Mountaineast.tv going behind a paywall

[Columbuseer]

Folks,

Mountaineast.tv has instituted a paywall to watch any event on demand after it is aired.
I have just learned that Mountaineast.tv is going to charge $9.99 a month to watch games on demand.
To watch a game for free, one has to watch the event live. After the event is finished, it requires a subscription of be watched again.
Mountaineast.tv has just taken a step back forty years to the days of recording TV programs on VCRS!

The cost of producing the live event is a sunk cost and is free to watch. After the event, the price of video storage is so cheap, it is essentially free.
The purpose of this website is to draw views to the brand that is the mountaineast conference, and in turn, the member schools (both academically and athletically).

With the paywall, the decline in visits to the website will more than offset any revenue earned by the paywall.

IMHO, this idea seems like the myopic view of an accountant, who does not appreciate the value of website visits and views.

I would urge those who are concerned to voice their displeasure with the mountaineast conference.

You can contact the Mountain East Conference by calling (304) 924-1632, emailing [email protected], or visiting the Mountain East Conference Staff Directory for individual office emails and extensions. Their physical office is located at 207 Jefferson St, Fairmont, WV 26554.

[Topper_Hopper]

Hard to imagine that they're going to earn any meaningful amount of money from this.

[Fightingscot82]

Just please don't go emailing people whose duties have nothing to do with this decision. Its just a waste of everyone's time.

[boatcapt]

Got to get money to pay "student athletes" somehow!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Hard to imagine that they're going to earn any meaningful amount of money from this.

Not a dime.

All they'll do is lose even more fans.

[Fightingscot82]

Not a dime.

All they'll do is lose even more fans.

Parents will pay that. That's just all who are paying to watch our teams anymore.

[Ship69]

Parents will pay that. That's just all who are paying to watch our teams anymore.

They just don't seem to realize that all these $9.99 fees people charge, while seeming relatively cheap on the surface, start adding up when you start bringing in blogs, subscriptions, pay TV screening channels etc. I didn't realize how good I had it as a good growing up in the Chicago area when I could watch every home Cubs game on WGN and other sports for free. Those days are certainly long, long, gone. As you point out, few people are going to pay to watch D2 sports outside of parents and a few exceptionally dedicated fans.

[bballfan03]

This was announced back in June or so... ultimately it's to give the athletes access to high-quality video and allows the tools to clip highlights, make reels, add effects etc using Visaics software. It's also an attempt to reduce free scouting through conference video.

It's a great move for the athletes, and cheap, but they didn't consider the fans at all. Their POV is that only athletes watch replays.. ya know, not fans/parents that work different shifts and cant watch right at that time.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This was announced back in June or so... ultimately it's to give the athletes access to high-quality video and allows the tools to clip highlights, make reels, add effects etc using Visaics software. It's also an attempt to reduce free scouting through conference video.

It's a great move for the athletes, and cheap, but they didn't consider the fans at all. Their POV is that only athletes watch replays.. ya know, not fans/parents that work different shifts and cant watch right at that time.

Well, it's important our players have the ability to make good clips and film for when they all try and leave D2 behind next March.

The PSAC Network has a good archive to watch past games. We'll see how much longer it is free.

I fully realize there's a cost to 'free'.

Perhaps the theory is so few people watch anyway that they might as well cash in on the diehards.

[Ship69]

Well, it's important our players have the ability to make good clips and film for when they all try and leave D2 behind next March.

The PSAC Network has a good archive to watch past games. We'll see how much longer it is free.

I fully realize there's a cost to 'free'.

Perhaps the theory is so few people watch anyway that they might as well cash in on the diehards.

I think our PSAC network does a decent job overall and I hope it will stay a resource for all of us. Although the quality of announcers can vary widely, I think it's great to give some students experience behind the mike. Some schools have been able to bring local radio stations to the table, which is a good thing. I'm pretty sure they could find people willing to announce the games for nothing if it came to that. I've aged out now, but have done it for local youth football, etc., on occasion. The important thing is to keep resources available for the fans we actually do have.

I'm currently on my annual crusade to get a couple of our area media outlets to pay more attention to PSAC schools, but this has always failed in the past and I have no illusions that I'll succeed this year. In my email to one editor, I likened myself to Don Quixote tilting at windmills. I assume he'll understand the allusion, but maybe I'm being generous.

[Columbuseer]

This was announced back in June or so... ultimately it's to give the athletes access to high-quality video and allows the tools to clip highlights, make reels, add effects etc using Visaics software. It's also an attempt to reduce free scouting through conference video.

It's a great move for the athletes, and cheap, but they didn't consider the fans at all. Their POV is that only athletes watch replays.. ya know, not fans/parents that work different shifts and cant watch right at that time.

Thanks for posting their rationale.
however, their rationale seems flawed.
1. Why make it easier for d2 players to build a transfer tape? It should be on their dime.
2. There are many free tools to capture mec games and download them automatically to a pc. I have done it and then edited the files and added graphics. If some one is scouting for a team, $10 a month is not a barrier to access all games in a conference.
3. I wonder how advertisers will react to potential reduction of their audience.
4. I wonder if it will be a barrier to potential recruits from checking out potential teams to verify the coach’s promises in early playing time. Not that coaches would ever lie. lol

[Brandon Misener]

This was announ. It's also an attempt to reduce free scouting through conference video. a

video is traded on HUDL. WHERE Ddid you hear that?

[Brandon Misener]

Hard to imagine that they're going to earn any meaningful amount of money from this.

the MIAA made $2 million in 2025-2026. Maybe you'll be surprised.

[bballfan03]

video is traded on HUDL. WHERE Ddid you hear that?

Coaches can choose to on HUDL, but it's not all public. With the turnover in coaches, you don't have the relationships you had back in the day and not all coaches are as willing to help their competition.

[bballfan03]

https://mountaineast.org/news/2026/7...n-east-tv.aspx