"perhaps you have to see how far race entry fees for competitors *don't* go before you can get your head around why we, as supporters, need to contribute towards the tv coverage we want."
Competitor entry fees are not part of this. They go towards a small portion of the purse if anything. Sponsorship and commercial sales is where the money for media is raised and generated. The cost for live streaming ins miniscule compared to what the series should be generating via its millions of TV viewers.
The key phrase you use is "
the tv coverage we want." As I said, I need to be a careful shopper. I want to know exactly what the FIA/WEC is asking me to pay for.
".. a free stream to ensure an ad-free/stable service ... " Well ... will ;this be a stable, high-def stream? Will it be ad-free, or will I be paying twice (for the stream and by watching the ads)? Will I have playback options, in case I cannot watch the race live, or if i want to watch it again? (BTW, if you are paying for it, how is it a "free stream"?)
I have been talking for a few years about how low-interest, niche sports would be covered online in high-def with options like an unmediated stream, several different screens to choose from so the viewer could play director, and a premium fully directed stream. Thing is, this would only work if the quality of the product was very high and the reliability certain. $45 per year (a little over $5 per race) isn't ridiculous if I get all the options, plus on-demand replays, and if the signal is stable and the quality an actual 1080P or at least a solid 720. Is all this part of the package?
Anyway, I already had to pay extra to watch races on TUSC, and didn't get the online option I was promised ... Now I am asked to pay for WEC, but I have no idea what I am buying--or even how to pay, since I don't have a lot of English pounds lying around.
If the site says I will be told how to pay on race day ... I am not too sanguine that they can manage a decent service. They have exceedingly badly mismanaged the rollout so far.
Seriously, how unprofessional has the whole introduction of the pay-to-watch system been? Would you eagerly support a business that operated the way FIA/WEC operated in this case?
"if you want hd telly quality footage, get your wallet out." For sure, that makes sense. Can they really offer that?