BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

These things happen....

Someone needs to create a CD app so these tragedies don't occur.

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

If the numbers I have been seeing are right, BattleBots maintained about 70% of the key demo from the premiere and throughout its run. It also was pulling in about 83% of its premier audience throughout the run. This show had a pretty solid lead-in and was rarely contested among the networks in the realm of new programming (not reruns), which enabled their success. I would put renewal chances pretty favorably right now (2/3 chance). It would be interesting to see how they could stand up to winter programming on network TV, but I think another 6-8 episode pickup for next summer is probable.

Battlebots 2015 ratings:

# Viewers A18-49
1 5.44 1.9
2 4.84 1.4
3 4.15 1.2
4 4.07 1.2
5 4.45 1.3
6* 4.61 1.4

• Viewers are in millions, A18-49 are ratings.
• Episode 6 ratings are preliminary and subject to adjustment.
• A18-49 ratings matter, not total viewers. This actually works in Battlebots' favor because it skews younger than most other shows on TV.

[Grant Cox]

Go Bite Force! You can read more about VEX's involvement in the 2015 BattleBots season, including some insight from Paul Ventimiglia, here: http://www.vexrobotics.com/battlebots-2015

Personally, I was a huge fan of the season.. I think that ABC nailed it. Perfect blend of cool robots, big hits, high production value, and minimal reality show fluff. It was enticing and appealing to new viewers while also providing enough "raw" action and pit footage for robot fans like us. Much more "professional robotics event" a la Michigan State Championship, much less "America's Got Talent" with constant audience shots and manufactured drama.

[Koko Ed]

For the next season they should do an open casting call for teams to qualify for the big show in regional tournaments. Kind of what American Idol does. It'll weed out any potential lemons and give the audience the best bots on display.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

For the next season they should do an open casting call for teams to qualify for the big show in regional tournaments. Kind of what American Idol does. It'll weed out any potential lemons and give the audience the best bots on display.

The two major downsides to this are the higher cost, and the many builders putting money into their robots that wouldn't get TV time.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

For the next season they should do an open casting call for teams to qualify for the big show in regional tournaments. Kind of what American Idol does. It'll weed out any potential lemons and give the audience the best bots on display.

Third downside to this is that the (reasonably successful) show didn't appear to select entrants based solely on expected performance in the matches.

IMO the show was about entertainment, as much or more as it was about effective robots. I assume that any follow-up show will be too. When those two notions overlapped, that was good for the show; but when they didn't, eye candy seemed to be just as important as the likelihood that a bot would win matches.

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by gblake

Third downside to this is that the (reasonably successful) show didn't appear to select entrants based solely on expected performance in the matches.

You have to realize that Battlebots is playing the long game here. They only had 1 season to prove themselves, before they get possibly a longer contract. They selected robots with audience appeal to got the ratings up to allow season 2. Once the show is re-established I believe they will migrate towards battle-ready vs crowd appeal.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by BBray_T1296

You have to realize that Battlebots is playing the long game here. They only had 1 season to prove themselves, before they get possibly a longer contract. They selected robots with audience appeal to got the ratings up to allow season 2. Once the show is re-established I believe they will migrate towards battle-ready vs crowd appeal.

I'm not sure if you are disagreeing with me or not, but I'm confident that if you ask television show producers whether they want crowd appeal or want battle-ready robots, they will say "both". I'm also confident that if they are forced to choose between the two, they will say "crowd-appeal".

Television makes money by entertaining the largest possible collection of viewers in their target demographics. They don't make money by recruiting battle-ready robots. When those two ideas overlap, that's good, and shows like BattleBots are born. When they don't overlap, one wins.

You have to remember to look through the correct end of the ABC telescope. It's the end labeled, "How to make money".

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by gblake

You have to remember to look through the correct end of the ABC telescope. It's the end labeled, "How to make money".

