03:56:09am, Thursday, April 16, 2026
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Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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Registered: 03/27/2008 Posts: 1,260 |
This was in the new Dutch Pulling Magazine, coming from the NTTO chairman after they made the decision to live stream all their events for free on Youtube. Worth a read!
»COLUMN WIJNAND« The 2025 season and everything that comes with it is now in full swing. This is usually a moment when the board can briefly lean back – but this year, developments in the world of tractor pulling continue as usual. Slowly, it is becoming clear what kind of impact livestreaming might have on our sport. Where we initially thought that livestreaming events was just a way to entertain our audience, it is becoming increasingly evident that livestreaming offers great opportunities for the NTTO going forward. The numbers show that viewership is steadily increasing, while at the same time, attendance at the events themselves is also on the rise. For teams and organizations within the NTTO, it’s a chance to generate sponsorships. For advertisers, it’s a way to target a specific audience with direct messaging. This may all sound simple, but it forces the board to again reflect on the actions regarding how we will shape livestreaming in 2026 and beyond – partly based on experience, partly based on assumptions. All possibilities must be created together. The level of professionalism among the parties involved is already so high that the NTTO cannot afford to fall behind when it comes to brand and image development. At the same time, there remains the challenge of keeping the sport accessible to both spectators and aspiring participants. The standard class is the entry point to the sport – a phenomenon where we are now hitting the limits of what is possible: With more than 1,000 competitors hoping for a place in the Dutch Championship standard class, how do we give everyone a fair chance to qualify? And how do we organize such a competition? It is good to see that many teams and organizers are already contributing ideas. The first concepts for 2026 are starting to take shape. To keep everything running smoothly, we continue to need people – for example in the technical committee, with the sleds, and in many other supporting roles. The board could also use some help – so for anyone willing to step up: there is always a place. It is possible to keep NTTO at a high level, but to do so we all have to pull in the same direction. Our association can really achieve a lot – if we work together. If we take that as our foundation for the future, things will certainly turn out well. – Wijnand Koopman, Chairman Floating Finish - the German Tractor Pulling Web Show and EU Live Streams: [www.youtube.com] |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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We not me, nice to see for a change…. |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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Shell Answer Man
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Holy crap.
You have a MAGAZINE? Really? I thought that was all old school and stuff. Us dingy Americans have no magazines anymore. Outdated they say. No one reads them anymore they say. Actually, people too lazy to do the work anymore. The outfit the WPI president works for puts out a magazine every other week. |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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FansOnly
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I've never been an advocate for NTPA with several things they do. But The Puller magazine was a waste to produce with only selling 5000 or so copies a month or whatever it was. You could see publicly see the numbers in their issues and it wasn't impressive at all.
Rather NTPA put that money into a better website, or actually promote the sport. Than to piss it away on a magazine that very few are buying. Now if NTPA would quit needlessly spending money on RFD production, that should be the next thing to go. There's no argument that RFD brings in fans or has any engagement.. Unless you can show me proof that people watching RFD TV have zero access to social media... |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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slow
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NTPA certainly did NOT take " the PULLER" magazine money to make an improved website. Perhaps, they used the money to make the new website, which is a pathetic disjointed affair, especially while trying to finally access their event results. It is not due to my internet provider speed or the workings of this 1 year old Mac computer. It is NTPA's completely lousy website tech design issues!!!!!
Their website reminds me of the Gas Buddy website. Use to be easy to use and user friendly. Not any more. But as Gas Buddy replied to me, they had to get a modern up to date 2024 look. My reply is it is not easily functional like what you trashed. Same with NTPA's website. |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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FansOnly
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That's what I was saying. NTPA clearly just took what they were spending on the magazine and put it in their pocket.
However you cannot blame them for quitting the magazine, with such little sales. |
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Re: Words of the Dutch Pulling president - or how to have "luxury problems" with the sport growing
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Registered: 03/27/2008 Posts: 1,260 |
It's coming with the membership ... Floating Finish - the German Tractor Pulling Web Show and EU Live Streams: [www.youtube.com] |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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Registered: 03/25/2008 Posts: 2,664 |
While you guys are arguing about magazines you all seemed to miss the important part that Sascha wrote "they made the decision to live stream all their events for free on Youtube".
