[CombatOi84]

Originally Posted by paintballerdad

OUT SIDE MONEY

I agree this is a BIG part of what is really needed to both keep this sport going strong, and taking it to the next level!!!

This man knows first hand exactly what I am talking about. He has a son who has been playing this sports for years and years and has finally made it to the pro rankings. He has supported his son financially and mentally for all those years......

But now what....

How long is his son really going to be able to play the sport that he loves at a professional level...

How is he going to be able to keep any sort of a good job having to travel 10-15 times a year, and practice 1-3 times a week...

Now if his son actual was paid a 1/2 way decent salary then he would probably play for the next 10-20 years. And in those 10-20 years imagine what a person with his love and knowledge of the game could do to help grow the sport...

[CombatOi84]

Also one last point before I end my rant for the day...

I keep seeing people posting about "paintball is not for TV" "its boring to watch"

This is a crock of ****....

I play video games pretty competitavely as well as paintball. My game of choice is dota2. Every single time one of my friends or girl friend sees me playing it they have 0 idea what is going on. They hate sitting their watching me play it because it is impossible to follow if you don't play.... BUT....

Some how the Internationals, a huge dota 2 tournament which was hosted in Seattle this year, had a few thousand people in house to watch, and 100,000's of people watching via a live stream.

Any idea why?

The prize for this tournament was a cool million dollars for first place.

Where in the world did these nerds find all this money?!?!

Monster, Red bull, Dell, Alienware, Logitech.... BIG CORPERATE sponsors.

Edit: My point of this post was that the 1mil prize got so many people more interested in playing, which in turn had more people watching because they knew what was going on. So Money = More interest = more viewers = on tv = commericals = more money for the sport

Outside money is literally the answer to all of paintballs problems, and I am 100% serious when I say this.

[txpb614]

Originally Posted by CombatOi84

Also one last point before I end my rant for the day...

I keep seeing people posting about "paintball is not for TV" "its boring to watch"

This is a crock of ****....

I play video games pretty competitavely as well as paintball. My game of choice is dota2. Every single time one of my friends or girl friend sees me playing it they have 0 idea what is going on. They hate sitting their watching me play it because it is impossible to follow if you don't play.... BUT....

Some how the Internationals, a huge dota 2 tournament which was hosted in Seattle this year, had a few thousand people in house to watch, and 100,000's of people watching via a live stream.

Any idea why?

The prize for this tournament was a cool million dollars for first place.

Where in the world did these nerds find all this money?!?!

Monster, Red bull, Dell, Alienware, Logitech.... BIG CORPERATE sponsors.

Edit: My point of this post was that the 1mil prize got so many people more interested in playing, which in turn had more people watching because they knew what was going on. So Money = More interest = more viewers = on tv = commericals = more money for the sport

Outside money is literally the answer to all of paintballs problems, and I am 100% serious when I say this.

Exactly. Paintball is basically a monopoly!

[OhIoCoNtRActKilLa]

A $1 Mil. prize is not going to suddenly get people interested in paintball. There were probably over 100k viewers of that tournament because over 20 million people play Dota. Obviously they can snag 100k viewers pretty easy when there is that big of an interest in the content.

Paintball doesn't have that. Well, competitive paintball doesn't. If you don't have a lot of people with their eyes on our sport, why would big companies put money into it? It's a niche that isn't quite big enough to see the big bucks.

It's too expensive to gain a ton of traction, especially in our current ecenomy. There are a lot of things that would need to come together for anything serious like that to happen.

And if it does, if paintball actually gets big on TV and stuff, what happens if the economy really tanks again? We're right back where we are now. Players won't have salaries and it might even die harder than it did before.

People can have an interest in video games and the like with minimal cost. Pay $60 for a game one time and you can play / watch / be entertained for hours on end. Paintball just isn't like that.

[Ryan@CPX]

Originally Posted by CreightonBaller

is there a like button around here? This man hit the nail right on the head

These guys get it

[vijil]

I think the format needs tweaks and some outside money need to be convinced, but beyond that it's a whole lot of factors holding us back not least of which is the politics, which are worse than many small sports.

Get this: unicycling is far better organised in almost every way. International governing body? Check. Genuine world championships held in a different country every time? Check. No BS? Check. Good attitudes? Check. Why can't we be the same? Too much testosterone probably.

[CombatOi84]

Originally Posted by OhIoCoNtRActKilLa

A $1 Mil. prize is not going to suddenly get people interested in paintball. There were probably over 100k viewers of that tournament because over 20 million people play Dota. Obviously they can snag 100k viewers pretty easy when there is that big of an interest in the content.

Paintball doesn't have that. Well, competitive paintball doesn't. If you don't have a lot of people with their eyes on our sport, why would big companies put money into it? It's a niche that isn't quite big enough to see the big bucks.

It's too expensive to gain a ton of traction, especially in our current ecenomy. There are a lot of things that would need to come together for anything serious like that to happen.

