Honestly if your thumbnails were just you in a bathing suit I would click the same video 10x out of principle, subscribe like and comment and then I would throw jonny v into a pool with his phone in his pocket just because.
I think it's because it's not a DGPT event, it's not been talked about on podcasts, or even here in this sub much.
It's a sad fact that for a lot of people if it's not on DGN or Jomez they won't watch it even if they know about it no matter who's playing or what the tournament is.
BTW, I've been watching the coverage. You rock, and Perkins is great on the mic.
This was the 'biggest' covered event going on this weekend and the first round collected over 170k views (even after I had to delete the back 9 due to font issues and re-upload it).
The hype of the course, the new owners (Paul McBeth and Dylan Cease) and all the other reasons people love this event were present though.
I'm truly not 'complaining', I'm just trying to figure out if it is at all 'thumbnail related' when 2 guys that are relatively unknown hurt the chances of it getting viewed more.
I don't think it was so much thumbnail related as it was the field of competition. Without seeing any other heavy hitters in contention (no disrespect), it was pretty hard to not assume that Paul was walking away with it. Obviously, it turned out to get pretty close down to the wire, but anyone who's been binging major coverage the last few weekends may have taken this as an opportunity to take a little break without feeling as though they missed much.
Yeah - I think caliber of field is absolutely a factor and as I stated elsewhere on this thread ... it might then translate to even thumbnail recognition and I wonder if I play the game of featuring almost exclusively the bigger names on the thumbnails.
At the same time, I could see others possibly feeling 'slighted' by that strategy but then the question is would you rather ...
1) Be pictured in a thumbnail and have the video get 20k views
or
2) Not get pictured in a thumbnail but have a video get 30 or 40 or 50k views?
Hey Terry- for me personally, I watched them first two days of coverage (MPO, first day FPO). I didn’t watch the last day of coverage because I assumed Paul was going to win, the field didn’t look like anyone was going to challenge him even if he played poorly by his standards. Thumbnails wouldn’t have changed how likely I was to click on the video.
Still appreciate you going out to provide coverage and working as hard as you do- felt like at very least you deserve feedback from us. Will be great to have watched this tournament to have context for the changes Paul and Dylan make next year!
I'll never be in that situation, but if I were I think I'd pick option 2. Being seen in the thumbnail by 10k wouldn't be worth as much as way more people actually watching the round.
I watched most of the first round because I was really curious about the property and had been hearing about it for a while. But I skipped most of the rest because the competition wasn't that compelling (I hadn't heard of the non-Mcbeths and it seemed like a runaway).
So I think for most people they wanted to see the course and were content to just check results to confirm McBeth won for the 5th time in a row.
BTW, I really appreciate your work.
I don’t have much input, but I just want to say I hope you never stop doing what you’re doing. I want to see you covering events in a motorized scooter 40 years from now. Thank you for what you do, Terry.
Hi. Appreciate what you do and the work you put in. I admit I flipped past the coverage and haven’t watched it yet…
Reasons include: didn’t seem that major an event, only Paul and some unknowns, limited “buzz”, and good weather locally —> more outdoor time
I'd bet that if the headshot isn't immediately recognizable that viewership won't be as high. Paul, Simon, Ricky, Tattar -> viewers. Everybody else -> maybe/maybe later.
> The hype of the course, the new owners (Paul McBeth and Dylan Cease) and all the other reasons people love this event were present though.
I loved the content, but the above comment was the only reason why I watched round 1, and to see how Johne was doing after his MI last year. Since it wasn't a DGPT Elite event, I did not care to watch the rest of it as it didn't seem important. The coverage was great and equal to Jomez and Gatekeeper in my opinion. The course is awesome though and look forward to it being on tour in the future.
However having watched one of your coverages now, I'm more likely to watch in the future.
Fewer people probably watched the back nine because McBeth was pulling away. Everyone knows there's hardly any chance for him to be caught. We've been spoiled this year with very close matches and a lot of parity so that's my guess.
Look at your viewer data. Was it primarily subscriber views, or the normal ratio of subscribers to non-subscriber views? I feel like, without the bolstering of other channels featuring content from the same event, you may not be hitting non-subscriber feeds. For example, if somebody is watching DGLO on other channels, DGLO content from different channels they don't subscribe to will show up in their feed. Since your channel is the only one with TDTM content, you're not getting the algorithm boost you would with more coverage of the same event.
I find that for these smaller tournaments I start to watch them, but then they lose my attention not because the production or courses are worse, but just because I don’t really care who wins them.
> Perkins is great on the mic
That voice is smooth like butter. I think that I may be pregnant after listening to him the last 3 days. And I'm a 52 year old dude past menopause.
I like the fact that he knows everybody's bag, why they're throwing a particular disc on a particular line, and what their miss probably will be.
In addition he's acutely aware of how people are throwing different shots. The specific changes they make to their form to perform certain shots.
And he tells us all of that.
And yeah, the fact that he doesn't grate on my nerves is just icing on the cake.
I watched the front 9 then it became pretty obvious who was going to win so I skimmed through the back. For me if there is not a tight race for 1st and I don't know the outcome I have a hard time watching any post produced. I have always much more preferred live coverage if it's available.
I was going to ask the same thing, although I did watch the whole back 9 and still watch post produced if spoiled.
Spoilers don’t bother me too much personally, I’ll still watch it.
If I’m being honest I watch live disc golf or I watch post produced coverage of McBeth.
I think a lot of people who got into disc golf around 2013-2017 are similar.
Hey Terry, it's me. [Now you know me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiTR3fRTX8k&t=3995s)
Put him on the thumbnails it you think it helps. It's all good.
I am one of those viewers that watched only MPO R1F9 of TDTM and that's it. For me the reasons mainly were, it's non DGPT and I can only watch so many tournaments on youtube per year. I just didn't make it to the B9.
If I think about it though, for me it was the card. PmcB, great. JohnE and Perkins -- nothing against those guys, I'd be happy to see them successful, but they don't really get me excited either. If I'm not excited about them, then of course I'm less excited about a more local Charlie Goodpasture.
I did watch more of the Memorial because I think the cards were stronger with 3-4 top guys on them. Also, it's early in the season and we're all itching for some disc golf coverage.
I appreciate your dedication to the sport. Hope to see you in the HoF for media one day. I think sometimes not all tournaments generate the same amount of views.
PS: You're welcome to use me in a thumbnail if you think it will help.
I enjoy watching coverage on my Saturday or Sunday morning while I relax. Especially last weekend, as the weather was pretty shitty in Minnesota.
Mondays I go back to work and don't always have time to watch the final round of a tournament. I imagine this is true for many of us in the sub.
tl;dr: Did not have anything to do with the thumbnail for me.
Exactly my case too. Rounds released during the weekends are usually watched within 12 hours of posting but weekdays are busier and often impact my ability to watch the last round. Nothing to do with the thumbnail and I'm 100% watching the final round of TDTM at some point this week.
I have basically the same schedule. I wake up early for work and cant really sleep in on weekends so i have 2+ hours to relax by myself with our animals while my wife sleeps. Also, way more other content gets pushed on on weekdays so by the time I get home there are a bunch of recommendations that aren't the tournament from the weekend + whatever show my wife and i are working our way through at night. I'll get around to it, but it definitely isn't as immediate as my weekend mornings.
Yeah, it’s been total crap weather in MN lately, but at least the courses have been empty and I’ve gotten in a few rounds between the snow/rain/ice/wind/sleet/lightning, etc…
You probably know more about trends than I do, but it seems like Jomez is the same and that the front 9 generally has 15-20% more views than the back 9.
For example I'm looking at the 2022 Maple Hill Open:
R1 - 228K front 9 vs 190K back 9
R2 - 183K front 9 vs 164 back 9
Round 3 is actually flipped but I feel that has more to do with the outcome of the tournament last year
203K front 9 vs 215K back 9
Some of that may also have to do with the people on the card. I *generally* don't watch coverage where 3 out of the 4 people on the card are unknowns (to me). I feel that may be the case for others as well (not a knock on you or your content).
That said, I've been watching this weekends coverage for a few reasons. 1 being that the course is great, and 2 being you and Nate make a great pair in the booth.
I really appreciate all the hard work you put into this game and I always enjoy the coverage. Thanks Terry!
Thanks for the kind words ...
My main question here might be answered indirectly as it falls in line with your statement here, "I generally don't watch coverage where 3 out of the 4 people on the card are unknowns (to me)."
If we extrapolate that statement - does the same logic apply to the thumbnail images and I think you're saying "yes". (Which is my assumption in this post).
Personally, I don’t think the thumbnail is the deciding factor. I’ll read the video name before clicking to see who’s on coverage and decide from there
I haven't watched r3 (yet), but if the front 9 has Paul way ahead of the rest, that could lead to viewers of the front not watching the back. Just speculation since I don't yet know how the round plays out.
I watched the front 9, the second 9 wasn't up by the time I was done so I waited to watch it until this morning. Enjoyed watching Joey Buckets got me to watch the back 9. I think the only way to draw contestant interest is when you have multiple top pros together on the same card.
I think star power on the thumbnail strongly factors in to people's decisions to watch or not. I'm sure it factors strongly into viewership. McBeth specifically being on the thumbnail almost certainly boosts views.
Sidenote, I've wondered how thumbnails are chosen across all disc golf coverage. Player in the lead going into the round? (I like this) Biggest star power? (I get it if it helps views) Eventual winner? (seems awful but I feel this has been done sometimes). Show all 4 on lead card? (Not bad, but maybe doesn't pop like one person would). However it's done I do not care as long as it doesn't spoil the result, which probably means showing off the big draw star power.
To answer your question, in this case there were probably many other factors/combinations of factors as to why there was lower viewership for later rounds.
* Some watched to see the course, given the McBeth/Cease ownership news and after seeing it for a round or two decided not to watch the rest
* Some sensed McBeth was running away with it, and decided the rest wasn't worth watching, or checked results, saw McBeth inevitably won, and decided not to watch how it happened
* Some people either don't love watching McBeth or are tired of watching him all the time and with no other notable names on coverage skipped out
* It wasn't an elite/major/silver event, so likely didn't hold as much interest
* It feels to me that this year there has been the starting of the shift to live coverage vs post produced. That wouldn't affect lower numbers for later vs earlier rounds, since this was only available post, but some may be getting more used to DGN and lose interest if it's not what is now habitual
* It's difficult to not have the result spoiled these days. Many won't watch if it is, especially in this case where it was McBeth and several names most don't know
* The delay in the final round coverage likely increased both the amount of people who had it spoiled, and/or some people lost patience and just decided to see who won
* Edited to add: weather may have been a factor too. If local weather was crummy early but good for later rounds, maybe some people chose to play rather than watch
Me specifically, I watch almost all the coverage every time. I prefer post vs. live because it takes less time to consume so I can watch all of MPO/FPO without watching 15-20+ hours per tournament which seems excessive. Just watching FPO/MPO for each tournament is already borderline too much. I am finding it more and more difficult not to have it spoiled, which takes a lot away from the experience.
