Dear DCI Live

[awunderlich]

I wish the season streams would stay DVR active for at least 24 hours. Back when they kept them up, I could watch them later when I had other things to do. (i know) Now life and drum corps streaming have become a little more of a pain.

[Tenoris4Jazz]

Blame the greedy ghouls at Tresona

[jwillis35]

Cue the "it's not DCI's fault you have to work" crowd. I understand that there is a cost involved in streaming and distributing the content, but I don't see why there isn't a more affordable, accessible way to watch. Everyone talks about growing drum corps, and getting the product out there is the best way to get people interested in it. I realize DCI felt it wasn't worth it to continue the partnership with ESPN, but now that we are on the other side of the World Series of Poker and eSports era, maybe there is a market for less traditional sports on TV. Hopefully Clash of the Corps will have enough buzz to make DCI consider returning to a broadcast TV format.

I disagree with this to some extent. I think DCI learned a while back that just handing out their brand to anyone, for free, was and is a big mistake. DCI is a brand. The corps that belong to the association are brands. Survival depends on marketing, branding, and appropriate costs for services and performances.

When DCI gives their broadcast to ESPN, they have to pay...a lot. ESPN is cable. We pay for cable, but do any of those profits go back to DCI? No. PBS is a better option if we're going to go back to TV. But I believe DCI Live is where it's at. Online media, desktop and mobile apps, and all the services these mediums can provide are probably the best route for DCI to take.

To me it feels like DCI has chosen more of a Starbucks or Apple model of service. Most coffee drinkers of the world do not wish to pay $1.70 or more for a cup of "joe." Yet Starbucks does incredibly well because they know their brand. They offer better coffee (at least many think so), a better experience for coffee (over say a McDonald's), with places to sit, read, talk, and use WIFI. Basically, whether you or I like Starbucks is irrelevant. They do very well and people en mass seem to love them. They were not willing to lower costs simply to attract a lot of average coffee drinkers who might not appreciate their product and its' worth.

To me, that is DCI. Growth of an activity like DCI should not be handled in the same manner as trying to sell the latest sloppy, greasy cheeseburger at some fast food place just looking to grab people off the street and load them up with fat and flavor. DCI needs to know its' value, and not settle for less. It's a boutique product, not a local high school band night. It's corps are considered the world's leaders in the marching activity, not some parade group or high school/college marching band that performs for football fans. If DCI is Marching Music's Major League, then they need to market, brand, and price themselves accordingly.

It costs money to get those corps down the road and back home, to create shows, to have high-quality staff, to deal with uniforms, instruments, equipment, and to feed kids. The best fans want to pay for the product. Others want it free. Sadly we can't do free. This is the best our activity has to offer. It should not be free. Frankly DCI Live (the $69 option for regular season shows only) is a HUGE deal. Either we pay for the content or go watch a local marching band show. But this notion of offering up free content just so we can real in people who don't appreciate or know about this activity is bogus. Most of those people will want something for free or they will not fully appreciate how good these groups are and will want to know why halftime is so long.

Edited August 12, 2016 by jwillis35