Play Offs Should They Be Scrapped.?

[BWitcher 12,453]

 

Forget the PL play-offs for a few seconds and answer a simple question:-

 

If Sky hadn't sponsored or shown speedway back at the turn of the century, would speedway be having play-offs now?

 

Most likely yes.

[orion 7,615]

 

Forget the PL play-offs for a few seconds and answer a simple question:-

 

If Sky hadn't sponsored or shown speedway back at the turn of the century, would speedway be having play-offs now?

Why would you forget about the Pl ...the point being answered is that the only reason there are play offs is that sky want them ...quite clearly that is not the case as the pl plays offs are not shown on sky ....sky don't sponsored ice hockey but that has play offs and I might be wrong but I sure they dont' control Speedway in Sweden and Poland who also have play offs .

 

To answered your question yes ,,because as pointed out tv or no tv sky or no sky nearly every sport has play offs . also if tv walked away there not going to go back to a normal league system as most of benefits of the play offs are not tv related ..

Edited October 1, 2015 by orion

[Barney Rabbit 727]

 

Most likely yes.

 

 

Why would you forget about the Pl ...the point being answered is that the only reason there are play offs is that sky want them ...quite clearly that is not the case as the pl plays offs are not shown on sky ....sky don't sponsored ice hockey but that has play offs and I might be wrong but I sure they dont' control Speedway and Poland who also have play offs .

 

The point being made is that Sky wanted them so they were introduced. The PL play-offs were also instigated by Sky who actually wanted to see promotion and relegation introduced between the PL and the EL.

Had they not have been introduced by Sky we have no way of knowing whether or not they'd be in now but, knowing how speedway works, I'd say most likely not specially as several promoters weren't keen on them in the first place seeing the scenario of finishing top and not being champions or, as one put it (to me), winning the thing and getting f**k all. Had they been seen as a money spinner at the time of their inception, wouldn't the PL clubs also have wanted them, but it took a few years for that to happen and again, on Sky's request.

As it happens, right back then, I was with one of a club's hierarchy between the league finishing and the play-offs starting and he said 'we've already won the bloody thing once now we've got to win it again. How fair can that be?' How do you think his club would have voted if they'd had a free vote?

Ok, fair enough, most qualifying clubs make a few quid from the play-offs and they're now a fixture, but that is after the financial aspect became clear (and Sky still want them). However, had they not have been more or less forced on the sport back then they may never have happened so the benefits would not have been discovered. It follows then, that, if they had never started they couldn't very well carry on so making the point that we have play-offs because Sky wanted the decider live.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Barney Rabbit

[orion 7,615]

 

 

 

The point being made is that Sky wanted them so they were introduced. The PL play-offs were also instigated by Sky who actually wanted to see promotion and relegation introduced between the PL and the EL.

Had they not have been introduced by Sky we have no way of knowing whether or not they'd be in now but, knowing how speedway works, I'd say most likely not specially as several promoters weren't keen on them in the first place seeing the scenario of finishing top and not being champions or, as one put it (to me), winning the thing and getting f**k all.

As it happens, right back then, I was with one of a club's hierarchy between the league finishing and the play-offs starting and he said 'we've already won the bloody thing once now we've got to win it again. How fair can that be?'

Ok, fair enough, most qualifying clubs make a few quid from the play-offs and they're now a fixture, but that is after the financial aspect became clear (and Sky still want them). However, had they not have been more or less forced on the sport back then they may never have happened so the benefits would not have been discovered.

As I pointed out tv or no tv play offs have found themselves in nearly every sport ...and that includes pl speedway, polish speedway and Swedish speedway ...as I said before do sky run other nations speedway ?

[Barney Rabbit 727]

As I pointed out tv or no tv play offs have found themselves in nearly every sport ...and that includes pl speedway, polish speedway and Swedish speedway ...as I said before do sky run other nations speedway ?

