The skateboarding media landscape has evolved significantly, with Thrasher Magazine currently holding the dominant position. With over 5 million Instagram followers and 2 million YouTube subscribers, Thrasher is the go-to platform for skate-related content. However, this wasn’t always the case. In 2012, Thrasher began hosting solo parts and full videos on their YouTube channel, establishing a trend where brands would give their video content to publishers instead of releasing it themselves. This model, while offering exposure, raises questions about brand recognition and control.
Brands retaining media
The Rise of Media Partnerships
The success of early web-hosted videos demonstrated that brands could reach larger audiences by partnering with media outlets like Thrasher. Instead of focusing on self-publishing, brands realized that giving their footage to established platforms could significantly expand their reach in the ever-evolving online world. This approach benefited both the brands and the media outlets, creating a symbiotic relationship where content was readily available and viewership was maximized.
However, the exchange isn’t without its ambiguities. Beyond increased viewership, it’s unclear what else brands receive. To get a clearer picture, individuals involved in promoting videos via Thrasher were consulted, highlighting both the allure and the potential risks of this model.
Skate media video bumpers
Richie Valdez, who manages Welcome’s team and video department, noted the intangible personal incentive for skaters to be featured on prominent sites. “I think for the team riders especially, they’re like, ‘Oh, is this gonna be on Thrasher?’ I think that gives the people involved more legitimacy,” Richie explained. Rob Collins from CONS North America, echoed this sentiment, adding that Thrasher’s credibility amplifies the project’s impact. “Having someone like Thrasher amplify what you’re producing is really where the value is for us,” Rob stated.
Thrasher’s early establishment of a successful media infrastructure—through their website, YouTube channel, and Instagram—made them the prime partner for brands seeking maximum video visibility. “The companies and the industry, we did this to ourselves in a way,” Richie observed. “[Brands] didn’t know how things were going to go moving forward with videos [around 2011], and Thrasher was smart enough to become the media outlet that made sense for people to release things on.”
While this wide-spanning network of skate sites has been beneficial for the skate industry, some unintended consequences are starting to surface, which raise questions about the long-term sustainability of this model.
The Challenges of the Media Partnership Model
Free Content
Richie highlighted a critical issue: “I think any business person from any other discipline would look at our model and think it’s stupid. We as brands do the filming and editing and packaging. Then we take this thing we did all the work on and go ‘Here it is! Take it! Put your watermark on it and brand it as your own!’” This statement underscores the potential drawbacks of this model, where brands essentially relinquish control over their content’s presentation.
Three main challenges arise from the media partner model:
-
Confusion about video authorship: The practice of placing Thrasher‘s bumpers and watermarks can mislead viewers about who actually produced the video. Non-skate outlets have often misattributed videos as collaborations between Thrasher and the brand, overlooking the brand’s actual role in creating the content. This lack of clarity diminishes the brand’s effort and credit.
-
Reduced diversity in skate media: The concentration of content on major platforms can overshadow other voices and perspectives within the skateboarding community. Smaller outlets and independent creators often struggle to gain visibility, leading to a homogenized media landscape.
-
Ephemeral media cycle: The constant stream of new videos can cause older videos to be forgotten quickly, regardless of their quality. Skate publications require a high volume of uploads to stay relevant, meaning videos are quickly pushed aside to make room for new content. As a result, brands may find that their content is not given the time or attention it deserves.
The tendency of media outlets to use similar language when describing videos – such as “gnarlier and face melty-er” for Thrasher, or “the best person on and off the board” for Transworld – further contributes to this feeling of homogenization. Rob Collins observed, “I feel like giving it to one media outlet is almost shooting yourself in the foot. Really, the combined reach of all of these guys together is where the value is.” This highlights the risk of pigeonholing content when partnering with a single outlet.
Richie also pointed out that brands might start to question why they limit their reach by partnering with only one publication. “I see someone like adidas or Nike going into that situation and going, ‘Why are we going to suffocate a project and only let [one magazine] be the ones who can push it out?’”
The lack of sustained attention and the short lifespan of skate videos raise questions about the long-term impact of these media partnerships. With outlets like Free, Thrasher, and Transworld releasing numerous videos daily, it is difficult to engage with each video in a meaningful way.
