This all seems a bit rushed to me. To me it feels like Steve just threw a lot of this info together before it was ready to be announced just so that the World Tour would not gain as much traction as he thinks it will. The website is really poorly done in my eyes and has some good info on it but there isn't a lot that is clear.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the site. Give me specifics and I will be happy to review them on the site. But let me assure you, this idea and site are not rushed. There is much significant planning behind the tip of the iceberg being shown and discussed, much like with the DGWT. What specific info would you like to see on the website? If it is there already, I will work to make it easier to find. If it is not and should be, I will add it. Again, thanks for caring enough to read the site and discuss it.
1. There's a reason that there aren't multiple tours/leagues for bigger sports. Only one NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB. Yes, before you say it, there are European leagues and some in Asia, but they hold about 1% market share...
2. With three Disc Golf tours, I fear any success without MAJOR collaboration - which the PDGA NT has no interest in. This will be further challenged by the fact that two new tours trying to gain traction in 2016. I don't see conflicting dates, but again, no collaboration.
3. All in all, I think announcing TWO new tours in 2016 that are shunning/shunned by the PDGA is a huge mistake and counter-productive.
1. The Pro Tour proposes to become the premier North American disc golf tour. The World Tour, I believe, is focusing on Europe (and probably Australia and Japan in 2017 and beyond) with relatively small presence in the USA. It is easy to see successful paths for both tours. Jussi and I have talked many times and agree that coordinating both tours, and the PDGA events, is critical to all of our success.
2. I am going to have to disagree here. The fact that there is only one date conflict among three significant tours and the PDGA Majors demonstrates that collaboration and working together are already happening.
3. You are absolutely correct. Shunning the PDGA, the governing body of our sport, would be a huge mistake and counter-productive. Therefore, we are in no way shunning the PDGA. All of our events are PDGA Sanctioned and we will be working closely with the PDGA to make the events, and PDGA involvement with them, huge. These discussions have begun and will continue. Our oars are rowing in the same direction.
Honestly, other than these new "tours" linking together a few events, I don't see a whole lot different from past years. ... In a way, these new tours aren't all that different from the various state and regional series that go on every year, just on a larger scale.
We are incorporating a Tour Championship (with significant payout), adding Live Coverage that you can count on being there at every event, continuing the evolution of disc golf statistics, bringing a disc golf festival to attract families and folks that would not normally go to watch if there was just a great tournament, and throwing significant marketing dollars at the whole thing.
In 2016, the Pro Tour is absolutely quite regional in the Northeast and North central. After we have worked out the kinks, created a viable, sustainable product, and proven our abilities to conduct quality events, the plan is to expand to the entirety of North America in 2017.
Seems like a pretty obvious slam dunk to me. Most of these events were perspective NT's that did not get selected for this year. All of these events have proven that they can put on an NT caliber tourney. Instead of just running an A Teir and hoping to get a decent turnout they came together and made their own series. I think that's an easy win for everyone involved.
The previously posted combined schedule is really impressive. If you're a touring player you'd have to be really stoked about all the available options for next year. If you're a fan of disc golf at its highest level this is pretty cool
Agreed.
The big impact will be who can attract the outside viewership.
Either way, I think both models can be successful in their own right.
Agreed.
When your audience can tell you are having fun... They will want in on the fun...
Doesnt matter [what] you apply it to. Peeps like a good time.
Disco.
There's no reason to root against any of them and every reason to root for all of them to have success.
This.
OR, since all these events are already PDGA events, the PDGA can simply absorb them into an expanded NT schedule without actually hurting either "tour" in any way, shape, or form.
I do not actually see this happening without significant changes in the PDGA. I do not propose to build something, demonstrate that it can work, and then simply have the PDGA "absorb" it into an expanded NT. While I will make sure to continue to work with the PDGA and 100% plan on PDGA sanctioning all of our events now and in the future, I do not foresee a situation where we cede control of the DGPT to the PDGA NT.
Thanks for all of your comments, keep 'em coming. If you feel we missed one, please repeat it and we will loop back around and answer it in our next post.