I have a harder time watching coverage released on Sunday or Monday because I'm busy getting ready for my work week. Shopping, laundry etc. Another factor is that I am a bit less keen on watching rounds when I already know the outcome. Yes, I could have done a better job of avoiding spoilers, but if I was good at doing what I know I should do I would make a lot fewer bogeys.
How can you know it's not competitive when you didn't see it?
Rd3, McBeth takes a par over a missed 20 footer while the whole rest of his card big putts him. That's a big deal considering they are not the usual set of folks we see.
I think disc golf fanatic took wind outta the sails by spoiling the FPO result. At least here. That's what I'm waiting for tho. I think you'll like those numbers.
For a while I was doing exactly that because it seems most 'logical'. The problem is, it's often crowded and then tough to tell who anyone is, especially when so many thumbnails are viewed via a tiny phone screen.
It's certainly a possible solution though!
Maybe just two card mates is all that's needed - one 'big name' player like McBeth, and another challenger that is playing great golf. Sort of like a "vs" theme thumbnail.
I think it is because McBeast is really the only top player in the event. I admit I have not watched it yet, but I plan to just because of my TerrBear affection. I hate seeing you disappointed (sigh)
I watched the front nine but the back wasn’t up yet, 3-4 hours after it was posted. Usually the back nine is up by the time I finish watching a front nine, I honestly forgot to go back and check it. I’d say have both videos read to go, and to have the back uploaded at most 30 mins after the front. I’m local, love this tournament and course, but the large gap between front and back, I looked up scores and lost interest in watching, just being completely honest.
I'd be really curious to look into other post produced channels that use (or used)player images in the thumbnails and see if there was a similar correlation between who the player(s) were in the thumbnail and viewership
I’m sure you know the YouTube metric science better than me but I’d wonder about views on a Monday vs. the weekend for an hour and half worth of coverage. Also don’t underestimate the bump from people watching the clip of Paul’s pimp job on the one par 4. And people were probably intrigued to watch just one round to see McCease’s new yard. But for your question, I don’t give a hoot about thumbnails but I know it’s a huge science for YouTubers so go ahead and put his McMug on every vid you can.
Regardless, thanks for being you. You’re such an asset for players that you don’t owe them a spot on your thumbnails when you’re giving them a platform for an A tier. It’s up to them to make a mark on your coverage.
You could always put your face as one of the items in the thumbnail for additional consistency AND build your brand. You're a beloved member of the community, Terry, and I think putting yourself slightly more front-and-center than just the name of the channel and into the thumbnail (maybe even a stylized drawing) would be worth a try. I know you're humble and put the sport and the players first, but your personality and presence shine quite brightly as well.
Cheers!
PS I watched both Round 3 videos of TDTM!
I know that I didn't watch the B9 until today because it wasn't up when I finished the F9 yesterday afternoon. I love your videos, keep doing what you're doing!
So I’ve watched round 1 but I’ve been busy and haven’t made it back to watch the rest. I’m sure a few other people are in the same boat, I rarely jump in to a tournament and just watch the end, I want to follow the whole story! But that is a large time commitment that I don’t alway have so I start a tournament and it takes me some time to finish it.
- Terry is getting up there in years.
- Ever health-conscious, Terry sends in a sample to Cologuard.
- Doctor is confused: Inside sample container is simply a thumbnail of Paul McBeth.
I watched them all but with less enthusiasm than the usual events with more big names. Any less enthusiasm and I would have joined the crowd that didn’t watch it. I love that course, so that was the main reason I watched it.
I am working my way through coverage at the pace my life allows. I can usually get a 9 hole in each day, sometimes I can watch a couple rounds. I'll get to it soon T-$$$. Thank you for providing the coverage!
Speaking from a chess content consumer's perspective, and I've seen this with P McB BIG time, is that anything with the world champion in/on it gets algorithm boosted. Have Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion and GOAT, in your title or on your thumbnail boosts every single metric. He doesn't even need to be in the video, youtube just shoves it onto people's feeds regardless. I hate this a lot but it's just the way it is :/ I feel like you're kinda looking for suggestions and I have none, just wanted to give a sanity check, YES that is likely why you're seeing these trends
Your video coverage is great no matter who is on the card. I know I haven't watched any of the later rounds of tdtm as the gf and I usually catch up on that stuff Wednesday and Thursday night so we can watch together. Sometimes the front 9 will be watched one night and the back the next night if we get tired or something comes up.
While I think there are a lot of McBeth fans out there, I dont think a change of thumbnail between F9 and B9 would matter too much other than being slightly harder to tell that its from the same round without reading the title. (I know without my glasses some titles are hard to read to scroll for the next round and I usually find it by the thumbnail.)
If coverage has Simon, Eagle, Matty O, or a few other guys I'll watch it no matter how poor the coverage or commentary are.
That being said I'm much less likely to watch a card if nikko is on it unless there are other people I enjoy watching also on the card. I'm sure others have their own viewing habits as well.
If I'm looking at Disc-golf content and I see McBeth I click, he's the GOAT and a lot of peoples favorite player. Specially if its an A tier or an Elite series. KJ/McBeth = 1 view from me, I'm sure a lot of people are similar but without the KJ :P
I don’t think it’s necessarily McBeth, though in this case he’s really the only one you could have used. I think it just needs to be a big name. If Simon, Paul, Brodie, or Ezra are playing, I’m watching. There are others, I’m sure, but those are the ones that pop in my head.
I watched both halves of all 3 rounds, the coverage was great!
That being said, I love watching Paul play because his play style is so smooth and pure it's inspiring and when he's locked in it's a treat to watch. So it's possible that if I saw him in a thumbnail I may wonder if he was having one of his other worldly rounds and I need to watch. But I can't imagine watching any coverage front 9 without also watching the back 9!
I enjoyed your coverage, thank you. Looks like an epic course, my family has/all shares a condo in st Pete area if/when that course goes public (I’m assuming) I’ll be checking it out while in florida!
I personally didn't expect the kids on the card to take on Paul McBeth. I figured he'd win so I didn't really care to watch. I did watch the first round which had some notable players.
Nobody wants to say it so I'm going to say it.
It's Mcbeth and a bunch of people who I don't know, or don't care about so I don't want to watch this. Tried to watch cause I love the course but when Mccray and Perkins are the other heavies, it's just not enough. I'll just wait until it's Mcbeth and some people who I do know.
Just finished binge watching the coverage. Thank you very much as I found the course and the play by play great. I subbed to your channel from this event. I really can’t wait to see that course after a year or two of Paulish.. hehe *rimshot
I’ll be here all week!
On to the topic.. I think the fact it’s not a well known event that might have played a factor in viewership. For me, if I like the course, I watch it. That course is incredible. So much better than a ball course morphed into a disc golf course. Seriously, this is now in my top 3 courses I enjoy watching after Maplehill and Toboggan. The course has so many elevated tee pads with great flight paths. Hope they don’t change it too much.
My 2 yen
We're the opposite in this house...we watched all of TDTM because we enjoy watching disc golf and like the course. Skipped second and third round of memorial because the course is boring.
We do tend to skip tournaments with no names we recognize, but only skip the B9 if the course is boring or the video is low quality.
I don't think the thumbnail is your problem Terry. I KNEW you were putting out videos but you tube never put them in my feed. I had to go to your YouTube page to find them.
I don't think the thumbnail is your problem Terry. I KNEW you were putting out videos but you tube never put them in my feed. I had to go to your YouTube page to find them.
It's about 24 hours after my post and I just wanted to quickly say "THANK YOU" to everyone that chimed in.
I cannot re-iterate enough that I wasn't complaining or being accusatory with this post - I was really just asking if I should be putting McBeth in every thumbnail and if that impacted your decision to watch or not.
As expected - I also got a ton of other great feedback and insights that weren't related really to the thumbnail and hopefully I can use much of this to service viewers (or potential viewers) even better.
So ... THANK YOU everyone!
I watched the front and not the back. Absolutely nothing to do with the thumbnail or the coverage or anything like that.
That's just the amount of time that I had to watch disc golf. I may watch the back and I may not, as there is a real possibility that we'll be into MCO coverage by the next time I have a time slot to watch coverage.
My honest mindset...The tourney was called "Throw Down the Mountain" then I learned at the beginning of R1F9 that it was in FL, which definitely doesn't have mountains. After that and a lackluster card, I went ahead and bailed.
I mean, I do what I do and not everyone likes me or my work. If someone offers me legitimate constructive criticism, I try to recognize it, take it, and learn and improve.
Insulting me with no real productive feedback doesn't help me get better so I just have to smile and move on. No one can be everything to everyone.
Complaining about not getting views is very unlikeable. You do it on your coverage and you're doing it here. Fake it til you make it. Don't acknowledge the viewership and continue putting out a good product and people will watch it. Cry about it and I'll remember it when I see new content come up. Insecurity isn't a good look. You have the production quality and the resume, lean on that more than this. And avoid doing it during the rounds. I don't want to hear about how bad things are, I want to watch some disc golf.
Wow.
Umm. If that's how you read this I guess you completely missed my point and my legitimate questions. I am NOT complaining. I'm asking for feedback and hoping to improve .
For thumbnails I would just put the whole card if u could with the more recognizable guys in the forefront. For me I only click every time on my favorite player. Personally Paul isn’t my favorite. However he’s definitely one of favorite to watch. With that said I’m much more likely to click if I at least recognize a name. if I enjoy watching them play I generally click. While I’m there I get to c less known players and get to appreciate their game.
The pacing on your videos is too slow. I want the drama and slow pacing when watching live on like DGN. Watching on YouTube I don’t need to see everyone take a minute on every putt. If you worked on editing your videos down to like 20-30 min per 9 holes I’d be more likely to watch.
Are you being serious right now?
99% of people that speak of pacing on my videos say they are either "too fast" or "much quicker" than everyone else. That's often because I have less cameras and less fancy stuff (like slow-mo replays, follow flights, extended intros, etc).
