Don Faul Explains the Livestream for Age Groups and Adaptive Divisions
CrossFit CEO Don Faul explained the underwhelming live stream coverage for age group and adaptive divisions that had fans frustrated during the first two days of competition at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
The livestream for North Park featured a single, wide angle facing the competition floor from high up, making rooting for specific athletes – or even seeing much of the action – difficult for fans watching from home.
Comments from disappointed family members and fans flooded social media, and at a press conference on Wednesday, Faul explained the decision-making process.
- Faul: “There are probably a thousand people, many of which – most of which – are volunteers, who work extraordinarily hard to pull off this amazing event and experience. There are a ton of investments and resources that need to go into delivering a great experience. What that means for us, unfortunately, sometimes is that we have to make tough calls.”
Faul’s explanation, in the end, came down to the finances of the event. While it was a super hard decision, he said, something had to give, and putting less money into the age group livestream allowed for some other facets to be carried out.
Faul did relate his love for these divisions and the empathy he feels for the fans who have been trying to watch.
- “It was a really challenging experience to trade off, and I understand if you are a family member at home, if you’re an affiliate owner who’s got an athlete competing, if you’re a coach that has helped an athlete prepare, how frustrating that experience must have been for you at home.”
The final event for teenagers, masters, and adaptive athletes will be broadcasted this afternoon. Plus, CrossFit is back on ESPN and Individual competition will be broadcasted live.
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