Sky Speedway

[A ORLOV 8,628]

From what I can gather Swindon won't be on SKY as they're reverting back to Thursday nights due to the fact they need people through the gates to watch the meeting rather than in their armchairs a home

It was stated that at the moment the meeting next monday will be BV Poole but this is subject to change, so they could revert to Swindon Lakeside.

Swindon may revert to the thursday only when it is confirmed that the meeting being shown is BV Poole. It would be mad running on an off night and against BV Poole on the tv.

[shazzybird 10]

Have a look at Rosco's twitter he's the one that said it

[FrankThePug 19]

 

 

They may not be aware that Cook won't be riding for Belle Vue as he will be with Edinburgh at Workington. That makes the Belle Vue match a bit of a waste of time.

 

Does anyone know the rule regarding this and Cook, since both meetings have been re-arranged which does he ride in

[Reliant Robin 492]

Have a look at Rosco's twitter he's the one that said it ��

He said it as a possibility if Swindon are not on Sky - they're certainly not choosing to not be on Sky

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

IT probably won't have any effect on whether or not they televise EL speedway in 2013 but Sky weren't happy last night with the abject performance of Lakeside and the injudicious remarks attributed to Swindon captain Hans Andersen about the scheduled visit of the Hammers on Monday. Both were instrumental in Sky deciding to switch their cameras to Belle Vue, although that may still change if Poole's play-off hopes are scuppered by then.

 

For those who haven't seen or read Andersen's comments in the Evening Advertiser, here are the relevant quotes:

 

Andersen believes the meeting is the perfect chance for the Robins riders to test their equipment ahead of their play-off challenge, and also hinted his side may consider their options ahead of the final meeting depending on who they would rather face in the post season. “We wouldn't be in the position we are in now if we had been bad all season, and obviously there have been various things which have been going on which people know about,” he said. “We've had some injuries, but now we have a full side everyone wants to go out there and do their best which we showed on the track against Poole. “I think now we have a part to play in the final meeting about who we want to see in the play-offs, and if things go the way they might go we could decide who gets fourth place or not whether we win or lose the final meeting. “If it suited our team we have to do what’s best for us, we don't think about other teams, so if it suits us better we have to do what we have to do to retain our title. “Now our play-off spot is assured I will say to the team if they have engines or anything they need to test out that this is the best time to do it because we can make sure it’s all right for the play-offs. “There’s no better test to do things like that than in a proper meeting, and it’s good to have that chance maybe against Lakeside.

 

It was a good story for Andy Warren at the Advertiser and one can even understand Andersen's logic but it certainly sent shivers down Sky's spine, especially given the fact that in normal circumstances Lakeside wouldn't be considered to have a cat in hell's chance at Blunsdon.

 

What I do find odd is that Swindon must be favourites to win the title again even if Poole were to join them in the play-offs alongside Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Peterborough might be a threat but they could be out of it anyway if Poole collect the maximum in Manchester.

 

Meetings between Birmingham and Wolverhampton and Swindon and Poole would be guaranteed money-spinners, just what the doctor might order at this stage of a campaign that hasn't exactly been financial fruitful for anyone. Perm any two from those four for the final and good crowds can be anticipated once again

 

Sky's decision to cover all three of Lakeside's last away fixtures was always debatable. No disrespect to the Hammers but they are hardly great entertainment on the road, especially with the evergreen Peter Karlsson sidelined. Sky were already mindful of a switch but last night's encounter at Poole and Andersen's comments really gave them no choice unless Lakeside pull something out of the hat at King's Lynn.

[Tom Turner 347]

There are few people or organizations that bring anything of commercial value to speedway.

 

The support and coverage that Sky offer is unrivaled and does a hell of a lot more good than bad.

 

It really annoys me when people say that is bad, or a bad advert for the sport. Nobody can foresee a result. Nobody could say for sure what way that match would of went. If it could of been foreseen then Sky would of perhaps chosen a different match instead. If Sky can give the sport a bad image just by broadcasting a normal league match that could of gone either way then really it is speedway itself that is doomed to fail and no amount of positive coverage could change that.

