So whats happening with AVS / Content networks?

[gaydemon]

I've not really kept up to date on AVS / Adult content networks (or whatever its called now) sites.

What's going on with AVS sites today? Do they still make money, or definitly on the way out?

There still is plenty of submissions on gaydemon with sites using AVS so thats all good and I dont mind listing them.

But is it a dying breed? Has the money gone out of AVS?

[dzinerbear]

If you do a five-year look at UGAS's Alexa ranking, you'll see they're in a free fall heading to non-existence. I tried UGAS for a while and I didn't have the same luck with them that I had with Mancheck. I eventually gave up on UGAS when their submitters got too pissy with their rules. I still get sales and rebills every month, but it's basically beer money, if you will.

Mancheck's still doing well for me although I've noticed that new sales aren't what they used to be. By the same token, I'm not buying exclusive content for my hub any more, so perhaps that's the reason for my declining sales.

I've recently started a Global Male Pass hub and I think it would be doing better if (a) it was a bit larger, so that'll just take some time, and (b) if GMP were consistent. The first week my hub was up they included me in their mailer and I got healthy sales. They've been telling me for the past three weeks that another mailer is going out, but I'm not seeing one. So sales have been flat. Still GMP has just redesigned their site and their code and it's looking good. They have just introduced a Signature brand, which is a little weird, but it may pull off some more sales.

I think AVS still has some life left in it, but relying on webmasters submitting the same tired content is not going to help keep surfers interested. AVS hubs suffer from the same issues that Bjorn raised in his duplicate content thread. Who wants an AVS membership when everyday you find the same Broke Straight Boys photos in the "new" section? Or when a Boys First Time set should really be called Boys 99th Time.

Mancheck seems to be spending more money to buy content for their own hub, and they hands down have the best premium members area with over 100 plugins and feeds. My Mancheck rebills far exceeds anything I've seen from the other two. However, as you get networks of gay sites like Gunz Blazing, Next Door Male, and Pride Bucks expanding their networks and offering surfers multi-site access, they continue to suck traffic and sales aways from the multi-site access business model. In order to survive, I think AVS sites need to make huge investments in content to save themselves.

Michael

[Chubbs]

If you do a five-year look at UGAS's Alexa ranking, you'll see they're in a free fall heading to non-existence. I tried UGAS for a while and I didn't have the same luck with them that I had with Mancheck. I eventually gave up on UGAS when their submitters got too pissy with their rules. I still get sales and rebills every month, but it's basically beer money, if you will.

Mancheck's still doing well for me although I've noticed that new sales aren't what they used to be. By the same token, I'm not buying exclusive content for my hub any more, so perhaps that's the reason for my declining sales.

I've recently started a Global Male Pass hub and I think it would be doing better if (a) it was a bit larger, so that'll just take some time, and (b) if GMP were consistent. The first week my hub was up they included me in their mailer and I got healthy sales. They've been telling me for the past three weeks that another mailer is going out, but I'm not seeing one. So sales have been flat. Still GMP has just redesigned their site and their code and it's looking good. They have just introduced a Signature brand, which is a little weird, but it may pull off some more sales.

I think AVS still has some life left in it, but relying on webmasters submitting the same tired content is not going to help keep surfers interested. AVS hubs suffer from the same issues that Bjorn raised in his duplicate content thread. Who wants an AVS membership when everyday you find the same Broke Straight Boys photos in the "new" section? Or when a Boys First Time set should really be called Boys 99th Time.

Mancheck seems to be spending more money to buy content for their own hub, and they hands down have the best premium members area with over 100 plugins and feeds. My Mancheck rebills far exceeds anything I've seen from the other two. However, as you get networks of gay sites like Gunz Blazing, Next Door Male, and Pride Bucks expanding their networks and offering surfers multi-site access, they continue to suck traffic and sales aways from the multi-site access business model. In order to survive, I think AVS sites need to make huge investments in content to save themselves.

Michael

Agree 100%. I think they need to go with more of a prideaccess biz model. It seems to still convert/rebill quite well. I know its a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.

--Chubbs

[marcjacob]

Mansite is getting a new design so their affiliate rep says. Bit of news for you!

[xstr8guy]

Agree 100%. I think they need to go with more of a prideaccess biz model. It seems to still convert/rebill quite well. I know its a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.

--Chubbs

I was a loyal UGAS affiliate for years followed by a few Deluxepass sites and a Mancheck hub before we opened UKNM. I continually pressed UGAS to follow the AEN model but was totally ignored.

I haven't actively promoted UGAS, Mancheck or DP in a couple of years. And during that time, my UGAS check have fallen to about 20% of what they were at the peak. And in the same period, my DP checks have only fallen to about 75% of what they were. Surprisingly my Mancheck checks have hardly fell at all although they never reached the level of sales of UGAS at my peak.

[archer]

i have to agree with dzinerbear and others.

UGAS is in freefall(and has been for some time). have u taken a look at their list lately? yech. i've always thought they were an arrogant bunch so SOBs(sort of like MaleCorps on another post here)

in the last week i see they're trying some new things but i wonder if it's just moving the deckchairs on the titanic.

sales of ugas pass are about 10% of what they were at the peak. i have to differ from other posters as to the why. I think the fall off is due as much to market saturation (everyone and his brother has a UGAS pass sort of thing) as to 'boy's 99th time' syndrome.

nevertheless ugas continues to provide good targeted traffic which is nothing to sniff at.

the fall off for GMP and Mancheck for me is not nearly as drastic as that of UGAS.

[gaydemon]

in the last week i see they're trying some new things but i wonder if it's just moving the deckchairs on the titanic.

Thats a good saying! lol

But so what if a new Program was launched if the market is saturated? Or would it be too late to start a new one..

Not that I would ever want to try that.

[xstr8guy]

Thats a good saying! lol

But so what if a new Program was launched if the market is saturated? Or would it be too late to start a new one..

Not that I would ever want to try that.

I think it's too late for a traditional photo-centered AVS but the market is still wide open for AENs that want to push the envelope into broadband territories. My past success on a primarily straight movie AEN Deluxepass was evidence of that. Prideaccess is a nice idea but their inablilty to issue me checks is very disturbing and they've completely lost my trust. I think a good alternative gay AEN modeled on the DeluxePass formula could be very successful.