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3 minutes ago, BomberHammer said:

With the current BT deal to show league racing being a lot less money wise,

Will BT renew the deal to show the Grand Prixs after the deal ends at the end of this season ?,

Thanks

ONE would hope so. The deal with the BSPA is for two years which may help.

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If need be BT could do worse than contract to show both leagues given that the quality of racing, competiveness and standards are not a lot different but overall questions marks must hang over the sport that is so far in decline. 

Live racing is probably a bad choice. Highlights of a league meeting and extracts from other European league racing may attract a few moreuntes.

The Freesport offering does seem to outstrip the BT offering and given the state of British speedway, I do wonder why BT sport makes any bids for domestic racing. I can understand the GPs but that promoted by the BSPA Is simply not worthy of national exposure. Time will tell where the U.K. exposure ends up.

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2 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

If need be BT could do worse than contract to show both leagues given that the quality of racing, competiveness and standards are not a lot different but overall questions marks must hang over the sport that is so far in decline. 

Live racing is probably a bad choice. Highlights of a league meeting and extracts from other European league racing may attract a few moreuntes.

The Freesport offering does seem to outstrip the BT offering and given the state of British speedway, I do wonder why BT sport makes any bids for domestic racing. I can understand the GPs but that promoted by the BSPA Is simply not worthy of national exposure. Time will tell where the U.K. exposure ends up.

Sorry, highlights just don't cut it. You have to see the full story to understand the scoring. Many people want to keep a scorecard going while watching and the result would probably be known which would ruin it all. If you want to watch bikes going round then fine, but I think speedway supporters look for more.

To me, if it's not the whole meeting I couldn't be bothered. After all it only takes under half an hour to show a complete  meeting. Also the emphasis on services like BT and Sky is very much live sport. As for highlights of other meetings much of the video footage shot at UK tracks isn't really of broadcast TV standard technically, especially when shot single camera from the back of the terracing. Of course some are up to standard but it would be a tangled web. I expect you'd have to pay out for full match coverage rights of Polish and Swedish matches - and then just show one or two heats? Not cost-effective.

If nothing else doesn't such a line send out the message that speedway really isn't worth watching unless you just cut it down to a few minutes of action? Things are bad but not that bad!

While BT aren't paying much for their coverage their on-air promotion of the sport is top quality. Trails for the SGP and Premiership coverage are shown constantly, often during their coverage of major sports. In addition you often see a trailer run between say a top football Champions League match trailer and one for a top Rugby match. These are big money deals and there is speedway being given equal prominence. 

During the Champions League final, which was watched by just under three million viewers which is incredibly high for pay_TV, during a break in coverage, there was the Rye House Rockets logo on screen as part of a promo for the following Monday's Premiership match. As a Rockets fan of old (back to Rayleigh) I could never dream of the team getting a mention during what used to be the European Cup Final!

You can't buy publicity like that! Well you could, but we certainly couldn't afford that. On air, BT take the sport very seriously, promote it heavily and give it high prominence. Hopefully in time the financial deal will reflect this. 

 

Edited by RobMcCaffery
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8 hours ago, RobMcCaffery said:

During the Champions League final, which was watched by just under three million viewers which is incredibly high for pay_TV, during a break in coverage, there was the Rye House Rockets logo on screen as part of a promo for the following Monday's Premiership match. As a Rockets fan of old (back to Rayleigh) I could never dream of the team getting a mention during what used to be the European Cup Final!

You can't buy publicity like that! Well you could, but we certainly couldn't afford that. On air, BT take the sport very seriously, promote it heavily and give it high prominence. Hopefully in time the financial deal will reflect this. 

But then the Rye House promotion took the decision that it would be full price admission for the televised match and we saw less than 500 people watching  a "high profile" speedway match. It should have been heaving! Lost opportunity there.

Edited by waytogo28
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13 hours ago, RobMcCaffery said:

To me, if it's not the whole meeting I couldn't be bothered. After all it only takes under half an hour to show a complete  meeting.

I assumed that is what was meant by highlights.  Most of a live speedway broadcast is filling time while riders are still in the pits or the track is being graded.  A 30–45 minute programme could show the highlights, i.e. the actual racing, with commercials and analysis without requiring people to give up two hours.

Although I am not so sure it would have the desired effect, as I do not think there are that many people unwilling to sample or watch speedway just because of that.  Otherwise sports like athletics would not be popular live either.

Anyway, whilst BT Sport has a good deal with the BPSA and it will continue I would be surprised if they drop the sport as it provides live content in the summer, where they have less options to fill out their schedule.  Personally I would rather it went elsewhere, though, simply because I cannot justify a BT subscription only for speedway. Although everyone is making it sound that we have such an awful competition now maybe I should be grateful I cannot watch.

