While there are at least a half-dozen companies competing for the straight adult DVD Internet rental market, via the Netflix model, MachoDVD is the first major foray into the gay Internet rental market.
Jason Wood, a partner in MachoDVD, feels that the DVD rental service is the solution to what can be an exasperating and even embarrassing experience.
“When you go into a video store it’s always such a hassle. You have to go into the back to get the gay video section, then dig through the box covers, which often don’t give you any indication about what is inside, then go up to the counter and rent Angry Anal Boys #4,” Wood told AVN.com
“This is a great way to see what you want at home. You may have a particular taste or fetish that is much easier to indulge in the privacy of your own home,” Wood suggested.
To avoid the frustration of misleading box covers, MachoDVD includes screenshots of the title in question so that consumers can get more of a feel for what they are renting. Customers also have the ability to post their own reviews of the titles.
Though they just launched in June, MachoDVD already has an inventory of over 1,000 titles.
“We have a vast majority of every major studio’s offerings, as well as a good stock from the second and third tier companies,” said Tracy Linde, senior vice president of business development for MachoDVD.
Consumers can sign up for plans that entitle them to have anywhere from two to six DVDs out a one time, with monthly fees ranging from $24.95 to $49.95 depending on the amount of titles they wish to have at one time. Surprisingly, Linde reports that nearly a third of their customers are going for the $49.95 plan, which allows them to keep up to six DVDs out at a time.
Since their launch, the company has been focusing on street team marketing at various gay pride events throughout the county and plans to start doing cross promotions with gay bars and other lifestyle centers. In addition, they will have a point-of-purchase marketing campaign throughout the nearly 150-store AVI adult retail chain.
However, the company is really banking on word-to-mouth promotion to drive traffic to their site, citing the gay community's general acceptance of porn.
“Rarely are you, as a gay man, ever in a household with minors or an opposite sex spouse. So porn is much more out there. It often finds it’s way into polite dinner conversations. We love our porn,” said Wood, who notes that while he’s never been professionally involved in porn he has been a lifetime enthusiast.
MachoDVD also offers an affiliate program with real time statistics so Webmasters can monitor their profits moment to moment. Commission is based on either a one-time bounty of $12 or an ongoing revenue share of 15 percent for the life of the customer for each referral.
For more info on the affiliate program, click here.