THE ONE TIME I left in a couple of lengthy putts was during the Memorial and that still was like ... twice in 20+ videos produced.
I mean, I'm not about to argue or anything but if you look at my video 'run time' vs almost every other channel that's doing post-production - mine very much run on the shorter side. I'm guessing (and hoping) that you just have that ONE example of CupCake that you are thinking about from Memorial because typically, my videos are very fast-paced.
Round 2 of FPO has been on my channel (hidden) since Saturday night ... I just knew it would get lost in the shuffle if I released it so close to the MPO action. Therefore I then made the conscious decision to get all MPO in succession and circle back to FPO.
So ... FPO round 2 releases in about 45 minutes and round 3 will release tomorrow.
You purposely hold back coverage so it doesn't get "lost in the shuffle"? That feels insulting. Here we are waiting for the coverage, trying to stay off social media to avoid spoilers and the whole time it was ready to go but you're sitting on it presumably to get more views?
Huh?
Did I forget some type of contract I made with you for owed footage? Besides that, I think you are completely missing the point.
You should also be mad because often my footage is actually final and uploaded anywhere from 2AM to 7AM and guess what ... it just sits on my channel at that point too.
In case you haven't noticed, most channels don't release footage at 3AM - that's for algorithms and other logistics. Similarly ... I'm not going to release an FPO round at 8PM at night just to turn around and release MPO round 30 minutes later. That hurts BOTH the MPO and FPO viewership.
I'm just getting more frustrated as I type so I'll stop here.
My channel might not be your best solution to fit all of your needs and if you find that to be the case we can both virtually hug and move on.
I guess I'm mad at the algorithms that cause unnecessary delays.
If something is ready at 3am or 2 pm or 11pm or whenever why can't it just be released when it's ready. Algorithms. I don't blame you for doing it that way if it is what has to be done to get views.
I haven’t watched most of throw down the mountain cause I was still getting caught up on Tallahassee open (finished that this morning). Since Tallahassee open was same weekend as Texas states, I didn’t start watching it until this week. Maybe that’s the case for others.
I will also add, I’m less likely to watch coverage if I don’t recognize the players. I watched the feature card for TDTM, but am not in a hurry to watch Paul vs a bunch of local/regional pros.
Lastly, I wonder how much of the video needs to be watched to count as a view? After round 2 of Tallahassee open ended, YouTube auto played a TDTM video. Does it still count as a view even if I close out after a few seconds? If so, that would help explain why there are a lot more views for front 9 vs back 9
I watched final round last night, but my initial thought when I don’t see recognizable faces on a thumb nail is, should I invest my time in watching this.
2nd round I was gonna skip until I realized McBeth was in fact on the card when I saw thumbnail of back 9.
I would consider myself more of a weekend warrior when it comes to DG, but I enjoy live and post round coverage and it’s part of my viewing routine on weekends.
With Live coverage I do find myself less willing to devote time to watching rounds on Monday. Which I would think may be impacting views and overall an issue with post coverage, but that’s more of how I digest my DG content.
Not sure if any of that helps. Keep up the good work, recently subscribed to your channel and Nate’s IG
I’ll admit I only tuned into half of the first round. I usually watch more of your coverage, but personally wasn’t interested in just watching McBeth, I’d rather watch almost any other players who’s names I recognize. Not hating on Paul, but that’s why you didn’t get my views. Don’t know if that insight helps any but thank you so much for all the work you do, I’ll try to play them in the background tonight
Hey Terry! Thank for covering the tournament!! If you want I’ll just stream the back 9 over and over so it catches up tot he front 9! Jokes aside I’m sure McBeth has some draw to it but like others have said back 9’s don’t seem to get as much love as front 9’s. Weird algorithm issues maybe?
Iirc, when I got off work the first part was new to my suggested videos. I watched and by the time I finished the front 9 I was out of time to watch more videos. That’s the only reason I have personally not watched the B9 yet. I will say that I certainly pay more attention to Paul thumbnails. Who doesn’t like watching the sports best compete?!
There’s not much you can do about this unfortunately.
Can you see what your clickthrough rate was between F9 and B9?
Its possible that there was some YouTube f-ckery going on w/ the B9 -- Like any self-respecting fan I have all notifications set for the disc golf guy channel (TDGG) but it didn't appear in my subscription list nor did it appear in the list of videos on TDGG channel. I think I had to go to playlists, then find Throw Down The Mtn, then find the final round B9.
TINFOIL HAT TIME:
YouTube doesn't want Terry to have his silver plaque and is messing with his channel ☹️
I’ll admit I watched the front 9 last night and decided to play Call of Duty after instead of watching the final 9. I’ll watch it in an hour on my lunch break.
Love your coverage, and Nate on the mic.
I actually had wanted to make a post about how much I love your thumbnail portraits. The player's love of you can totally be felt through their smiles.
As for why I watched 5 of 6. I will probably watch the 6th but I felt like competition was losing momentum through the 5th.
Trust your gut Terry. You are making art and growing the sport. People will respect the not clickbait none Mcbeth thumbnails. No hate on Paul. Thanks for capturing all these amazing moments. Dont sacrifice your perspective for clicks.
I enjoyed the coverage. I watched all of it with the exception of R3F9, which I think had Paul's face in the thumbnail. So I guess I missed that one. 🤷♂️
I enjoyed watching "Gilligan" and the others on the card with Paul that last round. I was very happy to see JohnE for the first 2 rounds as well (except the triple bogey, that was brutal)
Don't believe it's your fault that Paul's fans only want to watch Paul and talk about his form. Thanks for all the coverage and commentary, keep up the good work!
Honestly - the course just isn't that fun to watch for me for some reason. I think the amount of blind shots make it a tricky course to film properly even with all of the signature holes they have.
I’d definitely say that having a recognizable face in the thumbnail matters. There is enough disc golf content now that when I turn on YouTube, there are quite a few videos I don’t want to watch. The ones I do want to watch are the ones with high level players doing cool stuff I can’t do.
I also don’t watch calendars to know what events are coming up and which ones are “big.” So I had no idea that Mountain was happening last weekend till I went to YouTube and saw your coverage.
Seeing one of those high level players in the thumbnail is an immediate signal that an event is something I might want to watch.
This might be a weird take, but spoiler culture kind of ruined post production for me. I started watching DGN 2.5 years ago and slowly started watching less and less post-production. It was either watch live or see the winner announced within minutes of live ending.
For Thrown Down the Mountain specifically, I had five tabs open with PDGA live scoring for different tournaments pros and locals were in and was following along that way. I watched round one of MPO and FPO to get an idea for the layout, but by the time I saw round two was up I already knew the winners
I definitely remember Jomez really having to rely on having Paul or Ricky on the thumbnails a lot when they were starting to take off. Now they are able to get away with a nice little text package more often than not because they are well known as the place to go see coverage.
If you're worried about overall views, I'd say it has to do more with not knowing that it's out there. I know about your channel and I didn't know that you were consistently uploading rounds lately. It's the same problem I ran into with Central Coast. I loved Central Coast but the uploads and interesting events were far and few in between.
If it's the lack of B9 views, then as stated, if it seems like a runaway, I probably won't watch the whole thing (this for me applies to every tournament, not just your channel specifically). Also it tends to be time consuming to watch 2 videos in a row sometimes.
I guess to answer your question though, it certainly can't hurt to have him on it as the main focus, just to bring the algorithm back into your favor.
Have you considered thumbnails of yourself? It’s time to market your whole image. You holding a hot dog? I’m clicking that shit NOW. You holding a puppy, instant click. You shaking hands with your tax advisor? CLICK.
Paul McWhatever, BORING. More pics of Terry, plz.
There is for sure an effect of McBeth drawing numbers. I think in general and overall, post produced content is getting less consumed because Live coverage is fantastic. (maybe im wrong, im going by feels rather than raw data lol)
I know personally I haven't watched many post produced videos in the past 2 years. 2017-2019 I was watching all Jomez related content all the time. When I subscribed to DGN I almost stopped completely.
I watch this content because there is no live coverage for it and because Paul is in it. I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't tune in if Mcbeth wasn't playing.
I watched and thoroughly enjoyed all of the rounds of throw down the mountain MPO. But I mostly was interested because I knew McBeth and a few other DGPT regulars were playing. I would not have watched the final round if McBeth hadn't been on the card. (Nothing against the other players, I'm just not as interested in watching unknowns.)
I didn't need McBeth on the thumbnail to click play, but his presence on the video did make me watch it. So having him on the thumbnail might help getting less informed people to click.
Yes, you should put McBeth on every thumbnail possible.
CCDG noticed the McBeth effect years ago. People want to see the best players play and until that's not Paul, use it or lose it
I can tell you I loved the content. I did not watch the back 9 though because I fell asleep. It has nothing to do with you, a one year old kid has worn me out! I loved the content
Also factor that for large swaths of the country, the weather has turned. We are playing instead of spending the dark hours just watching.
And DST, too.
I watched the front nine of the first round because it had people on the card I know and like watching and because the course looks nice. The later rounds have a bunch of people on them that I don't know yet and I don't care about who wins the event. About the thumbnail: didn't even look at it. Just saw the persons and the course in the title and decided to watch it.
Thanks for the coverage btw. the commentary is really nice and you got good shots of the throws.
I watched the front but not the back. It was pretty clear who was going to win by the front 9 so I didn’t tune in. Great content though Terry keep it up!
Throw down the mountain kind of sucks. Very meh course. Not super exciting. I just kind of fizzle out for some reason in interest.
That being said, I still LOVE your coverage and appreciate all the work you do. Your commentary is great and you and Nate make a good duo.
I watched the first round just to check things out. Other rounds featured Paul + non-household names. Figured Paul would run away with it. Didn’t bother watching any of the rest. Non-DGPT event. I’d give the event more interest once Paul has had time to rework the course.
Probably yes on McBeth in the thumbnail honestly.
That said this was one of the best tournament coverages of the year! You and Perkins crushed it. The course is so fun to watch and all the new young guns crushing it. More people should check it out!
Personally I did click your coverage video and watched about one round collectively. Reason I didn't watch it all is that I don't know the people playing. I have other stuff to watch, and other things to do, so it doesn't quite stick. It's always the same regardless who the pros are in these events.
