It’s been almost two weeks since many of us here at SB Nation NHL got the news that Vox was pulling its support – financial and otherwise – for our communities, effective at the end of February. In some ways, it feels like that two weeks has gone by in a flash, but it also feels like it’s dragged for months.
I’m going to be totally honest with you: I still don’t have a lot of answers from the higher-ups at Vox, though my colleagues & I are doing our due diligence to try and get information. Unfortunately, it seems as though the announcement of pulling support came quickly, when a lot of the details hadn’t really been thought through yet. Two weeks later, we still have many questions about what’s going to happen after February 28 and further down the line.
Here’s what I can tell you right now:
- My goal is to try & keep the Die by the Blade name (as well as its domain) alive. I know many of my colleagues want to do the same for their respective sites. We do not have any information about the process to make this happen or any costs/timeline associated.
- Myself & my colleagues are exploring a number of options for the network of NHL sites/communities that would hopefully allow us to stay together, keep our current monikers and transition to a new network or platform. We’re a united front, and I’m incredibly proud of how we’ve stepped up and stuck together amid this mess.
- The site will seemingly not just go dark after February 28. However, I don’t know if it will look the same, or have the same commenting system, or any of those details. My goal is to continue covering the Sabres for the rest of the season, even though Vox will no longer be paying us beyond this month. Gifts to our GoFundMe will be primarily used to pay our writers & editors for their independent work beyond 2/28.
- Funds from the GFM may also be used in a possible transition to a new platform. For instance, one option, among many, is Ghost, which costs about $600/year. Again, we’re exploring a bunch of options & we’re incredibly grateful to all who have stepped up to donate, offer to help with their time, or share a positive word!/
It’s clear this community means a lot to people – we’re one of the original SB Nation NHL sites! – and we want to keep things rolling, especially amid such a special Buffalo Sabres season. I’ve been reading through the comments on our GoFundMe as well as the responses to our survey, and your support means the world.
I wish I had more answers to share at this point, but I wanted to at least provide a small update on where things stand and reassure everyone that we’re not giving up or giving in.