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Speedway on tv. Who do we look to now?
mikebv replied to Youhave2minutes's topic in Speedway News and Discussions
They have had almost 30 years of coverage and the fanbase is probably (at best), half what it was 30 years sgo... Promoters have had hundreds of two hour advertisements for their businesses and done nothing to make the sport look "popular" via the optics... I am always impressed the way the directors can focus in on thirty or forty people stood, or sat, together to make it look like a "crowd" is in attendance... Unfortunately, they then have to show the racing using a wider angle and the swathes of empty spaces and seats become clearly evident... When Sky first covered the sport, kids got in for free and they had face painters there, bouncy castles etc, and a "roving camera" that focused on the face painted groups of kids waving and shouting into the camera. This then often led into the adverts, and was the first thing you saw when they came back for the break. Giving the impression I presume that Speedway is great to take your kids to, and "fun".... Nowadays nothing appears to be done to create a "fun" atmosphere when on TV... A 2 hour advert that others in the entertainment industry would kill for and use to create interest. Imagine several restaurants being filmed for two hours, several times a year, with just four people eating in them each time they were on TV? They would ensure the place was packed, even if they all didn't pay!!! Sports that can only half fill their stadiums often close parts down to squeeze the crowd together and use the closed sections for large banner advertising of their sponsors... I always think the NSS, as an example, there are many others, that could benefit from that when on TV, ie fill the grandstand so the camera inside the circuit covering the start makes the place look full, (rather than it looks now due to hardly anyone sitting in the sections at the start of the home straight), and advertise your sponsors on the back straight... Just charge standing prices for one night in the grandstand, and credit the ST holders with any difference. (If they moan about it)... Put simply, Speedway, uniquely when measured against other "niche" sports, hasn't progressed one iota via the huge amount of TV coverage it has had... And you have to question why?.. So not sure what positive difference any other satellite or steaming service would make to it now.. The real issue without the TV coverage will be the lack of the six figure payment that the teams got rather than if it grew the sport or not... -
They can, if no-one else wants to move up.
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What will 2026 UK speedway bring?
Teromaafan replied to Lionsman66's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
No rider should be bigger than the sport or an individual club. Clinging on to the top riders by satisfying their financial demands is not the way to evolve British Speedway. The current crop of GP riders in this country will move on/retire before you know it and the sport in this country still needs to be standing when they do so. Powers that be need to be brave and if necessary have a total reset instead of applying fresh sticking plasters to see the sport through following season. Competitive racing with riders of a similar ability distributed across teams has to be the focus. How else do you attract fresh interest which the sport desperately needs? The people whose interest and money we need have probably never heard of the sport’s current elite. A league of five teams that can borrow riders from each other now and again isn’t the way to attract outsiders. -
Promoters (BSP Limited) meet regularly throughout the season both in person, face to face and via Zoom or Team platforms. Decisions and/or recommendations should be discussed and rubber-stamped at the AGM, as is the case with most company AGMs.
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Speedway on tv. Who do we look to now?
1 valve replied to Youhave2minutes's topic in Speedway News and Discussions
Although in essence a great idea, as always the devil would be in the detail, in this case the cost and quality of the production and in particular who would be responsible for ensuring both are met at a consistent level. Speedway UK does need TV but considering only current fans are the vast majority of viewers TV coverage of fixtures is not & will not drive growth of support. What is required is a TV series similar to “Drive to Survive” which has served F1 to have an all time growth in the sport on a global basis. For UK speedway, a combined fly on the wall series & fixtures shown on TV would lead to new spectators seeking live events. -
I get the impression the last few years Buster seems to be keeping the club going more for his love of the sport in general and as a result is looking to limit his losses. He's not getting any younger so I guess that's understandable that he doesn't want to risk losing a packet as he nears retirement as there's no que to take over from him. I stopped going roughly at the point he took over from Bill Barker, question to Lynn fans was he more ambitious in his younger days ?
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No one will move up , rumour is Northampton will enter premiership
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It’s a professional sport (allegedly), not a crèche.
- Today
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What will happen to Premiership then, who will move up?
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As far as I know Oxford are not moving up.
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I hope Oxford stay in Championship but thought they would move to make up the numbers, cant see how you can run it with only 5 teams.
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You cant run a Premiership with only 5 teams
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Agree can’t see hardly anyone being there to be honest. Strange time when people are at work and seems hastily arranged too. Not enough time for people to even book the day off work as not enough notice given. At least the groups of Romanian’s will be there to see it! Gathered around the cornhill on a daily basis making everyone else feel uncomfortable 🙄
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Nobody has to move up.
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Biggest crisis in British Speedway for decades and it is one day in Rugby. Can't be nowt to bother about after all folks as it was 4 days in Tenerife last year.
- Yesterday
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If there is a "one over 8.00" rule. Who would Monarchs want as their number one? Any chance of getting Sam Masters back? Of course a team may choose to go without an 8 pointer.
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I can't imagine that they have to move up / stay in Prem. Believable that they've been begged to though.
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What will 2026 UK speedway bring?
stevebrum replied to Lionsman66's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
Having a top flight is more important. Without it British speedway is as good as a dead sport. -
Speedway on tv. Who do we look to now?
Daniel Smith replied to Youhave2minutes's topic in Speedway News and Discussions
True & absolutely not true. BSN is just 'preaching to the already converted' & won't add anything in growing the sport. At the same time, Sky & BT/TNT added absolutely nothing to attendances for British Speedway too. Even with these "Mainstream" channels, British Speedway has continually declined & clubs disappeared. There is only one last step for British Speedway to attempt, almost everyone's favorite platform, YouTube. Free to all, the largest viewing platform & a potential global audience. If the BSPL don't want to offer the product 'free to air', have Live meetings on YouTube under "Members Only" at £10 a month, then release the meetings to all a week later. British Speedway needs to look at a 10 year growth plan rather than just looking at the now, chasing whomever will pay up the biggest bucks. YouTube is THE biggest growth plan the BSPL could use & it's cheap -
The Rider with the best style of riding.
soupy replied to Youhave2minutes's topic in Speedway News and Discussions
He rode for Newcastle half way through the season after winning the u21 title then joined Coventry as I was watching the Diamonds then. -
The Rider with the best style of riding.
soupy replied to Youhave2minutes's topic in Speedway News and Discussions
He rode for Newcastle for a few meetings after he won the u21 title then joined Coventry. -
Best get some planted now, then come spring Northside will be blooming 😁
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Yes the Emmerdales will be back lol
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Yes it certainly was and seeing the top riders every week in a strong 1-7 not like the watered down version now in the Elite
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Hope there is a good turn out but some supporters have to work as not all supporters have retired.