 

Have you ever introduced a friend to speedway? If I wanted to bring 4 guys from work to speedway then I'd have to convince them to spend £20 just to get in, not to mention a beer and a burger on top of that. If all 5 of us go then we are looking at £120. For those who have never been to speedway or are already of the opinion that "it's just bike's going round in circles" then that is no easy feat.

 

However, I can spend £20 (the price of my ticket alone) on a crate of beers and enough crisps and burgers for 5 people to relax and watch fantastic coverage of elite league speedway with commentary, multiple camera angles and behind the scenes interviews with the riders and management.

 

Sky Sports is an invaluable tool and is just one of many commercial aspects of speedway that modern day promoters don't respect the value of.

 

Speedway needs a drastic overhaul. It's time promoters stopped resting on their laurels and relying on the older generation of die hard fans to keep them afloat. We NEED to introduce a new era of speedway and come up to date with the times. Modern day technology is advancing at a tremendous rate and speedway is a million miles behind. For example, take a look at the website of recent elite league champions the Poole Pirates (click here). The quality is absolutely disgraceful! The design is terrible and completely out of date, the site is messy and unorganized, the content is boring and dull. It is completely deprived of any interesting and interactive content. This is not a good advert for speedway.

 

Wake up everyone. This is 2013. There are currently 82.7 million mobile phone users in the UK. Currently 60% of these mobile phone users have a phone capable of accessing the internet and by 2017 this will leap to over 80%. 75% of those aged 16 to 34 use the internet on their mobile at least once a day. This is staggering. And yet these opportunities are completely missed by promoters.

 

I have had hundreds of ideas for British speedway. I have ran businesses all my life and I know just how important these things will become to British speedway. The time is now.

 

I have approached every promoter in the UK with presentations on modern day payment solutions and how to utilize the internet and this has fallen on deaf ears with only a few promoters choosing to engage in dialogue. I have been met with great feedback from riders and fans alike, but still no luck.

 

I am confident that the real issues we face are down to the hostility and resistance to change from promoters and fans who do not live in the modern age. I am so confident that I would offer my consultancy services to any promoter free of charge. British speedway is a million miles from the great sport it could easily evolve to become with right insight and direction from younger and market savvy entrepreneurs.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Synikalle

[manchesterpaul 447]

I too have enjoyed Speedway on SKY for years, and yes, their coverage IS fantastic - I have loved it. So I totally agree with you there.

 

100% agree.

 

sky do a good job but do they really push speedway on their channels. its never advertised .you never see trailers for it .on the other side eurosport look like they have really taken it under their motorsport wing and seem to be really pushing the sport out there to a bigger audience.

 

That's one thing i've touched on multiple times over the years. The only time we've seen it on Sky Sports News is at the very end of the 11pm or later programme where they show about one and a half minutes of the night's televised action. Sadly, no matter how much fantastic racing there may have been during the meeting, it nearly always consists of two items the first being an obligatory crash clip and then the end of the last heat even if it was processional.

 

Having said that i do hope that the excellent improvements we have seen this season indicate we could have coverage next season. The 'inside track' feature is superb and alerts non-speedway viewers that there is a lot more involved than simply going round in a circle for four laps. Also, wonder of wonders i've caught sight of a preview of the night's meeting on Sky Sports News!

 

Premier Sports also heavily promote speedway during breaks with prolonged highlights (not just during a speedway broadcast either) and also include it in their 'coming up on Premier Sports' trailers, not often Sky do that in their trailers.

Edited September 3, 2013 by manchesterpaul

[The White Knight 9,039]

There are few people or organizations that bring anything of commercial value to speedway.

 

The support and coverage that Sky offer is unrivaled and does a hell of a lot more good than bad.

 

THAT is an opinion - NOT a fact.

 

I don't agree with you - the Sport has changed out of all recognition since the advent of SKY - and NOT for the better in my humble opinion.

[Tom Turner 347]

sky do a good job but do they really push speedway on their channels. its never advertised .you never see trailers for it .on the other side eurosport look like they have really taken it under their motorsport wing and seem to be really pushing the sport out there to a bigger audience.

