I like that badminton is not so commercialised as
football or tennis, only because of money they do not give a **** even about olympics :/ which should be pinnacle for all athletes, so there is fine line when sport becomes just business and not something you love doing.
i like it's accessibility and more personal feel at tournaments also. but, the sport cannot grow w/out $. fewer and fewer people will see it as a career option due to the low earning power. the game quality will suffer and slowly regress. it doesn't need to get to nfl or futbol level, but at least to a point in making it a viable career choice. so, what is that annual number to make it viable for people to undertake? $100k/yr, $200k/yr? $300k/yr? you also need to consider what it costs to be a world class athlete: training/coaching/physio costs, travel costs, injury insurance costs... well, better double those $'s i listed.
without the growth in money athletes will never be able to afford to be independent, to make their own career choices. the current oppressive team system will remain... which is ironic due to the fact badminton is an individual sport like tennis and golf.
And actually you do not have to be player in top 30 to live from badminton, there are many other roles as well (you can live very well by coaching amateurs like me

).
what do you think an avg club coach makes? can you raise a family on that? to be a highly sought after ex-top athlete coach think about what it cost and the years it took to make it to that point.
really like what BWF is doing on youtube
frankly, i hate it. it does nothing to support a badminton athlete's career financially, which should be priority one for any sports governing body. it would be fine as long as they were doing other things to benefit the current athletes.
I so would not mind paying subscription fee for such TV
really? how much would you be willing to pay? be honest...
not.so.fun facts: (aka. sad facts)
career earnings of current #1's : approximate # of 'professional' years : avg annual $
momota - $1,100,339.00 : 6 (susp. not incl.) : $183,390
tai tzu ying - $1,367,455.00 : 10 : $136,746
minions - $782,520 ea : 5 : $156,504
cqc/jyf - $445,871 ea : 4 : $111,468
zsw/hyq - $745,591 : 4 : $186,398
* lee chong-wei - $1,855,958 : 18 : $103,109... granted there was less prize $ during his career. however, badminton has not kept pace with prize money/earnings growth in other sports.
hmmm... i must be in a year-end ranting mood. i love and hate everything about this sport.