 

Something that had never started can't carry on, that is fact. Whether we'd have them now if they hadn't started back then is conjecture. My opinion is that they would not have - some clubs have had the opinion, in the past, that there were already too many matches so would hardly have been keen on running some more and two cup competitions have already been axed to keep the number of matches down. People wanting less matches would hardly vote for having even more.

Polish speedway has a squad system, do we? Sweden and Poland run on one day of the week, do we? Do the Poles or Swedes have guests? Just because another country has something doesn't mean we would necessarily follow.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Barney Rabbit

[stratton 1,491]

We don't need to listen to people on a speedway forum who haven't the slightest clue what they are talking about and are not intelligent enough to understand when they are corrected.

 

I'll believe this one:-

 

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/29/sky-profits-rise-customers-germany-italy

 

Which tells us their annual revenue has hit nearly £11.3 billion and that in the UK their customer base has gone about 12 million for the first time. It also tells us the cancellation rate is at the lowest level it has been for 11 years.

 

Revenues in the UK and Ireland were up 6% to £7.8bn with operating profit up 12% to £1.35bn.

 

Maybe you think the Guardian is lying..

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-33699737

 

There's the BBC reporting an 18% increase in annual operating profit for Sky to £1.4 billion.

 

Maybe the BBC are in on the lie too...

 

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sky-profits-customer-growth-highest-decade-1513099

 

Nope, it seems International Business times is also telling us that sky customer growth is the highest in a decade.

 

http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/sky-profits-6-per-cent-nearly-million-customers-added/1358002

 

And another one hailing increased profit and customers.

 

 

So to summarise, we don't need to listen to Sidney and ColinMills. We simply have to use our intelligence and look to legitimate sources.

The best bet is for all of us to say nothing on any subject,and sit back and listen to your words of wisdom on every subject.I have never came across anyone in my lifetime who is as arrogant as you are,the way you talk down to people.To be honest Witcher in my workplace in the real world if you talk to people the way you do on here you would not last five minutes i am afraid.

[oldace 1,678]

The best bet is for all of us to say nothing on any subject,and sit back and listen to your words of wisdom on every subject.I have never came across anyone in my lifetime who is as arrogant as you are,the way you talk down to people.To be honest Witcher in my workplace in the real world if you talk to people the way you do on here you would not last five minutes i am afraid.

I have never come across a workplace where to survive 5 mins you have to constantly spout crap, wuite the opposite in fact

[waiheke1 4,295]

concerningly now Sky are making a real drop in what they are used to.

 

 

subscribers, revenue and profits are up, what is it that is dropping?

tbh I find it remarkable that their revenue and profits are going up in this day and age where people can access, albeit often illegally, most of the content free of charge via the net. Surely that shows they are a successful, and adaptive company?

I have never come across a workplace where to survive 5 mins you have to constantly spout crap, wuite the opposite in fact

ad agency? sales? politics? Jehovahs witness?

tbf, there are quite a few professions where the ability to spout crap is a pre-requisite!

[oldace 1,678]

 

subscribers, revenue and profits are up, what is it that is dropping?

tbh I find it remarkable that their revenue and profits are going up in this day and age where people can access, albeit often illegally, most of the content free of charge via the net. Surely that shows they are a successful, and adaptive company?

 

 

Unlike speedway promotions, SKY fully understand the value of keeping existing customers. It is far far cheaper to keep a customer than get a new one (advertising/cheap introductory offers etc) It is why when you phone to cancel you will invariably be offered a reduced deal. Coupled with the fact they need subscriber numbers to keep ad value high.

 

Virtually year on year SKY have increased subscribers and profit margins but in Sidney's world that is a failing business model. I am striving to a failing business like SKY

[moxey63 1,785]

It is just annoying, the Play-Off debate, when SKY give us all the big build-up all year, the (used to be) match of the week that pointed us in the direction of September and the Grand Final.