This is long-term thinking. This is how you grow a sport for the future. Easy exposure. A subscription based system ISN'T about growing a fan base. Jake Morgan Owner, PULLOFF.COM Independent Pulling News This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated. Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal. |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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FansOnly
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It would be interesting to see how the different venues feel about losing ticket sales do to being on YouTube for free. I've never been to Europe and won't pretend how their motorsports economy is currently doing.
Somewhere, somebody is playing to put their coverage on YouTube. Most likely the pullers through memberships, sponsors, etc. I highly doubt that the president of the NTTO is putting forth his own money for the production. Looking at dirt track racing here in the US. People now stay home to pay for a streaming service to watch a national touring series, rather than go to their local race track. There is a majority that feels like streaming is killing the local level racing, while the bigger races are thriving. This said, if a tractor pull gets live streamed, the venue should be eligible for some of the streaming revenue. It takes money to make this whole thing go around. Sure putting the events free on YouTube are great for the fans. But will the smaller state-level venues suffer in the long term? Is live streaming pulls really the answer, let alone putting them for free on YouTube? Free on YouTube doesn't seem like a very good business model, unless the pullers themselves most likely are fine with having lower purses as they are the ones most likely footing the bill. Much like they are paying to have their own pulling magazine published... Hope I didn't poo poo to hard on the subject. But don't come at us saying it's all FREE or great for the sport without more context... |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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Registered: 03/14/2010 Posts: 97 |
Have you ever seen a major pulling event in Euorpe on youtube? I don't think ticket sales will be a problem... |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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FansOnly
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Again... You're only looking at the major events...
Everyone forgets about the State and Regional level events and their attendance numbers... Here in the US, not every event is like Bowling Green... Some State level shows in Ohio have better fan attendance than most GN shows. I'm not here to debate about anything. It's just that with knowing the inter-workings of WPI, PPL, etc. I know that nothing is free, this is still tractor pulling and not F1 or NASCAR where there is hundreds of millions being tossed around. Even NHRA is paying to be on the big FOX channel. But we will never get the true transparency of knowing how the NTTO deal is really operated. I am just glad that pulling is doing well over there! Those guys buy our parts just the same as we do. And I am looking forward to visiting with the Europeans that come over for Napoleon and BG week. Love it all! |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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Moderator Registered: 03/19/2018 Posts: 805 |
NHRA pays Fox?
CP |
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Re: FREE Live streaming! FREE!
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Registered: 03/27/2008 Posts: 1,260 |
That's the "thing" - or actually the experience here after going from pay per view to free streams on YT: Ticket sales go up. We've had several events that had to shut the gates and send people home that wanted to come in. F*** Made's Saturday was SOLD OUT before the gates even opened. I do live streams in Germany and thus have access to the statistics and I think I can explain what's happening. About 50 % of the people watching the streams. have never been on my channel before. About 30 % are "random visitors of my channel" about 20 % are "regular visitors of my channel" You gain A LOT of new people, you otherwise wouldn't have reached.
Sponsors! They are reaching app 20k people with their small events and over 50k with the bigger events - and they MAKE money with the streams. As he wrote: Mor opportunities to sell ads. And they do!
That's because the "paid per view" model doesn't reach a new audience. You pretty much only reach existing fans.
Around here most promoters happily pay (me) to stream their events and refinance it through selling ads in the stream to sponsors. The events who have been doing it for a longer time all have ramped up the production. That said, I still have some promoters who want pay per view and at times that for me as the producer is the better deal. But looking over the past three years, the crowds have gone bigger and the economy here is super sluggish. It's a bad deal if it wouldn't bring in extra sponsor money and put people in the stands. And because many here think and thought the way you do, is exactly why he wrote that piece and "reports from reality".
I have this exact discussion about 10 times a year, so all good. I hope I could deliver some context here. If you want some more: [www.youtube.com] these are their streams. You can see the viewer numbers. Go to the "Putten" event (that's "his" event) count the different sponsor logos in the stream. These are their prices: " 1. You can advertise in your favorite class for the rest of the season. This means your advertisement will be visible to the public at all competitions where this class competes. The cost for this type of advertisement is €2,500 for the entire season. 2. The second option is to become an event advertiser. Your advertisement will be visible in the top right corner during the entire livestream. The cost for this type of advertisement is €1,000 per day." That's association only - sponsors of the promoters of the indivicual event come on top Floating Finish - the German Tractor Pulling Web Show and EU Live Streams: [www.youtube.com] Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2025 08:17PM by Sascha. |
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