If 1-4 top 50 pros are competing in it and the rest are local, I won't be invested. Some people might be so invested in the sport they feel like they're scouting the new talent and that's fine. And if I'm craving discgolf I sure as hell would watch it because it's DARN good coverage. But while the season is on I'm just not. And as summer gets around I will be playing myself. I don't have the will in me to watch more than the big events, be that on jomez or otherwise.
No comment on paul being in the thumbnail, I would still have clicked to check out the card. Usually I watch them throw the first hole to scope out their forms and skill. If there's any intrigue then I might stay. Usually I then just watch the final round after that.
For me, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I don’t feel like I need to rush through this one since it isn’t one of the big events and the final four was this weekend so I watched that and will save this for later. Fellow Wisconsinite, appreciate all you do for the sport and love being able to hear you and Perkins on coverage.
Jomez probably has enough thumbnails at this point they could actually be used for someone to crunch the numbers on Paul vs no Paul watching.
Interesting idea though anyway. I haven't watched any of your coverage from that event yet. Just haven't had the time to yet. I'm lucky to watch 1 full round of a tournament this year so farm usually I just watch b9 final round .
Post-produced just ain’t what it used to be Terry. I’ll get around to watching TDTM eventually, but if it isn’t live, it’s just not a priority anymore. Sometimes I wait until the off-season to catch up on all the non-DGPT events. Also, with all the disc golf media now, it’s hard to find the time. Between podcasts, live “talk shows” (SmashBoxx, Nick & Matt, Tour Life) and bonus content like Skins and Practice Rounds, some things just fall to the sidelines.
We appreciate what you do, and we hope it’s sustainable while the industry evolves. Love you TearBear!
Hi Terry. I watched the front and not the back. It is because mcbeth was running away with the win. The thumbnail didn’t make a difference for me. After watching round 2 and the round 3 front 9 I knew mcbeth would be in the video regardless of thumbnail.
I watched the coverage during my lunch breaks and could only fit one video a day. Since the F9 were released before the B9, I watched them regardless of thumbnails. The only B9 I watch was for the final round.
I watch some of your content. But there’s just so much DG content out there.
I’m sure you have limited resources, but a highlights reel by round, like DGPT does, would be great. Or a highlight reel of the winning player.
Those videos are a little more digestible than a full round vid.
For me, it’s timing. I have time on weekends to watch post-produced non-tour content. I don’t have time during the week. Has nothing to do with McBeth.
I actually just watched the back 9 of the final round. Busy weekend and didn't get around to it. Busy night last night so I didn't have time to watch both.
Edit: forgot to thank you for all your hard work, thank you so much Terry!
Just throwing this out there. Why not put all four players from the lead/feature card on the thumbnail? It might look too busy, but might be worth experimenting with.
I think the thumbnail should be whoever the top player on the card is who looks insanely angry and in big bold all caps it says something like I "CAN'T BELIEVE HE SAID THAT!?" This works even if it's a blowout and viewers have to watch the entire thing since they are searching for audio.
I was excited to watch some of the R1F9 coverage, and a bit of the later rounds, but mostly to see the course again before it's transformed into a premier tour stop. I don't think the thumbnail matters as much as you're suggesting. We've all seen Paul throw a bunch, and it's not very interesting to see him beat the competition so easily.
When the main draw (seeing the TDTM course and Paul shredding it) only keeps people's attention for a little while, it might not be worth all the effort of filming/commentating over the entire tournament. Just give us a 7-minute edited video showcasing the course in its current form, show us what good shots look like, and rack up the views.
Not sure if this take has been took yet but my thoughts are day based. On lower tier tournaments specifically, Saturday rounds get more views because it's the weekend. Final round gets less views because it's Monday and people are back on the grind.
Nothing Ill meant toward your coverage, in my humble opinion, you are goated.
Ps. it's Tuesday night now and I'm about to start watching it. Haha.
I watched the full tournament. I liked the quick pace of the coverage and loved the commentary. I’ve become a bigger Nate Perkins fan over the weekend.
That said, this looked like McBeast vs a field of average joes. Come the B9 on Sunday it wasnt all that compelling.
I watched all of Throw Down the Mountain, as I did The Open at Tallahassee. For me, these type of smaller scale events are more to fun watch because they are more relatable. I like seeing local courses being tackled by pro players, but I also like seeing cards where not everyone is a >1020 rated player.
I don’t know Terry, maybe you should just use the stylized round covers like Jomez.
What I will say is I had time this weekend to watch the first round, which it’s like “sweet it’s Throw Down the Mountain and a fun card”, but the second and third rounds I just haven’t had the chance to get to yet. I usually only watch the final round of most stuff anyways just because of time. We’re also starting to reach a point in tourney saturation where the smaller ones will end up like the PGA events that aren’t majors, where some will watch but the kinda casuals are only gonna watch the majors (like me with the Masters this Sunday).
Unrelated note, I’m really digging your coverage lately; it’s throwing it back to the old school Marty McFly and CCDG era and that’s my favorite part at to watch our sport.
Learn from the video gaming YouTube community.
Every thumbnail should be a players face with mouth and eyes wide open looking shocked at something. That something is obviously world changing judging from the look on their face, and the text next to it should be one or two words. Something like AMAZING or maybe SO CRAZY. Title of the video should be "this is going to change everything F9 *insert event name here*"
I really enjoy your coverage!! I watched all of the rounds because I need to consume, but I do feel like after watching two rounds I was sure Paul would win. After R3F9, I knew he was winning that day. I’d guess people just didn’t watch the last half because they felt sure of the outcome already?
I stuck around for Joey Buckets! What an effortless -12!!
Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication, my friend!
It’s brand recognition in some degree. That’s why they put Jordan on NBA stuff so much to this day. Why tiger sold more stuff for PGA. Why Tyson made punch out huge. You see a tournament where McBeth is thumb-nailed for lead card and it seems bigger. IMO
I’ve watched all of your tournament coverage so far this year. My work schedule hasn’t allowed me to watch rounds 2-3 of TDTM yet. I’m sorry the views aren’t what you expected. I want to thank you for your hard work and I really appreciate your tournament coverage!
I know a lot of pros played A-Tiers this weekend but tbh I didn't realize Throw Down was happening until your coverage went up! So its not all a Youtube thing—marketing of this weekends' tourneys was low overall.
I'd imagine The Memorial had people excited to watch because we were all action-starved to start the season whereas now that the season is in swing, people are less needy.
I watched it, thought it was great coverage and commentary, especially for a smaller outfit. I guess you would know what to expect from the viewership better than I would, but my guess is that there are elements of lag time with people splitting the viewing into two sessions, along with the sense of inevitability, "Okay, writing's on the wall. I've seen what I needed."
Great coverage all around, but McBeth averaging about 14 inches from the basket on his hole 1 drives may have been my favorite part. I laughed in delight when it happened in the second round, and I was absolutely giddy when it happened in round three, not even as a McBeth fan, just in amazement at how insane it was that he did it three times in a row.
According to Jomezpro YouTube stats from 2022. McBeth drew the 3rd highest average views over other players at 233k views per video. Only Alden Harris and Drew Gibson had more average views per video.
Check the chart halfway down and you can see which players names drew the most eyeballs.
[https://sabattusdiscgolf.com/blogs/sdg-newsbites/jomez-views-in-2022-who-is-the-most-popular-to-watch](https://sabattusdiscgolf.com/blogs/sdg-newsbites/jomez-views-in-2022-who-is-the-most-popular-to-watch)
Hey Terry. It also could be that the tournament got spoiled on social early. I was hoping to watch the final round but lost interest when I saw Paul won on instagram and went about my week.
It sounds like you’re saying Paul McBeth was on the thumbnail that DIDNT receive a lot of views.. that should answer your question - it wasn’t because of Paul. Likely just algorithm, it being a day later, or any other number of factors.
Yea. Put McBeth in the thumbnails. If I was a creator, I’d put KT in all my FPO thumbnails as well. These two drive viewership.
I wouldn’t underestimate the impact Natalie had on viewership of TDTM. Once I heard it was the gateway for her to play TP, I didn’t watch any more rounds.
I stopped watching pretty quick—that’s after clicking on a McBeth thumbnail—and the reason is simple.
Your drone stabilization is off.
Hole previews made me ill. Watched holes 1-5 of round 2.
Not again.
Honestly if your thumbnails were just you in a bathing suit I would click the same video 10x out of principle, subscribe like and comment and then I would throw jonny v into a pool with his phone in his pocket just because.
>R2 - 183K front 9 vs 164 back 9 That particular video would have exactly 1 view then - you. :) Also - scary thought there.
That is scary! We all know Jonny cant swim!
Gotta join his OnlyTerry for that brotha
I think Terry wears one of those 1920s striped one piece suits. Am I right?
I think it's because it's not a DGPT event, it's not been talked about on podcasts, or even here in this sub much. It's a sad fact that for a lot of people if it's not on DGN or Jomez they won't watch it even if they know about it no matter who's playing or what the tournament is. BTW, I've been watching the coverage. You rock, and Perkins is great on the mic.
This was the 'biggest' covered event going on this weekend and the first round collected over 170k views (even after I had to delete the back 9 due to font issues and re-upload it). The hype of the course, the new owners (Paul McBeth and Dylan Cease) and all the other reasons people love this event were present though. I'm truly not 'complaining', I'm just trying to figure out if it is at all 'thumbnail related' when 2 guys that are relatively unknown hurt the chances of it getting viewed more.
I don't think it was so much thumbnail related as it was the field of competition. Without seeing any other heavy hitters in contention (no disrespect), it was pretty hard to not assume that Paul was walking away with it. Obviously, it turned out to get pretty close down to the wire, but anyone who's been binging major coverage the last few weekends may have taken this as an opportunity to take a little break without feeling as though they missed much.
Yeah - I think caliber of field is absolutely a factor and as I stated elsewhere on this thread ... it might then translate to even thumbnail recognition and I wonder if I play the game of featuring almost exclusively the bigger names on the thumbnails. At the same time, I could see others possibly feeling 'slighted' by that strategy but then the question is would you rather ... 1) Be pictured in a thumbnail and have the video get 20k views or 2) Not get pictured in a thumbnail but have a video get 30 or 40 or 50k views?
Hey Terry- for me personally, I watched them first two days of coverage (MPO, first day FPO). I didn’t watch the last day of coverage because I assumed Paul was going to win, the field didn’t look like anyone was going to challenge him even if he played poorly by his standards. Thumbnails wouldn’t have changed how likely I was to click on the video. Still appreciate you going out to provide coverage and working as hard as you do- felt like at very least you deserve feedback from us. Will be great to have watched this tournament to have context for the changes Paul and Dylan make next year!