 

Then, like an excited child, they whizz out the two semis on the same night, which makes me dizzy and unsure just what's going on. There is surely too much to take in, showing two meetings on one night (and, as in one of the semis, two races at once!).

 

But that is just one gripe,

 

Now, again probably just me, but I feel empty again. Speedway has sold its soul and at least one month has been wiped off fixtures, while SKY has sneaked off in the distance for the season, job done.

 

I know the Play-Offs are in the main popular, but I can recall certain things about the old round-robin matches before the Play-Offs, like Glasgow's visits to Belle Vue in the mid-90s, Eastbourne's hammering at Kirky lane in '92.

 

But I can't recollect much about the group matches since the Play-Offs began, the league matches, because it is only the Finals that count. Does it matter in the A or B matches if a team loses here or there, because there is plenty of time to put things right before presents are given out in September.

[waiheke1 4,295]

but in pre play offs, 90% of matches it didn't matter if a team won or lost, because a couple of months into the season you knew there were only 2 or 3 teams that could win the league.

 

One thing I don't like is teams reshuffling teams just for the play offs, I think there should be a rule that a rider must have ridden "x" meetings for the team to be elegible (or a much earlier deadline for changes), unless called in as an injury replacement (with some strict enforcement around definition of injured riders e.g. not riding any other speedway apart from GPS).

[ouch 1,191]

Sky vieeing figures, allowing for the fact there are more viewing options, are holding up well, very well in fact. 890,000 for an early season match is about the norm, end of season important matches will attract 1.5 to 2 million as they always do. They have more subscibers than they have ever had so what is it thats not inspiring

Those are much improved figures on what has gone before and very heartening to read. Where was the information from as I'd like to have a look.

 

Previous years can be seen hear.

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/elite-league-sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures-up-22-4-in-2014-but-still-second-worst-ever/

 

and

 

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/tag/sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures/

[waiheke1 4,295]

Those are much improved figures on what has gone before and very heartening to read. Where was the information from as I'd like to have a look.

 

Previous years can be seen hear.

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/elite-league-sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures-up-22-4-in-2014-but-still-second-worst-ever/

 

and

 

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/tag/sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures/

 

yes, it really is great news that premier league football now gets more viewers than previous year elite speedway fixtures?

[BWitcher 12,453]

The best bet is for all of us to say nothing on any subject,and sit back and listen to your words of wisdom on every subject.I have never came across anyone in my lifetime who is as arrogant as you are,the way you talk down to people.To be honest Witcher in my workplace in the real world if you talk to people the way you do on here you would not last five minutes i am afraid.

 

I'm not asking you to listen to me.

 

I have helped you out by providing you with links and evidence to the figures from experts who know a lot more then either you or I.

Those are much improved figures on what has gone before and very heartening to read. Where was the information from as I'd like to have a look.

 

Previous years can be seen hear.

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/elite-league-sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures-up-22-4-in-2014-but-still-second-worst-ever/

 

and

 

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/tag/sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures/

 

The figures being quoted were for Premier League football Ouch.

 

Some folk were strangely trying to use them as evidence that Sky isn't a successful business.

 

I'd quite happily accept being classed as a failure if I only made 1 Billion pounds profit a year

[oldace 1,678]

Those are much improved figures on what has gone before and very heartening to read. Where was the information from as I'd like to have a look.

 

Previous years can be seen hear.

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/elite-league-sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures-up-22-4-in-2014-but-still-second-worst-ever/

 

and

 

 

http://www.methanolpress.com/tag/sky-sports-speedway-viewing-figures/

 

 

It would be nice if they were speedway viewing figures but he was referring to Football

 

Elite league has always attracted round about 60,000 to 80,000, less for some matches and more for play offs.

 

GPs on SKY used to be 100,000 plus but did tail off towards the end of SKY involvement.

 

To be honest though it isn't all about actual numbers, the demographic classifications of those watching is important to broadcasters and speedway doesn't have many in the A, B, C1 categories