 

It is not Sky's job to promote speedway. It is the job of the promoters. Sky Sports generates it's income from 2 main sources; subscribers and advertising. Sky spend time and money working out just what their subscribers want to watch and until promoters work together to bring speedway into the modern era then the percentage of subscribers interested in speedway will continue to fall. Sky Sports also makes a lot of it's money through advertising. Advertisers are only interested in gaining as much coverage as possible for their money and won't want to invest their money in advertising on lower volume television slots such as speedway.

 

If the viewers aren't watching it then the advertisers won't pay for it. If the advertisers won't pay for it then you no longer have a show.

 

The responsibility does not lie with Sky but with the dire promotion of British speedway in general.

 

THAT is an opinion - NOT a fact.

 

I don't agree with you - the Sport has changed out of all recognition since the advent of SKY - and NOT for the better in my humble opinion.

 

May I ask how old you are if you wouldn't mind telling me? I don't need to know exactly but a rough age range would be most helpful.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Synikalle

[The White Knight 9,039]

It is not Sky's job to promote speedway. It is the job of the promoters. Sky Sports generates it's income from 2 main sources; subscribers and advertising. Sky spend time and money working out just what their subscribers want to watch and until promoters work together to bring speedway into the modern era then the percentage of subscribers interested in speedway will continue to fall. Sky Sports also makes a lot of it's money through advertising. Advertisers are only interested in gaining as much coverage as possible for their money and won't want to invest their money in advertising on lower volume television slots such as speedway.

 

If the viewers aren't watching it then the advertisers won't pay for it. If the advertisers won't pay for it then you no longer have a show.

 

The responsibility does not lie with Sky but with the dire promotion of British speedway in general.

 

 

 

May I ask how old you are if you wouldn't mind telling me? I don't need to know exactly but a rough age range would be most helpful.

 

It no doubt will NOT surprise you that I am 68 years old.

 

Now you will tell me I need to move with the times I suppose.

 

Well I have watched Speedway for nearly 50 years (next year). I know what I watched then - and - I know what I watch now. For all the so-called progress in Bikes, Rules/Regulations, Riders etc. the Sport is not a patch on Speedway as I used to view it.

 

Just my opinion of course - BUT - a hell of a lot of people feel the same.

 

Have you looked at crowd levels lately.

Edited September 3, 2013 by The White Knight

[Tom Turner 347]

It no doubt will NOT surprise you that I am 68 years old.

 

Now you will tell me I need to move with the times I suppose.

 

Well I have watched Speedway for nearly 50 years (next year). I know what I watched then - and - I know what I watch now. For all the so-called progress in Bikes, Rules/Regulations, Riders etc. the Sport is not a patch on Speedway as I used to view it.

 

Just my opinion of course - BUT - a hell of a lot of people feel the same.

 

Have you looked at crowd levels lately.

 

No sir, I would not tell you to move with the times, however you are in the age range I had suspected you were.

 

I in fact have utmost respect for you, and thank you and all other long standing fans unreservedly for your loyal support that has driven speedway for many years and has given me the wonderful opportunity to be a part of it all.

 

It is however inevitable that times will change and promoters will need to evolve with the times to allow the sport to develop and grow once more. Some of the changes you have mentioned to bikes, rules and riders may not have been for the best and these issues are just the kind that would need to be addressed in a complete overhaul of modern day speedway but I don't think much if any of this can be directly attributed to Sky Sports but instead promoters making uninformed decisions in an attempt to save a sport that is heading in the wrong direction.

 

Would I be right in saying you don't own or perhaps make use of an internet enabled mobile phone? I have no gripes with that but it is an accurate statistic that 75% of 16 to 34 year old's do use the internet on their mobile. So why is it that the majority of promoters do not have a modern and mobile friendly website or app? Why are millions of potential viewers being completely excluded? It is no surprise that the majority of attending fans are of an older generation.

 

It may not be your way of life, or a way of life that you are familiar with but for millions it is, and it's not going to go away. This is just one example of speedway failing to move fast enough to keep up with modern times. Until promoters harness the immense power of modern day communication methods then numbers will continue to show a sharp decline as there will be a distinct lack of younger generation fans to replace the existing older generations.