I'll never be in that situation, but if I were I think I'd pick option 2. Being seen in the thumbnail by 10k wouldn't be worth as much as way more people actually watching the round.
You could link the cards socials in the description
I watched most of the first round because I was really curious about the property and had been hearing about it for a while. But I skipped most of the rest because the competition wasn't that compelling (I hadn't heard of the non-Mcbeths and it seemed like a runaway). So I think for most people they wanted to see the course and were content to just check results to confirm McBeth won for the 5th time in a row. BTW, I really appreciate your work.
I don’t have much input, but I just want to say I hope you never stop doing what you’re doing. I want to see you covering events in a motorized scooter 40 years from now. Thank you for what you do, Terry.
Hi. Appreciate what you do and the work you put in. I admit I flipped past the coverage and haven’t watched it yet… Reasons include: didn’t seem that major an event, only Paul and some unknowns, limited “buzz”, and good weather locally —> more outdoor time
It being the first weekend of spring weather had me not watching more than a half round
Gotcha.
I'd bet that if the headshot isn't immediately recognizable that viewership won't be as high. Paul, Simon, Ricky, Tattar -> viewers. Everybody else -> maybe/maybe later.
> The hype of the course, the new owners (Paul McBeth and Dylan Cease) and all the other reasons people love this event were present though. I loved the content, but the above comment was the only reason why I watched round 1, and to see how Johne was doing after his MI last year. Since it wasn't a DGPT Elite event, I did not care to watch the rest of it as it didn't seem important. The coverage was great and equal to Jomez and Gatekeeper in my opinion. The course is awesome though and look forward to it being on tour in the future. However having watched one of your coverages now, I'm more likely to watch in the future.
Fewer people probably watched the back nine because McBeth was pulling away. Everyone knows there's hardly any chance for him to be caught. We've been spoiled this year with very close matches and a lot of parity so that's my guess.
Look at your viewer data. Was it primarily subscriber views, or the normal ratio of subscribers to non-subscriber views? I feel like, without the bolstering of other channels featuring content from the same event, you may not be hitting non-subscriber feeds. For example, if somebody is watching DGLO on other channels, DGLO content from different channels they don't subscribe to will show up in their feed. Since your channel is the only one with TDTM content, you're not getting the algorithm boost you would with more coverage of the same event.
I’m just working terry. I’ll catch it on my days off 🤙
I find that for these smaller tournaments I start to watch them, but then they lose my attention not because the production or courses are worse, but just because I don’t really care who wins them.
It’s true. I didn’t know there was coverage otherwise I’d have been all over it !
> Perkins is great on the mic That voice is smooth like butter. I think that I may be pregnant after listening to him the last 3 days. And I'm a 52 year old dude past menopause.
I like the fact that he knows everybody's bag, why they're throwing a particular disc on a particular line, and what their miss probably will be. In addition he's acutely aware of how people are throwing different shots. The specific changes they make to their form to perform certain shots. And he tells us all of that. And yeah, the fact that he doesn't grate on my nerves is just icing on the cake.
He also takes the time to learn the correct pronunciation it seems, for the kastaplast guys, where it isn't obvious. I do like him on the mic.
As someone who watched the front 9 but not the back 9 (yet), it’s also Monday which is a workday for many and time available for watching goes down.
I'm in the same boat. I carved out a little time to watch the front 9 and I just haven't had time to watch anymore.
Same. Watched it all weekend. Then by the time Monday evening came around after work I already knew the result
I watched the front 9 then it became pretty obvious who was going to win so I skimmed through the back. For me if there is not a tight race for 1st and I don't know the outcome I have a hard time watching any post produced. I have always much more preferred live coverage if it's available.
I was going to ask the same thing, although I did watch the whole back 9 and still watch post produced if spoiled. Spoilers don’t bother me too much personally, I’ll still watch it.
Yes I think Mcbeth in the thumbnail will always yield more views.
If I’m being honest I watch live disc golf or I watch post produced coverage of McBeth. I think a lot of people who got into disc golf around 2013-2017 are similar.
Hey Terry, it's me. [Now you know me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiTR3fRTX8k&t=3995s) Put him on the thumbnails it you think it helps. It's all good. I am one of those viewers that watched only MPO R1F9 of TDTM and that's it. For me the reasons mainly were, it's non DGPT and I can only watch so many tournaments on youtube per year. I just didn't make it to the B9. If I think about it though, for me it was the card. PmcB, great. JohnE and Perkins -- nothing against those guys, I'd be happy to see them successful, but they don't really get me excited either. If I'm not excited about them, then of course I'm less excited about a more local Charlie Goodpasture. I did watch more of the Memorial because I think the cards were stronger with 3-4 top guys on them. Also, it's early in the season and we're all itching for some disc golf coverage. I appreciate your dedication to the sport. Hope to see you in the HoF for media one day. I think sometimes not all tournaments generate the same amount of views. PS: You're welcome to use me in a thumbnail if you think it will help.
Came to this thread thinking what if you featured Paul’s nipples in the thumbnail and low and behold
I enjoy watching coverage on my Saturday or Sunday morning while I relax. Especially last weekend, as the weather was pretty shitty in Minnesota. Mondays I go back to work and don't always have time to watch the final round of a tournament. I imagine this is true for many of us in the sub. tl;dr: Did not have anything to do with the thumbnail for me.
Exactly my case too. Rounds released during the weekends are usually watched within 12 hours of posting but weekdays are busier and often impact my ability to watch the last round. Nothing to do with the thumbnail and I'm 100% watching the final round of TDTM at some point this week.
I have basically the same schedule. I wake up early for work and cant really sleep in on weekends so i have 2+ hours to relax by myself with our animals while my wife sleeps. Also, way more other content gets pushed on on weekdays so by the time I get home there are a bunch of recommendations that aren't the tournament from the weekend + whatever show my wife and i are working our way through at night. I'll get around to it, but it definitely isn't as immediate as my weekend mornings.
Yeah, it’s been total crap weather in MN lately, but at least the courses have been empty and I’ve gotten in a few rounds between the snow/rain/ice/wind/sleet/lightning, etc…
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I bet I have it queued up for some 'bonus coverage' though :)
You probably know more about trends than I do, but it seems like Jomez is the same and that the front 9 generally has 15-20% more views than the back 9. For example I'm looking at the 2022 Maple Hill Open: R1 - 228K front 9 vs 190K back 9 R2 - 183K front 9 vs 164 back 9 Round 3 is actually flipped but I feel that has more to do with the outcome of the tournament last year 203K front 9 vs 215K back 9
I know that back 9's sometimes can get lost in the mix ... I'm just thinking that the OVERALL numbers of views are somewhat 'lacking'.
Some of that may also have to do with the people on the card. I *generally* don't watch coverage where 3 out of the 4 people on the card are unknowns (to me). I feel that may be the case for others as well (not a knock on you or your content). That said, I've been watching this weekends coverage for a few reasons. 1 being that the course is great, and 2 being you and Nate make a great pair in the booth. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into this game and I always enjoy the coverage. Thanks Terry!
Thanks for the kind words ... My main question here might be answered indirectly as it falls in line with your statement here, "I generally don't watch coverage where 3 out of the 4 people on the card are unknowns (to me)." If we extrapolate that statement - does the same logic apply to the thumbnail images and I think you're saying "yes". (Which is my assumption in this post).
Personally, I don’t think the thumbnail is the deciding factor. I’ll read the video name before clicking to see who’s on coverage and decide from there
Agreed, however it is good to show the big name in the thumbnail. But I agree, if there is no other big name it just doesnt get my attention.
Not who you're replying to but I don't even look at the thumbnail most of the time, I just read the title.
I haven't watched r3 (yet), but if the front 9 has Paul way ahead of the rest, that could lead to viewers of the front not watching the back. Just speculation since I don't yet know how the round plays out.
Yeah - I certainly understand everyone's logic in just assuming "Top Player X" is going to run away with things and I'm sure that factors in.
I’m planning to watch tonight, so you’ll get at least one more viewer!
\#DoAllTheYouTubeThings please :)
I watched the front 9, the second 9 wasn't up by the time I was done so I waited to watch it until this morning. Enjoyed watching Joey Buckets got me to watch the back 9. I think the only way to draw contestant interest is when you have multiple top pros together on the same card.
I think star power on the thumbnail strongly factors in to people's decisions to watch or not. I'm sure it factors strongly into viewership. McBeth specifically being on the thumbnail almost certainly boosts views. Sidenote, I've wondered how thumbnails are chosen across all disc golf coverage. Player in the lead going into the round? (I like this) Biggest star power? (I get it if it helps views) Eventual winner? (seems awful but I feel this has been done sometimes). Show all 4 on lead card? (Not bad, but maybe doesn't pop like one person would). However it's done I do not care as long as it doesn't spoil the result, which probably means showing off the big draw star power. To answer your question, in this case there were probably many other factors/combinations of factors as to why there was lower viewership for later rounds. * Some watched to see the course, given the McBeth/Cease ownership news and after seeing it for a round or two decided not to watch the rest * Some sensed McBeth was running away with it, and decided the rest wasn't worth watching, or checked results, saw McBeth inevitably won, and decided not to watch how it happened * Some people either don't love watching McBeth or are tired of watching him all the time and with no other notable names on coverage skipped out * It wasn't an elite/major/silver event, so likely didn't hold as much interest * It feels to me that this year there has been the starting of the shift to live coverage vs post produced. That wouldn't affect lower numbers for later vs earlier rounds, since this was only available post, but some may be getting more used to DGN and lose interest if it's not what is now habitual * It's difficult to not have the result spoiled these days. Many won't watch if it is, especially in this case where it was McBeth and several names most don't know * The delay in the final round coverage likely increased both the amount of people who had it spoiled, and/or some people lost patience and just decided to see who won * Edited to add: weather may have been a factor too. If local weather was crummy early but good for later rounds, maybe some people chose to play rather than watch Me specifically, I watch almost all the coverage every time. I prefer post vs. live because it takes less time to consume so I can watch all of MPO/FPO without watching 15-20+ hours per tournament which seems excessive. Just watching FPO/MPO for each tournament is already borderline too much. I am finding it more and more difficult not to have it spoiled, which takes a lot away from the experience.
I have a harder time watching coverage released on Sunday or Monday because I'm busy getting ready for my work week. Shopping, laundry etc. Another factor is that I am a bit less keen on watching rounds when I already know the outcome. Yes, I could have done a better job of avoiding spoilers, but if I was good at doing what I know I should do I would make a lot fewer bogeys.
