new, unbundled path. It's reversed this year.
There was one game I was watching on Victory+ recently, and they had background music playing during Rea + Sevryn’s intermission segment. It was like they were testing-something-out from the high school football broadcast.
I think I've heard that on a segment or two. I know some podcasts like to have music underneath certain segments--maybe it was that sort of a thing, like you do with highlights?