 

I have looked at the crowd levels recently, every week in fact, and I believe the lack of forwarding thinking from promoters of an older and more resistive generation is directly responsible for this.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Synikalle

[SCB 0]

There are few people or organizations that bring anything of commercial value to speedway.

 

The support and coverage that Sky offer is unrivaled and does a hell of a lot more good than bad.

 

It really annoys me when people say that is bad, or a bad advert for the sport. Nobody can foresee a result. Nobody could say for sure what way that match would of went. If it could of been foreseen then Sky would of perhaps chosen a different match instead. If Sky can give the sport a bad image just by broadcasting a normal league match that could of gone either way then really it is speedway itself that is doomed to fail and no amount of positive coverage could change that.

 

Have you ever introduced a friend to speedway? If I wanted to bring 4 guys from work to speedway then I'd have to convince them to spend £20 just to get in, not to mention a beer and a burger on top of that. If all 5 of us go then we are looking at £120. For those who have never been to speedway or are already of the opinion that "it's just bike's going round in circles" then that is no easy feat.

 

However, I can spend £20 (the price of my ticket alone) on a crate of beers and enough crisps and burgers for 5 people to relax and watch fantastic coverage of elite league speedway with commentary, multiple camera angles and behind the scenes interviews with the riders and management.

 

Sky Sports is an invaluable tool and is just one of many commercial aspects of speedway that modern day promoters don't respect the value of.

 

Speedway needs a drastic overhaul. It's time promoters stopped resting on their laurels and relying on the older generation of die hard fans to keep them afloat. We NEED to introduce a new era of speedway and come up to date with the times. Modern day technology is advancing at a tremendous rate and speedway is a million miles behind. For example, take a look at the website of recent elite league champions the Poole Pirates (click here). The quality is absolutely disgraceful! The design is terrible and completely out of date, the site is messy and unorganized, the content is boring and dull. It is completely deprived of any interesting and interactive content. This is not a good advert for speedway.

 

Wake up everyone. This is 2013. There are currently 82.7 million mobile phone users in the UK. Currently 60% of these mobile phone users have a phone capable of accessing the internet and by 2017 this will leap to over 80%. 75% of those aged 16 to 34 use the internet on their mobile at least once a day. This is staggering. And yet these opportunities are completely missed by promoters.

 

I have had hundreds of ideas for British speedway. I have ran businesses all my life and I know just how important these things will become to British speedway. The time is now.

 

I have approached every promoter in the UK with presentations on modern day payment solutions and how to utilize the internet and this has fallen on deaf ears with only a few promoters choosing to engage in dialogue. I have been met with great feedback from riders and fans alike, but still no luck.

 

I am confident that the real issues we face are down to the hostility and resistance to change from promoters and fans who do not live in the modern age. I am so confident that I would offer my consultancy services to any promoter free of charge. British speedway is a million miles from the great sport it could easily evolve to become with right insight and direction from younger and market savvy entrepreneurs.

You're not meant to quote a whole post like this without adding much but IMO it's that good it's worth repeating.

 

Speedway websites are pretty crap and I don't think any clubs embraces facebook, twitter and all that sort of stuff anywhere near as much as they could and should. Snapchat is the "cool" kids giving you there account for you to spam them! The who concept is you swap photos, well you send them an image of speedway bikes every week to remind them there's a meeting for FFS, it couldn't be easier. Does any club have an official snapchat account? I know a few use twitter and facebook.

 

It's a while since I went searching speedway websites but frankly, most are boring and dated. I thought speedway was fast, loud, wild, high adrenaline?! You'd not know look at most clubs websites.

 

And the sport is made for vine (or whatever the latest video sharing app is now! Even I cant keep up). 10 second videos, that's enough to show a crash, a pass, a wheelie. Use it!!

Edited September 3, 2013 by SCB

[Tom Turner 347]

You're not meant to quote a whole post like this without adding much but IMO it's that good it's worth repeating.

