The future of BPSN
It’s crunch time for BP Sports Niagara.
When we launched bpsportsniagara.com in September 2017, our goal was to establish ourselves as the go-to site for local sports reporting across Niagara.
Six months in, we feel we have done just that and then some, offering the most complete coverage available across the local sporting scene. We have financed this coverage out of our own pockets so we could show readers and advertisers the extent of our coverage and our commitment to local sports.
In the words of one of our readers, BPSN provides “the best local sports coverage I’ve ever seen.”
High school sports — football, wrestling, cross country running, and boys and girls basketball, hockey and volleyball — have been front and centre of our coverage. We have also been able to give junior B hockey, the Niagara IceDogs, Niagara River Lions, Brock and Niagara College sports, and grassroots/minor sports more than their fair share of coverage.
It is something we love to do and we believe our passion shows through in both the quality and quantity of work we have produced.
In fact, since starting in mid-September, BPSN has written more than 630 stories, an average of more than 20 per week.
The response from the local sporting community has been overwhelming and much appreciated. Contacts we cultivated in our combined 60 years of working in local sports media have welcomed us back with open arms.
As well, readers have been ultra-supportive, clicking on our site at a rate of more than 10,000 page views per week and more than 18,000 clicks each week on individual stories. Readers have also spread the word by graciously sharing our stories on various social media platforms. Overall readership has exceeded 257,000 page views since we began. Individual story readership is even more impressive, approaching 500,000 clicks.
The numbers are adding up on the readership side, but now we need to make them work on the business side.
BPSN will be rolling out their business plan in the coming days in a number of areas. First and foremost, we will be approaching local businesses with a variety of advertising packages and we’re hoping they will be eager to be part of this exciting new venture. We have several packages available at reasonable prices that will allow small, medium and larger businesses to be part of BPSN. As well, individual sporting organizations will be approached to either advertise with us and/or become partners which would see us provide their web sites with content.
For further information, please contact bpsportsniagara@cogeco.ca.
Last month, we debuted a Support Us button on our web site where readers could click and offer a voluntary contribution of any amount to help keep our site going. The initial response has been much appreciated, but more is needed.
The next couple of months will determine if this site is financially viable.
We would love nothing more than to have the financial resources to make this site sustainable and we pledge to invest any profits into making the site even better and further broadening the scope of our coverage. Our goal is to hire more reporters/photographers.
We are committed to working hard and continuing to do what we do best. That is, bringing readers in Niagara the most comprehensive coverage of local sports available anywhere.
Please continue to spread the word about our website, share our stories on social media platforms, and most importantly, help us financially through signing up for advertising packages or making individual contributions.
We feel we provide a vital service to the community which is not available to this extent anywhere else. Hopefully, we will become the model and the first of many websites dedicated to chronicling the sporting fabric of regions like Niagara. Sharing the stories of an area’s best athletes and coaches is an important component of community building.
We would love to be around for years to come. Your financial support will determine our future.
SUPPORT US
On the right side of our web site, you will notice a yellow SUPPORT US button.
We are asking anyone who finds value in our work and is able to financially help us to click on the button and contribute whatever amount you feel is appropriate and can afford. There is no set amount. Any amount is appreciated.
The funds collected will be used to enhance and offset the expenses of running the web site.