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The on track racing only please with a brief audio and text info. So yes, show a whole meeting in that sense. It is the other parts of a meeting which usually fail to impress. Even the boring "from the gate" heats only last a minute at most.

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1 hour ago, someone said:

I assumed that is what was meant by highlights.  Most of a live speedway broadcast is filling time while riders are still in the pits or the track is being graded.  A 30–45 minute programme could show the highlights, i.e. the actual racing, with commercials and analysis without requiring people to give up two hours.

Although I am not so sure it would have the desired effect, as I do not think there are that many people unwilling to sample or watch speedway just because of that.  Otherwise sports like athletics would not be popular live either.

Anyway, whilst BT Sport has a good deal with the BPSA and it will continue I would be surprised if they drop the sport as it provides live content in the summer, where they have less options to fill out their schedule.  Personally I would rather it went elsewhere, though, simply because I cannot justify a BT subscription only for speedway. Although everyone is making it sound that we have such an awful competition now maybe I should be grateful I cannot watch.

So, if TV televised a concert you'd only want to hear the few chart successes in the gig? Just get it all finished after 15 minutes? Wonder why Sky and BT spend all that money on live sport when just a 'Match of the Day' style programme would be enough for the undemanding viewers with limited attention spans? 

All sport has its moments when action isn't rivetting, but viewing figures show that the public want live, full coverage of sport, even if others settle for third rate. 

The divide between the real world and the BSF is quite staggering at times. 

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8 minutes ago, RobMcCaffery said:

So, if TV televised a concert you'd only want to hear the few chart successes in the gig? Just get it all finished after 15 minutes? Wonder why Sky and BT spend all that money on live sport when just a 'Match of the Day' style programme would be enough for the undemanding viewers with limited attention spans? 

All sport has its moments when action isn't rivetting, but viewing figures show that the public want live, full coverage of sport, even if others settle for third rate. 

The divide between the real world and the BSF is quite staggering at times. 

I always look forward to the tractor grading and multiple tape restarts and lots of waffle from the commentators that come with each live meeting.

That is why many record the meetings and use the fast forward button, the same with many sports progs.

Edited by A ORLOV
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Have to ask the question as to who pays the wages of Quirk, Nicholls, Tatum and Pearson. I would presume it's BT as presenters and if rumours are correct that's the only money they pay out for Speedway as this years deal apparantly involves no money going to clubs. 

 

Speedway could do do with an hour long programme on a Sunday night looking back at the weeks action not just here but also in the GPs and foreign leagues.

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FOR SGP/SON events, BSI provide the TV coverage including commentary. BT cover their own studio with Natalie and Scott.

For domestic speedway, the TV production company are provided with a budget to cover all costs including those of Natalie, Kelvin and Nigel.

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Yes apologies for not being clearer on the highlights. I meant all fifteen heats.

I do not think it takes anything away and would perhaps encourage people to try a live meeting. The highlights is in effect what you get with repeat of GP and it seems OK on Motors with the Ice Speedway. Highlights in a magazine format might be more interesting with decent interviews with riders, promoters and referees rather than a few minutes with those who believe everyone understands what they are jabbering about when they end each sentence with ‘You know’. No we don’t otherwise the question would not have been asked in the hope of a sensible reply. Coverage of what is going on in other countries given that so many riders in the UK also have team places abroad. Widen the information given out and make it interesting. When was the last time anyone mentioned during a live broadcast anything about the bikes and the acceleration capabilities with no brakes. Rarely if at all is the answer. It always assumes that it is the diehards watching and not new fans.

Many including myself could go on with this topic but life is too short and nothing will change. It is what it is both live and recorded TV as well as track attendance. You pay your money and make choice but is it any wonder that more and more have become armchair viewers when the whole idea of a meeting being on has become such a lottery.

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From what I have been informed Natalie,Kelvin,Nigel and Brando all do the British League Racing for the love of the sport and provide their services very cheap and well below market value as they understand how important tv coverage is to British clubs with attracting sponsors and new supporters 

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A pity then that some promoters don't share their point of view. Those who were firmly against TV coverage as well as those who charge full price for admission to televised meetings. It does no good to have a positive Pearson,Quirk and Tatum there live and hardly anyone else in the stadium watching ( as at Rye House last week ) PQ&T must be gutted by that.

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11 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

A pity then that some promoters don't share their point of view. Those who were firmly against TV coverage as well as those who charge full price for admission to televised meetings. It does no good to have a positive Pearson,Quirk and Tatum there live and hardly anyone else in the stadium watching ( as at Rye House last week ) PQ&T must be gutted by that.

One assumes PQ&T don't have to pay up their £18 to get in :rofl:

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2 hours ago, iainb said:

One assumes PQ&T don't have to pay up their £18 to get in :rofl:

I hope they get in at the concessions rate ( if not free ). They must have had to pay at Rye House though.

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