Is anyone actually landing real retainers in combat sports videography? Or is this niche capped?

I’m starting to question something.

Is there actually a sustainable retainer model in combat sports videography, or are most of us just cycling through short term content gigs?

I see a lot of highlight reels. A lot of event recaps. A lot of gym content.

But I do not see many people openly talking about consistent monthly retainers tied to real business impact.

So I’m asking directly:

Are any of you genuinely holding long term monthly contracts with MMA, BJJ, boxing, or wrestling gyms?

If you are:

• What are you actually responsible for each month? • How are you tying your work to revenue, retention, or enrollment? • What discovery questions are you asking before structuring your offer? • Did you embed yourself into the gym culture, or approach it strictly from a business angle?

From my perspective, the real value we bring should be:

Attention Authority Proof Consistency Time saved

And at a deeper level, most combat sports gyms care about:

Filling beginner programs Keeping white belts from quitting Looking legitimate in a crowded market Attracting serious athletes instead of flakes Strengthening culture

If content reinforces those things, it should be valuable long term.

But here’s another obstacle I keep running into:

A lot of gyms say, “We already have a media guy.”

Yet their posting is inconsistent, low effort, or not clearly tied to growth.

For those of you with real retainers, how are you navigating that objection?

Are you positioning yourself differently? Are you focusing on systems instead of content? Are you collaborating with existing media people instead of replacing them?

I recently moved and I’m rebuilding in a new market, so I’m trying to approach this strategically instead of relying on proximity and luck.

If you’ve actually cracked consistent retainers in this niche, I would genuinely appreciate insight on what shifted things from short term projects to long term contracts.