AENC Daytime Video Streaming in Jeopardy

Photo by Lisa Croft-Eliott

By Amy Fernandez

The advent of live streaming video has revolutionized public interest in dog shows. It’s essentially the lifeline that has brought new fans to the sport at a time when both entries and attendance are dwindling. Westminster pioneered this innovation a decade ago, receiving 150,000 hits the first year. Since there was no yardstick to gauge its potential, that seemed impressive. However, Westminster’s live coverage garnered 1.6 million hits last year.

Therefore, it seemed like an obvious addition for the increasingly popular AKC/Eukanuba National Championship aka AENC. Last year’s event drew 200,000 hits from over 60 different countries. This traffic is not sufficient to justify the expense of streaming the daytime breed judging according to AENC Event Coordinator Michael Canalizo.

The 2014 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will feature live streaming of evening events only. It will be produced by B-Live Productions and hosted on the AKC and Eukanuba websites. At this point, filming will include all evening competitions – the Bred-by-Exhibitor and Veterans Groups, along with highlights of Agility and Obedience.

Although exact details are not yet confirmed, two hours of televised AENC media coverage is also planned. According to Canalizo, it will encompass the scope of all the competitions, including the special attractions and canine events at the AENC. Most likely, we should expect something similar to National Dog Show format with edited versions of group competition spliced between generalized vignettes for the general public. This qualifies as pleasant entertainment and positive public relations for the dog world, but, in my opinion, it doesn’t provide anything comparable to the information provided by a live broadcast of the breed judging. Maybe this is only interesting to those die-hard enthusiasts. No one can be sure.

I think the real-time viewer experience of live streaming video is an unmatched enticement for potential audiences. However, it does not come cheap.  Filming and uploading information from 18 rings comes with a $200,000+ price tag. Canalizo says “There was surprisingly weak viewership of the breed videos, but we are trying to work a few things out to see if there is a way to make it happen.”  Yes, just like the bitter fate of the beloved AKC Gazette, money is the bottom line.  He emphasizes AKC’s ongoing effort “to find a way to offer breed streaming when the sparse viewership is not in balance with the expense of the production. We have 18 rings to cover each day… most any other event that offers streaming has no more than 9 or 10 rings.”

Coming up with a quick 200k isn’t easy, but not impossible.  Barring a lucky trip to Vegas, they might consider traditional internet marketing alternatives such as charging a $1.00 fee to access the daytime streaming video. Or AKC’s marketing department might investigate selling the daytime video rights to any number of companies that desire to cultivate a customer base of dog people. We certainly buy enough pricey stuff to fuel this hobby – vans, sportswear, plane tickets and landscaping equipment – to name a few.

Don’t forget it is being aired live from Florida, epicenter of tourism and theme parks like Disney World, Universal Studios, and my absolute favorite….Gatorland! AKC’s streaming video is a prime opportunity to market a range of products to a tailored, receptive audience for a fraction of the cost of one televised commercial.

The show is two months away and according to Canalizo, “we will know definitively in a week or so. Lots of moving parts.”  And The Canine Chronicle will keep you updated!

Editor’s Note: The above-mentioned option of charging viewers to view the daytime judging online is something AKC should seriously consider. The revenue offset provided by charging viewers a nominal fee might be enough to cover an acceptable portion, if not all, of the streaming cost. I encourage those readers interested in having AKC continue daytime streaming of the breed judging to contact them with your encouragement.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Oct 22 2014. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.