For ABC, it's pretty simple. They paid Whalerock Industries a flat(ish) license fee for the rights to air Battlebots. If the ad revenue exceeded that license fee, they made money. If the ad revenue was less than the license fee, they lost money.

If and how Whalerock made money is a bit more complicated. They get the license fee revenue from ABC, DVD/digital distribution revenue, merchandising revenue, (possible) entry fees from participants..., but they also have to pay for the entire costs of production. Too many unknowns to draw any simple(ish) conclusions.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

Too many unknowns to draw any simple(ish) conclusions.

Again, I'm not sure if a comment was written to disagree, or not. I don't think that I drew any simple conclusions. Regardless, I'll paraphrase what one of my economics professors taught us. "Businesses don't exist to try to make a profit. They have to make a profit."

In this situation, the businesses involved don't exist to determine a best robot combatant. They exist to make money and they are using robot combat to do it. I'm glad they are, and expanding their audition process would be a great development. I expect showmanship to be an important part of any expansion.

If I audition, expect my robot and team to look good, *and* work well.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by BBray_T1296

Once the show is re-established I believe they will migrate towards battle-ready vs crowd appeal.

I don't. There are ways to make sure you have crowd appeal robots that are actually competent, but you are not going to see a move to purely battle ready...because all you will have is horizontal spinners and wedges. The producers/creators of Battlebots have been very consistent in saying that they absolutely do not want that.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Cory

I don't. There are ways to make sure you have crowd appeal robots that are actually competent, but you are not going to see a move to purely battle ready...because all you will have is horizontal spinners and wedges. The producers/creators of Battlebots have been very consistent in saying that they absolutely do not want that.

Which is good because it'd be Recycle Rush levels of BORING. (which is an accomplishment when we're talking about robots destroying each other)

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Which is good because it'd be Recycle Rush levels of BORING. (which is an accomplishment when we're talking about robots destroying each other)

Whoa whoa... It'd be better than recycle rush.

You'd have to outlaw wedges and all weapons to even come close.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by BBray_T1296

You have to realize that Battlebots is playing the long game here. They only had 1 season to prove themselves, before they get possibly a longer contract. They selected robots with audience appeal to got the ratings up to allow season 2. Once the show is re-established I believe they will migrate towards battle-ready vs crowd appeal.

You are right on part of this, it is definitely about the Long game. However the only way they will go towards functionality instead of crowd appeal is if the market demands it. As others have said the goal is to make money, and in tv ratings = money. The emphasis is always on crowd appeal, the only hope is that over time it may be the case that a robot like Radioactive that is more form than function will have less appeal to the crowd, that they would rather see a competitive match than watch a horizontal spinner crush a work of art.

While there is a part of me that would love to see the best 16 robots in the country compete, even as an engineer I would rather have Mark Setrakian come back with a masterpiece of a robot that may not win anything.

I would however be interested in seeing the casting expanded. Two methods that I have seen work well in the past that could work here would be to use a preexisting tournament (Robogames Maybe) and reserve a spot in season 2 for the winner of that tournament. This would allow another top robot to make it. ABC or Battlebots could produce digital content based on the qualifying tournament, and it would offer a good backstory for a bot.

Another alternative in the world of social media would be a peoples choice robot, similar to above, announce 15 seeds(or however many), and leave one spot open too voting by the public. Teams could post bios and make videos, and through multiple rounds of voting a final team would be selected to take the final tournament seed. This method has been used on many reality shows.

Either of these are in my opinion much more feasible than opening it up to a single tournament, as they allow the producers more control, and have the added benefit of offering web content that would expand the reach of the show outside of the season, which is becoming more important to Networks as the entire 18-49 demo is shifting towards alternatives to TV for their video consumption.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

the only hope is that over time it may be the case that a robot like Biohazard that is more form than function will have less appeal to the crowd, that they would rather see a competitive match than watch a horizontal spinner crush a work of art.

Biohazard was all about form. I'm guessing you mean Radioactive?