Randy Newberg’s new subscription-based platform provides exclusive access to one of hunting’s most notable names. And it focuses on self-guided public land hunting.
Launched today, the Fresh Tracks+ platform offers a new avenue to watching hunter Randy Newberg’s amassed treasure trove of public land hunting media.
If you’re not familiar with Newberg, his focus zeroes in on documenting the plight and success of the DIY public land hunter. Yet, he does much more than that. Through education, advocacy, and a wide net of content, Newberg aims to create more champions of public land with the caveat of entertaining as he goes.
Entertain he does. With multiple podcasts, television shows, web series, branded gear, the usual social media platforms, and a full-on hunting forum named Hunt Talk under his media umbrella, the innovation doesn’t seem to stop.
And with that, he’s developed a streaming service that focuses on the needs and requests of his audience.
I talked with Newberg about his new endeavor. Read on for more.
The What of Fresh Tracks+
Newberg’s streaming platform requires a monthly ($10/month) or annual subscription ($80/year). And like most streaming services, a bevy of content is already available.
The perks to the platform are thus: no ads, increased privacy, live events for members, and early releases of content. And Newberg promises that this is simply the beginning of the Fresh Tracks+ universe. To come is a mobile app, a Smart TV app, a social component for members, and likely much more.
“We sent out a lot of surveys about what people wanted from our content, and one of the things our audience most requested was a sense of personal privacy that the big social media outlets just don’t offer,” Newberg told GearJunkie.
Members who subscribe to Fresh Tracks+ are guaranteed that their viewing data and information is not being sold or bought; it’s staying right where it is.
It also reduces the upfront cost of watching on a streaming platform like Amazon. The old seasons will stay on Amazon for those who have purchased them. But the new seasons will find their place on Fresh Tracks+ and for a lot less money.
The biggest offering Newberg shared with me in our talk was the ability to offer his audience a new choice when it comes to how they interact with his content.
“Any type of content has a price, whether that’s time or money. On YouTube, viewers are forced to watch ads and they trade that time for content,” Newberg said. “The subscription model offers our members something different, a promise of privacy and zero time spent looking at ads.”
Early releases for members will bolster the excitement for new seasons, but for those who don’t mind the exchange of advertisements for content, Newberg will still be uploading the majority of content to YouTube.
A First Look at Fresh Tracks+
I’ve spent some time in Fresh Tracks+, and the simplicity of the initial platform speaks for itself. It’s as easy as Netflix to scroll through and find what you might be looking for.
Different types of shows, older seasons, and educational videos are themed throughout. And this makes it easy to suss out whether you want to watch a multiday hunt, stream an entire season, or simply focus on one particular video while you’re on your lunch break at your laptop.
And the quality of film doesn’t suffer at all. The amount of content on Fresh Tracks+ currently pales in comparison to the amount of content Newberg has on his YouTube channel. But, all in due time. This is, after all, just the beginning of a new ecosystem of hunting content.
Final Thoughts
In the wake of the biggest social media platforms continuing to censor hunting-focused content via algorithms and advertising standards, it’s a smart move for a mover and shaker in the hunting industry.
“I feel like William Wallace in Braveheart,” Newberg joked as we talked about adding choice in the content media arena. It was the perfect visual for a new endeavor.
The arc of freedom in content consumption is taking up ever more space in public conversation. The selling of personal data, the barrage of cookies and ads online, and the basic feeling of internet intrusion have consequences.
Fresh Tracks+ is one such move in a direction that might begin taking up more space in an industry that can often feel shut out by big tech.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.