And if it does, if paintball actually gets big on TV and stuff, what happens if the economy really tanks again? We're right back where we are now. Players won't have salaries and it might even die harder than it did before.

People can have an interest in video games and the like with minimal cost. Pay $60 for a game one time and you can play / watch / be entertained for hours on end. Paintball just isn't like that.

I understand what your saying, but what I am trying to say is that all of the above revolves around outside money. Outside makes the sport cheaper. Outside money allows parents and outsiders to see it as a REAL SPORT and not a game. Outside money allows players and coaches with the know how to grow our sport to dedicate their entire lives to it, because they get paid to now. Outside money get more advertising, which gets more people involved. Outside money means nicer events, which gets the players already invovled more willing to go to events.

I know it is not a easy task to accomplish, but literally everything in our sport hinges on the fact that it is a sespool.. We have no outside support or involvement in any way shape or form. And every sport needs that.

[vijil]

LoL is not so much sponsored by outside money as it is by the game creators - ie. same as Dye does for the PSP. Dota is similar, but even then...

In gaming the sponsors have a very clear link to the sport, given that the sponsors provide equipment to run the games. In paintball our inside sponsors have nowhere near that much money, and outside sponsors struggle to solidly link their offerings to the target market. Energy drinks are the best match, but unless someone like Red Bull comes along and dumps literally millions into the game things aren't going to change in a hurry, and why do that when most other sports and activities have a much larger reach and and far, far more watchable?

[i EaT yEaRbOoKs....]

What needs to be done in paintball is it to be a cheaper sport, paying for tournaments with a 500 dollar entry is completely fine but, the fact of paint for 55 dollars a case at tournaments is a lot of a let down for alot of people at the local and national level. Shooting 25 cases an event is roughly 1.3k. I think a larger crowd would come in if the price was even half.

[kyle53pntball]

Originally Posted by i EaT yEaRbOoKs....

What needs to be done in paintball is it to be a cheaper sport, paying for tournaments with a 500 dollar entry

$500 entry? Sweet Jesus multiply that by 5. Highway robbery I tell you lol

(Jk, I know why it costs so much. Shots expensive)

[NBKballa]

bring back the Doritos logos on the...doritos
!!

[willworkforpaint]

I believe that if Bob Long or an older respected figure of the sport reached out to Nike, Adidas or some large outside sporting company that they would have a very good chance at getting a large national sponsorship. While reading threw the posts I saw the argument about players not using outside companies gear inside out sport but look at everyones feet. At least up around NE almost everyone has Nikes on there feet when they play. Also the Jumpman23 or Jordan brand sponsors a lot of different sports including boxing and Motorcycle racing. So why not paintball? Has anyone heard or seen any documentation of anyone ever even trying to contact Nike? or Do the companies in the sports want to keep all the money coming in to them selves?

[swanton23]

^^^^^^what he said

[RORplayer44]

15 bps.

and "Think you got what it takes" commercials offering good prizes would be best promoting of the sport

[dps093]

TV commercials for sure. Outside companies supporting with advertisements, sponsorship, etc.

[catterman]

Attack dogs with luxe 2.0's attached to their heads.

[AJ$]

Originally Posted by hscpaintballa

This is actually a good point... At least some type of local advertising the week or two before the events to try to get people interested

They use to advertise locally in 07' & 08' for Chicago from what I remember!

[b15cu1t]

now in the UK next year they are running a hybrid event,which will have sup-air tournie,UWL,and a scenario game running at the same venue.
on an evening they have live bands ,bars etc etc
now take this further and bigger,get events tied in with other sports events etc etc,this way you are showing off too new customers,have arenas where people can have ago,tie ins with other events bring more people too watch and cuts costs

[Elhonkey]

Originally Posted by b15cu1t

now in the UK next year they are running a hybrid event,which will have sup-air tournie,UWL,and a scenario game running at the same venue.
on an evening they have live bands ,bars etc etc
now take this further and bigger,get events tied in with other sports events etc etc,this way you are showing off too new customers,have arenas where people can have ago,tie ins with other events bring more people too watch and cuts costs

This! It would be awesome to go to a paintball event and then be able to watch a few other "extreme sports" if thats what you want to call them, and it would give paintball more attention from the other sports and vice versa.

[dps093]

Originally Posted by b15cu1t

now in the UK next year they are running a hybrid event,which will have sup-air tournie,UWL,and a scenario game running at the same venue.
on an evening they have live bands ,bars etc etc
now take this further and bigger,get events tied in with other sports events etc etc,this way you are showing off too new customers,have arenas where people can have ago,tie ins with other events bring more people too watch and cuts costs

[CombatOi84]

I am liking the idea... Maybe more along the lines of having Pro players do some sort of "exhibition" matches at other sporting events/festivals/concerts? Just other large events where a big amount of people could see our sport with it really not costs a ton of money like a commercial would?