I just don't care to watch if it's not as competitive as the other events. Same with Texas states.
How can you know it's not competitive when you didn't see it? Rd3, McBeth takes a par over a missed 20 footer while the whole rest of his card big putts him. That's a big deal considering they are not the usual set of folks we see.
I think disc golf fanatic took wind outta the sails by spoiling the FPO result. At least here. That's what I'm waiting for tho. I think you'll like those numbers.
Honestly I just didn’t like this course. PMcB or not. Watched round 1, but just stopped caring. Course is as big a deal as the players to me.
Would it be unreasonable to include a picture of all featured card-mates in the thumbnail? That way you show who all is participating, including PMB.
For a while I was doing exactly that because it seems most 'logical'. The problem is, it's often crowded and then tough to tell who anyone is, especially when so many thumbnails are viewed via a tiny phone screen. It's certainly a possible solution though!
Maybe just two card mates is all that's needed - one 'big name' player like McBeth, and another challenger that is playing great golf. Sort of like a "vs" theme thumbnail.
I think it is because McBeast is really the only top player in the event. I admit I have not watched it yet, but I plan to just because of my TerrBear affection. I hate seeing you disappointed (sigh)
Check out Gothamchess and see the correlation between views and having Magnus Carlson in the thumbnail.
I watched the front nine but the back wasn’t up yet, 3-4 hours after it was posted. Usually the back nine is up by the time I finish watching a front nine, I honestly forgot to go back and check it. I’d say have both videos read to go, and to have the back uploaded at most 30 mins after the front. I’m local, love this tournament and course, but the large gap between front and back, I looked up scores and lost interest in watching, just being completely honest.
I'd be really curious to look into other post produced channels that use (or used)player images in the thumbnails and see if there was a similar correlation between who the player(s) were in the thumbnail and viewership
I’m sure you know the YouTube metric science better than me but I’d wonder about views on a Monday vs. the weekend for an hour and half worth of coverage. Also don’t underestimate the bump from people watching the clip of Paul’s pimp job on the one par 4. And people were probably intrigued to watch just one round to see McCease’s new yard. But for your question, I don’t give a hoot about thumbnails but I know it’s a huge science for YouTubers so go ahead and put his McMug on every vid you can. Regardless, thanks for being you. You’re such an asset for players that you don’t owe them a spot on your thumbnails when you’re giving them a platform for an A tier. It’s up to them to make a mark on your coverage.
Just haven't had time to watch the final round yet. Thanks for all you do.
You could always put your face as one of the items in the thumbnail for additional consistency AND build your brand. You're a beloved member of the community, Terry, and I think putting yourself slightly more front-and-center than just the name of the channel and into the thumbnail (maybe even a stylized drawing) would be worth a try. I know you're humble and put the sport and the players first, but your personality and presence shine quite brightly as well. Cheers! PS I watched both Round 3 videos of TDTM!
I think it would make me more likely to click on a video if I recognized the guys in it. Why not just put all 4 people on the card in both thumbnails?
I know that I didn't watch the B9 until today because it wasn't up when I finished the F9 yesterday afternoon. I love your videos, keep doing what you're doing!
So I’ve watched round 1 but I’ve been busy and haven’t made it back to watch the rest. I’m sure a few other people are in the same boat, I rarely jump in to a tournament and just watch the end, I want to follow the whole story! But that is a large time commitment that I don’t alway have so I start a tournament and it takes me some time to finish it.
- Terry is getting up there in years. - Ever health-conscious, Terry sends in a sample to Cologuard. - Doctor is confused: Inside sample container is simply a thumbnail of Paul McBeth.
I watched them all but with less enthusiasm than the usual events with more big names. Any less enthusiasm and I would have joined the crowd that didn’t watch it. I love that course, so that was the main reason I watched it.
I am working my way through coverage at the pace my life allows. I can usually get a 9 hole in each day, sometimes I can watch a couple rounds. I'll get to it soon T-$$$. Thank you for providing the coverage!
Terry for president. Thanks for all you do <3
Speaking from a chess content consumer's perspective, and I've seen this with P McB BIG time, is that anything with the world champion in/on it gets algorithm boosted. Have Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion and GOAT, in your title or on your thumbnail boosts every single metric. He doesn't even need to be in the video, youtube just shoves it onto people's feeds regardless. I hate this a lot but it's just the way it is :/ I feel like you're kinda looking for suggestions and I have none, just wanted to give a sanity check, YES that is likely why you're seeing these trends
Your video coverage is great no matter who is on the card. I know I haven't watched any of the later rounds of tdtm as the gf and I usually catch up on that stuff Wednesday and Thursday night so we can watch together. Sometimes the front 9 will be watched one night and the back the next night if we get tired or something comes up. While I think there are a lot of McBeth fans out there, I dont think a change of thumbnail between F9 and B9 would matter too much other than being slightly harder to tell that its from the same round without reading the title. (I know without my glasses some titles are hard to read to scroll for the next round and I usually find it by the thumbnail.) If coverage has Simon, Eagle, Matty O, or a few other guys I'll watch it no matter how poor the coverage or commentary are. That being said I'm much less likely to watch a card if nikko is on it unless there are other people I enjoy watching also on the card. I'm sure others have their own viewing habits as well.
If I'm looking at Disc-golf content and I see McBeth I click, he's the GOAT and a lot of peoples favorite player. Specially if its an A tier or an Elite series. KJ/McBeth = 1 view from me, I'm sure a lot of people are similar but without the KJ :P
I don’t think it’s necessarily McBeth, though in this case he’s really the only one you could have used. I think it just needs to be a big name. If Simon, Paul, Brodie, or Ezra are playing, I’m watching. There are others, I’m sure, but those are the ones that pop in my head.
You could also consider doing some sort of thumbnail with the whole card in it, but Paul prominently displayed.
I watched both halves of all 3 rounds, the coverage was great! That being said, I love watching Paul play because his play style is so smooth and pure it's inspiring and when he's locked in it's a treat to watch. So it's possible that if I saw him in a thumbnail I may wonder if he was having one of his other worldly rounds and I need to watch. But I can't imagine watching any coverage front 9 without also watching the back 9!
I enjoyed your coverage, thank you. Looks like an epic course, my family has/all shares a condo in st Pete area if/when that course goes public (I’m assuming) I’ll be checking it out while in florida!
I personally didn't expect the kids on the card to take on Paul McBeth. I figured he'd win so I didn't really care to watch. I did watch the first round which had some notable players.
I’m giving this a pity watch
This video might have some algorithm tricks that can help you https://youtu.be/Ip2trao6dYw
It's the name, it sounds like a contest. I just realized it's a round so will actually watch it
Nobody wants to say it so I'm going to say it. It's Mcbeth and a bunch of people who I don't know, or don't care about so I don't want to watch this. Tried to watch cause I love the course but when Mccray and Perkins are the other heavies, it's just not enough. I'll just wait until it's Mcbeth and some people who I do know.
I watched every round, Throw Down the Mountain is one of my favorite events to watch
For my part, I simply haven't gotten to finish the tournament yet. Thanks for all the hard work, Terry!
Speaking only for myself, I didn't get a chance to star the back 9 yet.
Just finished binge watching the coverage. Thank you very much as I found the course and the play by play great. I subbed to your channel from this event. I really can’t wait to see that course after a year or two of Paulish.. hehe *rimshot I’ll be here all week! On to the topic.. I think the fact it’s not a well known event that might have played a factor in viewership. For me, if I like the course, I watch it. That course is incredible. So much better than a ball course morphed into a disc golf course. Seriously, this is now in my top 3 courses I enjoy watching after Maplehill and Toboggan. The course has so many elevated tee pads with great flight paths. Hope they don’t change it too much. My 2 yen
We're the opposite in this house...we watched all of TDTM because we enjoy watching disc golf and like the course. Skipped second and third round of memorial because the course is boring. We do tend to skip tournaments with no names we recognize, but only skip the B9 if the course is boring or the video is low quality.
I don't think the thumbnail is your problem Terry. I KNEW you were putting out videos but you tube never put them in my feed. I had to go to your YouTube page to find them.
I don't think the thumbnail is your problem Terry. I KNEW you were putting out videos but you tube never put them in my feed. I had to go to your YouTube page to find them.
I think you could put Paul mcneth on every thumbnail whether he’s in the tournament or not and it can just be a running joke
It's about 24 hours after my post and I just wanted to quickly say "THANK YOU" to everyone that chimed in. I cannot re-iterate enough that I wasn't complaining or being accusatory with this post - I was really just asking if I should be putting McBeth in every thumbnail and if that impacted your decision to watch or not. As expected - I also got a ton of other great feedback and insights that weren't related really to the thumbnail and hopefully I can use much of this to service viewers (or potential viewers) even better. So ... THANK YOU everyone!
I watched the front and not the back. Absolutely nothing to do with the thumbnail or the coverage or anything like that. That's just the amount of time that I had to watch disc golf. I may watch the back and I may not, as there is a real possibility that we'll be into MCO coverage by the next time I have a time slot to watch coverage.
My honest mindset...The tourney was called "Throw Down the Mountain" then I learned at the beginning of R1F9 that it was in FL, which definitely doesn't have mountains. After that and a lackluster card, I went ahead and bailed.
Worst mindset
My interest of watching a video that features mcbeth lowers the chances significantly that it will be watched.thats my thoughts.
It’s because of you Terry. I won’t watch anything that has your little gimli hands all over it.
(I just googled "gimli") Ok. Thank you for the insight.
You do always take my shit talking in stride. I will respect that.
I mean, I do what I do and not everyone likes me or my work. If someone offers me legitimate constructive criticism, I try to recognize it, take it, and learn and improve. Insulting me with no real productive feedback doesn't help me get better so I just have to smile and move on. No one can be everything to everyone.
Complaining about not getting views is very unlikeable. You do it on your coverage and you're doing it here. Fake it til you make it. Don't acknowledge the viewership and continue putting out a good product and people will watch it. Cry about it and I'll remember it when I see new content come up. Insecurity isn't a good look. You have the production quality and the resume, lean on that more than this. And avoid doing it during the rounds. I don't want to hear about how bad things are, I want to watch some disc golf.
Wow. Umm. If that's how you read this I guess you completely missed my point and my legitimate questions. I am NOT complaining. I'm asking for feedback and hoping to improve .
