Two former Dutch executives and fly fishermen, an IT-development team, and a group of investors have come together and spent the last three years developing their very own, customized streaming platform in order to showcase the very best fly fishing content; from films and podcasts to books and magazines. The streaming platform is now available, teeming with stellar content from around the globe – and In the Loop Magazine is proud to be featured in the magazine section.
We’ve sat down with Hans de Leeuw from Fly Fisherman’s Channel to learn a bit more about the idea behind the platform and what new subscribers can expect in terms of content and benefits.
What is Fly Fisherman’s Channel and how did the idea come about?
We are a global on-demand streaming channel focusing on fly fishing-only content and we’ve just gone live in over 160 countries. The idea behind Fly Fisherman’s Channel came from our personal experience. A lot of information and content about our passion is scattered all over the internet. It just takes a lot of time to find all the great stories and relevant information. That’s how the idea behind Fly Fisherman’s Channel emerged. What if there was one place where I could find the best content our sport has to offer? So, our goal at Fly Fisherman’s Channel is to bring best fly fishing stories together under one roof – and to feature it in an undisturbed, commercial-free environment.
What sets you apart from other content platforms online?
What really sets us apart is that we focus exclusively on Fly Fishing. And the fact that we are covering all types of content: so besides video content you can find books, magazines and podcasts on our channel. And with more content types in the pipeline! You can find it all on our channel with a very intuitive and familiar look and feel – and nicely categorized for super easy navigation.
How can content producers get featured on your platform and what are the benefits?
If you have great fly fishing content, we want to talk to you! The best way to find out how to get featured on our channel is to just go there via our website and ‘take the tour’.
Basically, we have two complimentary programs for content partners and you can find more information about those programs in the footer of our landing website. First of all, there is the Revenue Share program. We reserve a percentage of all the subscription revenues in the Revenue Share pool and a Content Partner then gets a percentage of the Revenue Share pool based on the streamed minutes and the points they collect. We believe this is a very fair and transparent method because the content partner with the most points get the biggest piece of the pie. The other program is the Ambassador program. This is especially interesting if you have a large social media fan base. Just reach out to us and we can tell you more about it! A content partner can keep track of all their data and earnings in their own Client Portal.
One of the key features of our platform is a content rotation schedule in each category. So, every few days, the covers in a category rotate and get a different position. The goal is to give all content, also older content, a shot at a first page position. This creates a more even playing field for Content Partners in terms of being visible and collecting streaming points.
For brands that make great content or for travel partners or publishers we can also insert a CTA button taking subscribers directly to the partners website. Not only adding value to our Content Partners but also to our subscribers.
What are your plans and ambitions for the future?
One of the things we are looking at is to cover more destinations. Both “do it yourself” style as well as through travel companies. Really adding value to your next fishing trip with expert insights. We all dream about that next fishing trip to that special location and providing inspiration for that on our channel just feels like the right thing to do. But also expanding our Read section with great books, magazines and short stories is important to keep serving the fly fisher. But we are also looking at a photography & art section for the best fly fishing photographers & artists. That would be pretty cool, we think. Give them a global platform to show their work.
One of the advantages is that we have the streaming technology in-house and that we can use that technology for servicing our customer. A good example of that is that we are already working on updating our built-in reader for books and magazines, we think it needs the option to also show spreads instead of only single pages so you can really get the full visual experience with double page photography.
And, of course, we also have some ideas for original content. So, lots of plans and ideas and our ambition is to keep evolving and getting better at serving fly fishers around the globe with great stories, insights, and inspiration. And make Fly Fisherman’s Channel the best partner for content creators because without their creativity, dedication, and hard work there would be no stories to tell. Ultimately, we want to fuel and amplify the conservation voice to save what we have and restore what we have lost. Being fly fisherman ourselves and spending a lot of time in the outdoors this is close to our hearts, but we still need to figure out what our role as an organization is going to be.
