Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable.

Re:Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable. (wheregreggeats.com)

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 11:29:28 GMT

I'm starting to get some momentum in the area of streaming media (ie. Roku, Apple TV, etc.) ... combine all these appliances and you've got a potential audience larger than NY and LA put together,

Re:Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable. (IslandDogsInc.)

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 06:46:52 GMT

Foodbme

With so many free TV food shows available, why would anyone pay to watch a web cast?

That's just it. They wouldn't. So, income would have to be derived from another source, such as sponsorships like the good Dr. suggests. Maybe a monetized channel on YouTube? But at about $1 per thousand hits , it would have to really go viral before I'd see any profit from that. I estimate each episode would take about 20 hours to shoot (including travel time), and probably 10 hours to edit, so (working solo) that would be about 30 hours time, give or take, in each half-hour installment. If I could somehow generate a $500-600. profit per episode, that would at least pay me for my labor.

There is also the possibility that some local TV Channel would pick it up, or at lease do a news story on it. I know some people who do local TV human interest shows will buy airtime from the station and then sell advertising during their show themselves. Just thinking out loud.

Re:Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable. (Dr of BBQ)

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:11:00 GMT

Island Dog,
That's a good question and I don't have an answer. But it is an interesting concept. I'd think if you had enough web traffic it wouldn't be hard to get page sponsors. But I have no idea what kind of money can be made in that respect. Any good food "how to" would be popular.

Re:Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable. (Foodbme)

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:26:56 GMT

With so many free TV food shows available, why would anyone pay to watch a web cast?

Making a Roadfood TV Webcast profitable. (IslandDogsInc.)

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:19:35 GMT

This question may not exactly fit the forum I'm posting it in, but I'd really like to get some feedback from restaurant/food service professionals before I take it any further.

In my spare time I operate a small video production company. It's mainly a hobby, but also a growing secondary source of income. I am very good at it and can produce network-quality content. Lately I've been toying with the idea of producing a roadfood travelogue-type show for webcast. It would have a TV show format similar to DINERS, DRIVE-INS, and DIVES (but without an on-camera host - it would have a voice-over narrator instead), and would feature locally-popular mom and pop places with interesting menu items. Actually it would be a lot like the FOOD PARADISE series in that each episode would spotlight a particular type of food: Burger joints one show, Hot Dog places the next, BBQ the next, etc.

My biggest dilemma is this: Since it will (initially, at least) be only a Webcast, and a decidedly region-specific show - mainly centered on places within the Tennessee Valley (Northern Alabama, Middle Tennessee, and Northeast Mississippi) I'm not sure how to make it profitable. I could self-finance the first couple of episodes as they'd serve as a pilots/proof of concept, but after that I'd need to start making it pay somehow.

Any suggestions?