

Discover more from Projekt19 - a Substack by Chad Mueller
I have an idea….
For anyone that knows me, what else is new.
As many know, I’ve been in the fitness community for a while now. Fitness surrounds my and my family life pretty well. More specifically, CrossFit. I’m a massive fan of the methodology and, more importantly, the sport of CrossFit.
On a scale from the casual consumer to the die-hard fan, I lean to the far right!
I don’t usually miss a Buttery Bro’s episode or TeamRichey News update! Whether on Instagram or YouTube, both are filled with sweaty, shirtless people throwing down!
The Problem
The problem I see is it’s all mixed up with the rest of the content I consume; golf, music, podcasts, personal development and the odd video of some Pokemon or Disney teenage drama clips!
No one can argue that YouTube is a monster content source, but there lies the problem. YouTube has reared its ugly face of tossing "content at you that it thinks you want.” Not sure about you, but when I open YouTube - I tend not to get all the information I want at the time I like it. It’s not necessarily YouTube’s fault but the system that it’s built; content creators are looking for everyone’s attention.
The Inspiration
I’m sure all of you have heard of Redbull, and maybe some of you have heard about Redbull.TV. Well, in the early days of YouTube, Redbull went in its direction and created its “own youtube.” Redbull.TV is a media company/platform that puts out high-quality content that not only represents its brand and its way of life. All while supporting and promoting many professional sports. I’m not suggesting CrossFit is at this stage, but you could see the similarities if you keep an open mind.
I think the community of CrossFit has enough “die-hards” and is at a stage where the sport, at any minute, can double its participation.
This year 2022 NoBull CrossFit Games Sunday event brought in 600,000 viewers on the CBS Sports broadcast. Nothing earth-shattering when you compare it to significant sports but what you should know is that it’s almost double from the prior year.
Can it compete with a major Golf tournament or one of the significant Tennis events?
I’m banking on the fact that it will grow, but more importantly, I’m banking on the fact that the viewership is a tighter, more engaged audience than in other sports. Anyone that knows a CrossFitters knows a CrossFitter. They can’t stop talking about it! They do CrossFit an hour a day; they own four different types of shoes decked out in clothes that say NoBull on them. CrossFitters are walking billboards for CrossFit. I will put money on the CrossFit community to grow CrossFit.
Getting back to how this relates to YouTube and CrossFit. I think CrossFit needs a platform to showcase the sport and the community.
The Idea
Create a single-focused platform for CrossFit content.
From a consumer perspective, well, that’s the easy part. Providing an organized, focused destination with an unbeatable user experience showcasing the best quality CrossFit content. It’s what we all want.
From an athlete, brand or content creator perspective, How do you ask them to leave the second biggest web destination in history? In some cases, a big part of their financial revenue. This is the right question to ask and the toughest to answer, but this is where AMRAP TV will focus its efforts on solving.
Can it provide a potential revenue stream for athletes and content creators?
Can it provide a more engaging audience for brands?
The Bigger Idea: NetFlix for CrossFit!
Let me explain; what I love about NetFlix is that they built more than one amazing business. We all have interfaced with NetFlix - an innovative way of consuming our favourite movies and tv-shows with a few clicks of a button. Even before that, delivering movies to your doorstep was revolutionary! Not having to leave your house to watch the most recent action adventure. Though I miss the days of riding my bike to the local Video 99 and physically finding a movie to take home.
Two amazing businesses NetFlix has built, and honestly, NetFlix could have stopped there and been one of the most prominent destinations for viewing content.
NetFlix had bigger ideas, though; NetFlix's bread and butter is its media company. Netflix doesn’t want you just to use their streaming service. They want you to use their streaming service to watch their original content!
Crazy idea, right?
Pretty ballsy, Instead of paying other companies for great content, I bet we can make better content! It seemed risky at the time, but it worked out for them. I don’t want to get too far into whether NetFlix's original content is better than others, but there is value here.
What if there was a larger media company providing original CrossFit content? Would it create more opportunities for more athletes, brands and creators?