There is alot of talk and speculation as the ASP World Tour recently announced that they will soon enter into a contract with ZoSea Media. Its a welcome sight as this could be what many in the industry have been working towards for many years, but also alot of power to give to ZoSea Media considering they will have 100% license of all events as reported by Surfer Magazine.
I think alot of things can be really positive from this deal. Things like a standard team of commentators and production crews. Better accommodations for surfers and obviously more revenue for the sport in general. However I am concerned that ZoSea Media will start charging to watch the Live Webcast or clog them with tons of commercials.
From my perspective, this would be a step in the wrong direction for surfing and show a total disregard for surf fans around the world. Obviously this is just speculation, but if any company was looking to generate additional revenue than the live webcast would be a good place to start considering how many people tune in to catch all the action.
I hope the ASP continues to fight for the World Tour Surfers and for guys like me and you. That the deal isn't driven by money and the needed format and boundaries are put into place to continue in the right direction. Because the simple truth is that with a deal of this size, it could be the best thing for professional surfing or the worst thing.