Josh Stewart, from Theories of Atlantis, mentioned that skate media outlets rarely give videos time to breathe. “They barely helped promote it. Within less than 24 hours there was already another new video above ours on their site. Making a video project that you’re proud of takes an unbelievable amount of time, struggle and energy so it is a really delicate thing to hand over to another entity to present it to the world for you. It makes a big difference if that media partner treats it with respect and does as much as possible to bring as many eyes to it as possible.”
Rob Collins further adds that “Thrasher has gotten themselves into this thing where they don’t stand for something. They’re not like, ‘Fuck, we [have this] video part. We’re going to blow this thing out and make as many people watch it as possible and we’re not going to put anything else on the site until every single one of our followers has seen it.’”
The Shift Toward Self-Released Content
Successful video hosted on brand's own media player
Several brands have started to explore a self-releasing model to avoid the issues associated with media partnerships. These brands are seeing success with this approach.
In 2018, Nike SB self-released Nyjah Huston’s “‘Til Death” part on YouTube, which has garnered 6 million views. This significantly outperforms his previous part, “OMFG”, which was uploaded to Thrasher’s YouTube channel and has about half the views. This suggests that, even with Thrasher‘s larger subscriber base, self-releasing can be more effective.
When Alexis Sablone joined CONS, the promotional materials were intentionally kept off major skate media outlets’ platforms. According to Rob Collins, “For us to keep it on our owned channels was important because it was a brand moment. She is a big signing for us and is from New England [like Converse]. It was important that it didn’t become an Alexis and Thrasher thing, because it was really an Alexis and CONS thing.”
While self-releasing can be a good option, it doesn’t prevent media sites from aggregating the content. Thrasher still posted about CONS’ Alexis Sablone announcement, but without any confusion over the video’s origins. Other board brands, such as Fucking Awesome, April, Primitive, Numbers, 917, and Flip, are also exploring this self-release model.
However, for this model to be truly successful, brands require cultural relevance, star power, or established recognition, factors that smaller brands often lack. These smaller brands may still benefit from partnering with larger media outlets. Crews like GX1000 and LurkNYC have leveraged their exposure on skate sites to build successful brands, suggesting this model can be very beneficial for gaining initial visibility.
Exploring Alternative Models
Sick Vid
The current media landscape in skateboarding raises questions about the ideal balance between media partnerships and self-publishing. Josh Stewart sees the value in both options. “Being that we’ve had the site for about 13 years… we were always trying to build a home for independent skate media, like a hub for the underground. But, obviously the goal with any video is to get as many people to see it as possible. We’d be shooting ourselves in the foot if we ONLY hosted all of our projects on our own site or Youtube channel.”
Thomas Barker, former Executive Director of the International Association of Skateboard Companies, highlighted that not all brands aspire to achieve massive reach. For some brands, a more natural and organic growth trajectory might be preferable. “If you just want you and your friends to have a semi-comfortable lifestyle in an expensive city, making 40 to 60 grand a year each or something, you don’t have to really chase the eyeballs or be as thirsty as another brand. You can let it be more natural.”
The current media model in skateboarding is ripe for disruption. However, those currently making decisions may not be motivated to change things up. “Most marketing directors of skateboard companies are the same ones from the late ‘90s,” Thomas stated. “Brands just follow the person in front of them, these aren’t MBAs. These aren’t futurists…These are literally people just trying to make next week’s payroll. They’re just going to do what worked for their friend yesterday.”
The music industry faced similar challenges with online piracy and the shift to digital media. The solution was music streaming platforms that offered a revenue-sharing model. A similar model could potentially work for skateboarding. A skate video streaming platform could allow brands to receive royalties for every view, giving them more control over their content and providing an avenue for generating revenue.
This model could enable brands to control how their content is presented and receive compensation for their work. While it might require consumers to adopt yet another subscription service, it offers a potential path for resolving some of the issues associated with the current system. The future will be shaped by the next generation of skateboarding leaders, as Thomas noted, “There’s a great quote about technology disruption: technologies disrupt until the kids that grew up with them are in control of them.”
In conclusion, the skateboarding media landscape is in a state of flux. While media partnerships offer visibility, they also come with limitations. The growing trend of self-released content suggests a desire for greater control and more brand recognition. The potential for a streaming platform to disrupt the current model signals a possible shift in the way skate content is distributed and consumed.