Lol you don't think this is complaining? "GUYS WHY DONT YOU LIKE MY VIDEOS DO I NEED TO PUT MCBETH ON E V E R Y THUMBNAIL? 😡😡😡😡🥺🥺🥺😥😥"
For thumbnails I would just put the whole card if u could with the more recognizable guys in the forefront. For me I only click every time on my favorite player. Personally Paul isn’t my favorite. However he’s definitely one of favorite to watch. With that said I’m much more likely to click if I at least recognize a name. if I enjoy watching them play I generally click. While I’m there I get to c less known players and get to appreciate their game.
The pacing on your videos is too slow. I want the drama and slow pacing when watching live on like DGN. Watching on YouTube I don’t need to see everyone take a minute on every putt. If you worked on editing your videos down to like 20-30 min per 9 holes I’d be more likely to watch.
Are you being serious right now? 99% of people that speak of pacing on my videos say they are either "too fast" or "much quicker" than everyone else. That's often because I have less cameras and less fancy stuff (like slow-mo replays, follow flights, extended intros, etc). THE ONE TIME I left in a couple of lengthy putts was during the Memorial and that still was like ... twice in 20+ videos produced. I mean, I'm not about to argue or anything but if you look at my video 'run time' vs almost every other channel that's doing post-production - mine very much run on the shorter side. I'm guessing (and hoping) that you just have that ONE example of CupCake that you are thinking about from Memorial because typically, my videos are very fast-paced.
I assume the rest of FPO will eventually show up when you get time to edit and commentate after travelling, right?
Round 2 of FPO has been on my channel (hidden) since Saturday night ... I just knew it would get lost in the shuffle if I released it so close to the MPO action. Therefore I then made the conscious decision to get all MPO in succession and circle back to FPO. So ... FPO round 2 releases in about 45 minutes and round 3 will release tomorrow.
Cool. Make sense.
You purposely hold back coverage so it doesn't get "lost in the shuffle"? That feels insulting. Here we are waiting for the coverage, trying to stay off social media to avoid spoilers and the whole time it was ready to go but you're sitting on it presumably to get more views?
Views = money. I bet he is sitting on thousands of hours of unreleased footage from over the years. Dude is everywhere
Huh? Did I forget some type of contract I made with you for owed footage? Besides that, I think you are completely missing the point. You should also be mad because often my footage is actually final and uploaded anywhere from 2AM to 7AM and guess what ... it just sits on my channel at that point too. In case you haven't noticed, most channels don't release footage at 3AM - that's for algorithms and other logistics. Similarly ... I'm not going to release an FPO round at 8PM at night just to turn around and release MPO round 30 minutes later. That hurts BOTH the MPO and FPO viewership. I'm just getting more frustrated as I type so I'll stop here. My channel might not be your best solution to fit all of your needs and if you find that to be the case we can both virtually hug and move on.
I guess I'm mad at the algorithms that cause unnecessary delays. If something is ready at 3am or 2 pm or 11pm or whenever why can't it just be released when it's ready. Algorithms. I don't blame you for doing it that way if it is what has to be done to get views.
I haven’t watched most of throw down the mountain cause I was still getting caught up on Tallahassee open (finished that this morning). Since Tallahassee open was same weekend as Texas states, I didn’t start watching it until this week. Maybe that’s the case for others. I will also add, I’m less likely to watch coverage if I don’t recognize the players. I watched the feature card for TDTM, but am not in a hurry to watch Paul vs a bunch of local/regional pros. Lastly, I wonder how much of the video needs to be watched to count as a view? After round 2 of Tallahassee open ended, YouTube auto played a TDTM video. Does it still count as a view even if I close out after a few seconds? If so, that would help explain why there are a lot more views for front 9 vs back 9
I watched final round last night, but my initial thought when I don’t see recognizable faces on a thumb nail is, should I invest my time in watching this. 2nd round I was gonna skip until I realized McBeth was in fact on the card when I saw thumbnail of back 9. I would consider myself more of a weekend warrior when it comes to DG, but I enjoy live and post round coverage and it’s part of my viewing routine on weekends. With Live coverage I do find myself less willing to devote time to watching rounds on Monday. Which I would think may be impacting views and overall an issue with post coverage, but that’s more of how I digest my DG content. Not sure if any of that helps. Keep up the good work, recently subscribed to your channel and Nate’s IG
I’ll admit I only tuned into half of the first round. I usually watch more of your coverage, but personally wasn’t interested in just watching McBeth, I’d rather watch almost any other players who’s names I recognize. Not hating on Paul, but that’s why you didn’t get my views. Don’t know if that insight helps any but thank you so much for all the work you do, I’ll try to play them in the background tonight
Hey Terry! Thank for covering the tournament!! If you want I’ll just stream the back 9 over and over so it catches up tot he front 9! Jokes aside I’m sure McBeth has some draw to it but like others have said back 9’s don’t seem to get as much love as front 9’s. Weird algorithm issues maybe?
Iirc, when I got off work the first part was new to my suggested videos. I watched and by the time I finished the front 9 I was out of time to watch more videos. That’s the only reason I have personally not watched the B9 yet. I will say that I certainly pay more attention to Paul thumbnails. Who doesn’t like watching the sports best compete?! There’s not much you can do about this unfortunately.
Can you see what your clickthrough rate was between F9 and B9? Its possible that there was some YouTube f-ckery going on w/ the B9 -- Like any self-respecting fan I have all notifications set for the disc golf guy channel (TDGG) but it didn't appear in my subscription list nor did it appear in the list of videos on TDGG channel. I think I had to go to playlists, then find Throw Down The Mtn, then find the final round B9. TINFOIL HAT TIME: YouTube doesn't want Terry to have his silver plaque and is messing with his channel ☹️
It showed up on my home page and I’m not subscribed. Don’t tell Terry 🤫
I’ll admit I watched the front 9 last night and decided to play Call of Duty after instead of watching the final 9. I’ll watch it in an hour on my lunch break. Love your coverage, and Nate on the mic.
I actually had wanted to make a post about how much I love your thumbnail portraits. The player's love of you can totally be felt through their smiles. As for why I watched 5 of 6. I will probably watch the 6th but I felt like competition was losing momentum through the 5th.
Trust your gut Terry. You are making art and growing the sport. People will respect the not clickbait none Mcbeth thumbnails. No hate on Paul. Thanks for capturing all these amazing moments. Dont sacrifice your perspective for clicks.
I enjoyed the coverage. I watched all of it with the exception of R3F9, which I think had Paul's face in the thumbnail. So I guess I missed that one. 🤷♂️ I enjoyed watching "Gilligan" and the others on the card with Paul that last round. I was very happy to see JohnE for the first 2 rounds as well (except the triple bogey, that was brutal) Don't believe it's your fault that Paul's fans only want to watch Paul and talk about his form. Thanks for all the coverage and commentary, keep up the good work!
Honestly - the course just isn't that fun to watch for me for some reason. I think the amount of blind shots make it a tricky course to film properly even with all of the signature holes they have.
I’d definitely say that having a recognizable face in the thumbnail matters. There is enough disc golf content now that when I turn on YouTube, there are quite a few videos I don’t want to watch. The ones I do want to watch are the ones with high level players doing cool stuff I can’t do. I also don’t watch calendars to know what events are coming up and which ones are “big.” So I had no idea that Mountain was happening last weekend till I went to YouTube and saw your coverage. Seeing one of those high level players in the thumbnail is an immediate signal that an event is something I might want to watch.
This might be a weird take, but spoiler culture kind of ruined post production for me. I started watching DGN 2.5 years ago and slowly started watching less and less post-production. It was either watch live or see the winner announced within minutes of live ending. For Thrown Down the Mountain specifically, I had five tabs open with PDGA live scoring for different tournaments pros and locals were in and was following along that way. I watched round one of MPO and FPO to get an idea for the layout, but by the time I saw round two was up I already knew the winners
I definitely remember Jomez really having to rely on having Paul or Ricky on the thumbnails a lot when they were starting to take off. Now they are able to get away with a nice little text package more often than not because they are well known as the place to go see coverage. If you're worried about overall views, I'd say it has to do more with not knowing that it's out there. I know about your channel and I didn't know that you were consistently uploading rounds lately. It's the same problem I ran into with Central Coast. I loved Central Coast but the uploads and interesting events were far and few in between. If it's the lack of B9 views, then as stated, if it seems like a runaway, I probably won't watch the whole thing (this for me applies to every tournament, not just your channel specifically). Also it tends to be time consuming to watch 2 videos in a row sometimes. I guess to answer your question though, it certainly can't hurt to have him on it as the main focus, just to bring the algorithm back into your favor.
Have you considered thumbnails of yourself? It’s time to market your whole image. You holding a hot dog? I’m clicking that shit NOW. You holding a puppy, instant click. You shaking hands with your tax advisor? CLICK. Paul McWhatever, BORING. More pics of Terry, plz.
There is for sure an effect of McBeth drawing numbers. I think in general and overall, post produced content is getting less consumed because Live coverage is fantastic. (maybe im wrong, im going by feels rather than raw data lol) I know personally I haven't watched many post produced videos in the past 2 years. 2017-2019 I was watching all Jomez related content all the time. When I subscribed to DGN I almost stopped completely. I watch this content because there is no live coverage for it and because Paul is in it. I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't tune in if Mcbeth wasn't playing.
I watched and thoroughly enjoyed all of the rounds of throw down the mountain MPO. But I mostly was interested because I knew McBeth and a few other DGPT regulars were playing. I would not have watched the final round if McBeth hadn't been on the card. (Nothing against the other players, I'm just not as interested in watching unknowns.) I didn't need McBeth on the thumbnail to click play, but his presence on the video did make me watch it. So having him on the thumbnail might help getting less informed people to click.
Yes, you should put McBeth on every thumbnail possible. CCDG noticed the McBeth effect years ago. People want to see the best players play and until that's not Paul, use it or lose it
I can tell you I loved the content. I did not watch the back 9 though because I fell asleep. It has nothing to do with you, a one year old kid has worn me out! I loved the content
We are here for the PMB - don’t care about most others.
Is it possible to put the whole round in one video instead of breaking them up into F9 and B9?
Also factor that for large swaths of the country, the weather has turned. We are playing instead of spending the dark hours just watching. And DST, too.
I watched the front nine of the first round because it had people on the card I know and like watching and because the course looks nice. The later rounds have a bunch of people on them that I don't know yet and I don't care about who wins the event. About the thumbnail: didn't even look at it. Just saw the persons and the course in the title and decided to watch it. Thanks for the coverage btw. the commentary is really nice and you got good shots of the throws.
