Search »

Outdoor Programming Possibly the New NASCAR

The media trend toward fishing and outdoor shows is “unbelievable,” Robert K. Riggsbee, founder of national media buying and planning agency Inside Media, told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Fishing shows may already be more popular that NASCAR programming.”
That statement may be outrageous, but it’s true that specialty programming on outdoor channels is a steamroller, at least in the Great Lakes region. “Saturday and Sunday morning on cable it’s all fishing and hunting shows,” Riggsbee said.

Recreational fishing has an annual economic impact of an estimated $116 billion, while the average fisherman in the Great Lakes region spends $700 annually, according to the American Sportfishing Association.

Sponsorships are a hot market, as well. Pro bass fisherman Joe Thomas said breaking even in a tournament depends on coming in around 10th place because overhead is so high: last year, travel expenses and entry fees came to $55,000.

But Thomas can make that money back by selling sponsorships for $6,000 to $20,000 each. The average pro angler has six to 15 sponsorships, he says; lucky anglers have a title sponsor who will pay $50,000 to $100,000 annually to be associated with a celebrity pro fisherman like Thomas.

Thomas has his truck and boat wrapped in vinyl for his title sponsor, the Outdoor Channel. “When I drive down the road, I’m a rolling Outdoor Channel billboard that’s traveling around the U.S. about 60,000 miles a year,” he said.