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<fs smaller>**DRAMATIC DROP** Yesterday, the Ares Studio Patreon campaign suffered the biggest single-day drop since it began. What's behind it?</fs>

<fs x-small>MARCH 2, 2019<wrap indent> | </wrap><wrap indent> 2 MIN READ</wrap></fs>

====== Ares Studio Patreon Faces Crucible ======

**//Beware the First of March: Donors Re-evaluate Ares Studios' Value Proposition//**

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**March 1 offered the first real test of sustainability** for Axanar producer Alec Peters’ effort to get fans to pay for the warehouse he calls Ares Studios in suburban Atlanta.

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===== Sluggish Growth =====

Already plagued by sluggish growth  for some time, the Patreon campaign yesterday actually lost donors and its monthly pledges tumbled, too.

==== Net Losses ====

  * **Net loss of donors**  by the end of the day was -5, though at one point it was down by eight.
  * **Net loss of donations**  by the end of the day were down by $64 — the largest single-day drop ever for the campaign.

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===== What's up with March 1? =====

**The significance of March 1**: Patreon deducts patrons’ pledges from their accounts on the first of each month. That’s the day we saw these numbers tumble dramatically.

**Following declines from YouTube dispute**: Yesterday’s precipitous drops follow falling support in the wake of Peters’ [[:youtube_retaliation|very public dispute]] with influential YouTuber MechaRandom42 as he continues his crusade against his scandal-plagued rival, //Star Trek Continues//  star Vic Mignogna.

===== Why it matters =====

Peters is counting on a [[:incredible_shrinking_studio#volatile_revenue|consistent revenue]] stream from Patreon to underwrite the lease for his warehouse.

However, as Patreon reminds his donors that money is being withdrawn from their accounts each month, some reevaluate whether they’re receiving the value they expected. {{page>footer}} {{tag>Patreon Ares_Studios OWC_Studios crowdfunding}}