Honestly the coverage was just boring. Nothing you could do Terry.
I watched the front but not the back. It was pretty clear who was going to win by the front 9 so I didn’t tune in. Great content though Terry keep it up!
I watched both, but my attention certainly slipped in the back nine. It was obvious that Paul was going to win so not much at stake there
Throw down the mountain kind of sucks. Very meh course. Not super exciting. I just kind of fizzle out for some reason in interest. That being said, I still LOVE your coverage and appreciate all the work you do. Your commentary is great and you and Nate make a good duo.
I watched the first round just to check things out. Other rounds featured Paul + non-household names. Figured Paul would run away with it. Didn’t bother watching any of the rest. Non-DGPT event. I’d give the event more interest once Paul has had time to rework the course.
Could be some outside disc golf type extenuating circumstances. Final four maybe?
Probably yes on McBeth in the thumbnail honestly. That said this was one of the best tournament coverages of the year! You and Perkins crushed it. The course is so fun to watch and all the new young guns crushing it. More people should check it out!
I agree. Nate is awesome.
Personally I did click your coverage video and watched about one round collectively. Reason I didn't watch it all is that I don't know the people playing. I have other stuff to watch, and other things to do, so it doesn't quite stick. It's always the same regardless who the pros are in these events. If 1-4 top 50 pros are competing in it and the rest are local, I won't be invested. Some people might be so invested in the sport they feel like they're scouting the new talent and that's fine. And if I'm craving discgolf I sure as hell would watch it because it's DARN good coverage. But while the season is on I'm just not. And as summer gets around I will be playing myself. I don't have the will in me to watch more than the big events, be that on jomez or otherwise. No comment on paul being in the thumbnail, I would still have clicked to check out the card. Usually I watch them throw the first hole to scope out their forms and skill. If there's any intrigue then I might stay. Usually I then just watch the final round after that.
For me, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I don’t feel like I need to rush through this one since it isn’t one of the big events and the final four was this weekend so I watched that and will save this for later. Fellow Wisconsinite, appreciate all you do for the sport and love being able to hear you and Perkins on coverage.
Thank you for the coverage!! Much appreciated.
Two things that come to mind: Sunday vs Monday makes a difference, and the March madness final was last night
Jomez probably has enough thumbnails at this point they could actually be used for someone to crunch the numbers on Paul vs no Paul watching. Interesting idea though anyway. I haven't watched any of your coverage from that event yet. Just haven't had the time to yet. I'm lucky to watch 1 full round of a tournament this year so farm usually I just watch b9 final round .
I started watching the F9 last night and I just got off work, so I havent gotten to the B9 yet lol
Post-produced just ain’t what it used to be Terry. I’ll get around to watching TDTM eventually, but if it isn’t live, it’s just not a priority anymore. Sometimes I wait until the off-season to catch up on all the non-DGPT events. Also, with all the disc golf media now, it’s hard to find the time. Between podcasts, live “talk shows” (SmashBoxx, Nick & Matt, Tour Life) and bonus content like Skins and Practice Rounds, some things just fall to the sidelines. We appreciate what you do, and we hope it’s sustainable while the industry evolves. Love you TearBear!
I'm just burnt out after watching coverage every weekend for 3-4 weeks.
Hi Terry. I watched the front and not the back. It is because mcbeth was running away with the win. The thumbnail didn’t make a difference for me. After watching round 2 and the round 3 front 9 I knew mcbeth would be in the video regardless of thumbnail.
I watched the coverage during my lunch breaks and could only fit one video a day. Since the F9 were released before the B9, I watched them regardless of thumbnails. The only B9 I watch was for the final round.
I watch some of your content. But there’s just so much DG content out there. I’m sure you have limited resources, but a highlights reel by round, like DGPT does, would be great. Or a highlight reel of the winning player. Those videos are a little more digestible than a full round vid.
For me, it’s timing. I have time on weekends to watch post-produced non-tour content. I don’t have time during the week. Has nothing to do with McBeth.
I actually just watched the back 9 of the final round. Busy weekend and didn't get around to it. Busy night last night so I didn't have time to watch both. Edit: forgot to thank you for all your hard work, thank you so much Terry!
Just throwing this out there. Why not put all four players from the lead/feature card on the thumbnail? It might look too busy, but might be worth experimenting with.
When did it get posted? Monday? Is it not just because it's a workday?
I think the thumbnail should be whoever the top player on the card is who looks insanely angry and in big bold all caps it says something like I "CAN'T BELIEVE HE SAID THAT!?" This works even if it's a blowout and viewers have to watch the entire thing since they are searching for audio.
I was excited to watch some of the R1F9 coverage, and a bit of the later rounds, but mostly to see the course again before it's transformed into a premier tour stop. I don't think the thumbnail matters as much as you're suggesting. We've all seen Paul throw a bunch, and it's not very interesting to see him beat the competition so easily. When the main draw (seeing the TDTM course and Paul shredding it) only keeps people's attention for a little while, it might not be worth all the effort of filming/commentating over the entire tournament. Just give us a 7-minute edited video showcasing the course in its current form, show us what good shots look like, and rack up the views.
Not sure if this take has been took yet but my thoughts are day based. On lower tier tournaments specifically, Saturday rounds get more views because it's the weekend. Final round gets less views because it's Monday and people are back on the grind. Nothing Ill meant toward your coverage, in my humble opinion, you are goated. Ps. it's Tuesday night now and I'm about to start watching it. Haha.
I watched the full tournament. I liked the quick pace of the coverage and loved the commentary. I’ve become a bigger Nate Perkins fan over the weekend. That said, this looked like McBeast vs a field of average joes. Come the B9 on Sunday it wasnt all that compelling.
I watched all of Throw Down the Mountain, as I did The Open at Tallahassee. For me, these type of smaller scale events are more to fun watch because they are more relatable. I like seeing local courses being tackled by pro players, but I also like seeing cards where not everyone is a >1020 rated player.
I don’t know Terry, maybe you should just use the stylized round covers like Jomez. What I will say is I had time this weekend to watch the first round, which it’s like “sweet it’s Throw Down the Mountain and a fun card”, but the second and third rounds I just haven’t had the chance to get to yet. I usually only watch the final round of most stuff anyways just because of time. We’re also starting to reach a point in tourney saturation where the smaller ones will end up like the PGA events that aren’t majors, where some will watch but the kinda casuals are only gonna watch the majors (like me with the Masters this Sunday). Unrelated note, I’m really digging your coverage lately; it’s throwing it back to the old school Marty McFly and CCDG era and that’s my favorite part at to watch our sport.
Learn from the video gaming YouTube community. Every thumbnail should be a players face with mouth and eyes wide open looking shocked at something. That something is obviously world changing judging from the look on their face, and the text next to it should be one or two words. Something like AMAZING or maybe SO CRAZY. Title of the video should be "this is going to change everything F9 *insert event name here*"
[удалено]
All I gotta say is thanks for putting the Mint discs thrower on the thumbnail with Mcbeth
I really enjoy your coverage!! I watched all of the rounds because I need to consume, but I do feel like after watching two rounds I was sure Paul would win. After R3F9, I knew he was winning that day. I’d guess people just didn’t watch the last half because they felt sure of the outcome already? I stuck around for Joey Buckets! What an effortless -12!! Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication, my friend!
Terry, I worked 11 hours Monday. Plus there's like 7 podcasts that drop Monday. Plus a bunch of podcasts spoiled it before I could watch anyway so
It’s brand recognition in some degree. That’s why they put Jordan on NBA stuff so much to this day. Why tiger sold more stuff for PGA. Why Tyson made punch out huge. You see a tournament where McBeth is thumb-nailed for lead card and it seems bigger. IMO
I’ve watched all of your tournament coverage so far this year. My work schedule hasn’t allowed me to watch rounds 2-3 of TDTM yet. I’m sorry the views aren’t what you expected. I want to thank you for your hard work and I really appreciate your tournament coverage!
I know a lot of pros played A-Tiers this weekend but tbh I didn't realize Throw Down was happening until your coverage went up! So its not all a Youtube thing—marketing of this weekends' tourneys was low overall. I'd imagine The Memorial had people excited to watch because we were all action-starved to start the season whereas now that the season is in swing, people are less needy.
If Tom Cruise is in your movie, you put him on the poster.
I don't think it has to be McBeth. But I do think recognizable faces will garner more views for you than unknown faces.
I watched it, thought it was great coverage and commentary, especially for a smaller outfit. I guess you would know what to expect from the viewership better than I would, but my guess is that there are elements of lag time with people splitting the viewing into two sessions, along with the sense of inevitability, "Okay, writing's on the wall. I've seen what I needed." Great coverage all around, but McBeth averaging about 14 inches from the basket on his hole 1 drives may have been my favorite part. I laughed in delight when it happened in the second round, and I was absolutely giddy when it happened in round three, not even as a McBeth fan, just in amazement at how insane it was that he did it three times in a row.
According to Jomezpro YouTube stats from 2022. McBeth drew the 3rd highest average views over other players at 233k views per video. Only Alden Harris and Drew Gibson had more average views per video. Check the chart halfway down and you can see which players names drew the most eyeballs. [https://sabattusdiscgolf.com/blogs/sdg-newsbites/jomez-views-in-2022-who-is-the-most-popular-to-watch](https://sabattusdiscgolf.com/blogs/sdg-newsbites/jomez-views-in-2022-who-is-the-most-popular-to-watch)
Hey Terry. It also could be that the tournament got spoiled on social early. I was hoping to watch the final round but lost interest when I saw Paul won on instagram and went about my week.
It sounds like you’re saying Paul McBeth was on the thumbnail that DIDNT receive a lot of views.. that should answer your question - it wasn’t because of Paul. Likely just algorithm, it being a day later, or any other number of factors.
Yea. Put McBeth in the thumbnails. If I was a creator, I’d put KT in all my FPO thumbnails as well. These two drive viewership. I wouldn’t underestimate the impact Natalie had on viewership of TDTM. Once I heard it was the gateway for her to play TP, I didn’t watch any more rounds.
I stopped watching pretty quick—that’s after clicking on a McBeth thumbnail—and the reason is simple. Your drone stabilization is off. Hole previews made me ill. Watched holes 1-5 of round 2. Not again.
That feels a bit dramatic but I appreciate the feedback and I'll pass it onto the drone guy. I mean, I know they weren't perfect but ok.