 

Speedway websites are pretty crap and I don't think any clubs embraces facebook, twitter and all that sort of stuff anywhere near as much as they could and should. Snapchat is the "cool" kids giving you there account for you to spam them! The who concept is you swap photos, well you send them an image of speedway bikes every week to remind them there's a meeting for FFS, it couldn't be easier. Does any club have an official snapchat account? I know a few use twitter and facebook.

 

It's a while since I went searching speedway websites but frankly, most are boring and dated. I thought speedway was fast, loud, wild, high adrenaline?! You'd not know look at most clubs websites.

 

And the sport is made for vine (or whatever the latest video sharing app is now! Even I cant keep up). 10 second videos, that's enough to show a crash, a pass, a wheelie. Use it!!

 

Spot on SCB. That is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. FREE advertising to the thousands! It sounds too good to be true and I think this is one of the many reasons why it is missed by promoters. Services like Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, vines and more are just waiting to be utilized but as of yet I have not seen a single promoter using these tools properly. A score update on twitter is not nearly enough.

 

It is not a difficult or expensive task. It is so so easy to implement but will never happen for as long as promoters continue to resist and reject modern day options, even when presented to them directly.

 

Has anybody heard of Ken Block? He is a rally car driver from the United States. His videos on YouTube have nearly 300 million views. The reason why is simple, his videos are exciting. They are cool, cutting edge, different and overall simply exciting. When you see it you want to share it! (Just take a look at this one for example:

)

 

I know it is a completely different sport, but it is just an example. It makes you want to SHARE. Speedway is cool! I want to share it with everyone but I don't have anything worth sharing. Short videos just SCB said of a wheelie, a crash, a great overtake would suddenly put speedway on my mind, and could easily be the deciding factor for a fan attending on race night.

 

It's not a temporary change. It needs a determined and committed effort. But I and many other tech savvy fans would happily contribute to this effort. The first step needs to be from the promoters. And I would be happy to work with any promoter who wants to make this happen for their club. These changes need to happen now. It will be much harder to take these initiatives when it is too late and the fans have already disappeared.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Synikalle

[The White Knight 9,039]

 

Would I be right in saying you don't own or perhaps make use of an internet enabled mobile phone? I have no gripes with that but it is an accurate statistic that 75% of 16 to 34 year old's do use the internet on their mobile. So why is it that the majority of promoters do not have a modern and mobile friendly website or app? Why are millions of potential viewers being completely excluded? It is no surprise that the majority of attending fans are of an older generation.

 

An EXCELLENT Post Synikalle. :approve:

 

Actually to answer your Mobile 'Phone question. I DO have an Internet enabled 'Phone with which I struggle manfully.

 

In my day 'Phones were just for 'ringing people up'. :blink:

[stratton 1,491]

 

 

Spot on SCB. That is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. FREE advertising to the thousands! It sounds too good to be true and I think this is one of the many reasons why it is missed by promoters. Services like Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, vines and more are just waiting to be utilized but as of yet I have not seen a single promoter using these tools properly. A score update on twitter is not nearly enough.

 

It is not a difficult or expensive task. It is so so easy to implement but will never happen for as long as promoters continue to resist and reject modern day options, even when presented to them directly.

 

Has anybody heard of Ken Block? He is a rally car driver from the United States. His videos on YouTube have nearly 300 million views. The reason why is simple, his videos are exciting. They are cool, cutting edge, different and overall simply exciting. When you see it you want to share it! (Just take a look at this one for example:

)

 

I know it is a completely different sport, but it is just an example. It makes you want to SHARE. Speedway is cool! I want to share it with everyone but I don't have anything worth sharing. Short videos just SCB said of a wheelie, a crash, a great overtake would suddenly put speedway on my mind, and could easily be the deciding factor for a fan attending on race night.

 

It's not a temporary change. It needs a determined and committed effort. But I and many other tech savvy fans would happily contribute to this effort. The first step needs to be from the promoters. And I would be happy to work with any promoter who wants to make this happen for their club. These changes need to happen now. It will be much harder to take these initiatives when it is too late and the fans have already disappeared.

No doubt about it this is a great post maybe some promoters might take note.? Edited September 3, 2013 by sidney