StevePark 2,783 Posted March 2, 2017 For the good of the Sport - that may be the best outcome. It may make folk go out to watch their Speedway instead of just sitting in an armchair. Just a thought....... Yes, but the counter argument is, if they see it on TV it might make a few go to their nearest track to see it 'in the flesh.' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted March 2, 2017 Yes, but the counter argument is, if they see it on TV it might make a few go to their nearest track to see it 'in the flesh.' It hasn't so far Steve. :sad: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nobblytriers 201 Posted March 2, 2017 It hasn't so far Steve. :sad: I think that's interesting. I love most forms of motorsport and I've been to a few tracks to watch two and four wheel action. On TV, the only one that's possibly worse is speedway. Watching live, most action at a circuit goes past you (although the spectacle is great) and you wait a minute or two before you see the action again. On TV, you catch everything on the circuit. With speedway on TV, there's something missing. I think you have to be there to get the best out of it. You are closer to the action, you see all of the race and you get the sense of speed together with the noise ( where did the smell go?) Whilst it's good to see motorsport on TV, I feel speedway is best seen live. Maybe TV exposure has done more harm than good? 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theboss 727 Posted March 3, 2017 I think that's interesting. I love most forms of motorsport and I've been to a few tracks to watch two and four wheel action. On TV, the only one that's possibly worse is speedway. Watching live, most action at a circuit goes past you (although the spectacle is great) and you wait a minute or two before you see the action again. On TV, you catch everything on the circuit. With speedway on TV, there's something missing. I think you have to be there to get the best out of it. You are closer to the action, you see all of the race and you get the sense of speed together with the noise ( where did the smell go?) Whilst it's good to see motorsport on TV, I feel speedway is best seen live. Maybe TV exposure has done more harm than good? I think it would be fair to say that TV exposure has not been maximised to its full potential 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted March 3, 2017 If 100k people typically watch a speedway meeting on sky, how many of those are likely to live a realistic distance from the meeting being shown? 1000? So even if 50% of them were to attend if the meeting was not screened, which seems wildly optimistic, that's a revenue of sat 15k best case for the home team. What payment do clubs receive from sky/BT? Unless it is dramatically lower, the argument to get rid of tv coverage dies not stack up. And that's before you consider the impact on tram and rider sponsorship deals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruno 1,790 Posted March 3, 2017 Speedway on tv is best as a highlights package so the delays can be cut out. When it's live and there's a delay there's the temptation to switch over then not switch back 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted March 3, 2017 Speedway on tv is best as a highlights package so the delays can be cut out. When it's live and there's a delay there's the temptation to switch over then not switch back I've always maintained this view. Far better to show the highlights without all the waffle...which seems to be the case with most sports shown on TV now with it's over abundant use of 'experts'. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topsoil 2,498 Posted March 3, 2017 I think it would be fair to say that TV exposure has not been maximised to its full potential So what would you suggest? Genuine question, interested in your ideas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gunner85 603 Posted March 3, 2017 If Sky have pulled out, the the Bspa would probably not announce until the bt deal is formalised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,291 Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) I think it would be fair to say that TV exposure has not been maximised to its full potential If for nothing more than for the image of the sport, tracks picked for the live matches should be ordered to fill the stadium come what may, by any means necessary. Anyone watching at home should be given the impression its a successful, popular sport, something that (with people often being like sheep) they should maybe start attending.. Even tracks like Wolves should have huge adverts down the back straight blocking the emptiness, with the next meeting info slap bang in the middle.. Give away 3000 free tickets to local schools in the town/city (Mcds didnt become successful by targeting adults, they targeted their kids) and have the pit lane eye candy out into the stands interviewing crowds of face painted kids waving free merchandise with the clubs brand on, rather than spending time asking riders, who havent a clue what any score is other than their own, "do you think you can still win this?" Lots of marketing is successful due to smoke and mirrors and can cost very little... TV should be the sports showcase, a two hour advert beamed into peoples homes. One that someone watching may just be tempted to try, especially if their kids start mithering to go as it looks like the place to be.... Each live match should be a highly planned and detailed stand alone event. Executed to the final detail and used for further marketing potential to those who attend... Edited March 3, 2017 by mikebv 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted March 3, 2017 If for nothing more than for the image of the sport, tracks picked for the live matches should be ordered to fill the stadium come what may, by any means necessary. Anyone watching at home should be given the impression its a successful, popular sport, something that (with people often being like sheep) they should maybe start attending.. Even tracks like Wolves should have huge adverts down the back straight blocking the emptiness, with the next meeting info slap bang in the middle.. Give away 3000 free tickets to local schools and have the pit lane eye candy out into the stands interviewing crowds of face painted kids waving free merchandise with the clubs brand on, rather than spending time asking riders, who havent a clue what any score is other than their own, "do you think you can still win this?" Lots of marketing is successful due to smoke and mirrors and can cost very little... TV should be the sports showcase, a two hour advert beamed into peoples homes. One that someone watching may just be tempted to try, especially if their kids start mithering to go as it looks like the place to be.... I guess the fans have always thought that the promoters should've somehow filled the stadiums on SKY nights, the only reason for them not doing it has been, at a guess, delicate finances, so delicate that they dare not speculate to try to accumulate. In the early days of SKY coverage I can remember doing facepainting for the kids at Lynn, there were flags flying and high fives with the riders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,291 Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) I guess the fans have always thought that the promoters should've somehow filled the stadiums on SKY nights, the only reason for them not doing it has been, at a guess, delicate finances, so delicate that they dare not speculate to try to accumulate. In the early days of SKY coverage I can remember doing facepainting for the kids at Lynn, there were flags flying and high fives with the riders. Always amazed me that EL clubs in particular would spend collectively Circa £40k per week (two matches) paying 'Number One/GP riders who if they were there or not hardly impacted the attendance, yet 'p1ss all' to a marketing company to increase public awareness of it... The Sky money has been severely wasted.... Edited March 3, 2017 by mikebv 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theboss 727 Posted March 3, 2017 Always amazed me that EL clubs in particular would spend collectively Circa £40k per week (two matches) paying 'Number One/GP riders who if they were there or not hardly impacted the attendance, yet 'p1ss all' to a marketing company to increase public awareness of it... The Sky money has been severely wasted.... Very good comment. I think the problem is that at the majority of tracks, promoters are super fans rather than business people.... Hence why they are desperate to have the best riders in their team at whatever the cost. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RS50 359 Posted March 3, 2017 Speedway on tv is best as a highlights package so the delays can be cut out. When it's live and there's a delay there's the temptation to switch over then not switch back So, do what I do. Record it on Sky+. Start watching it after the match has started. Use fast forward when there is a bit you do not want to watch. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flagrag 704 Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) Going back to my previous comments on Wednesday I obviously cannot disclose what was discussed but was very interesting and shall we say the sports promoters need to take a hard look at modern methods and growing the sport so that larger crowds attend and then can hopefully convince more GP stars into the league. I do know one thing and am happy to share this that one thing in the past that has annoyed the high level team at Sky was attendances at tv meetings. I have been at Speedway meetings where Sky sports previous MD and CEO Barney Francis and Darren Long they have both asked why there are not more fans in the stadium and why there was no offers or extra things on like flags,balloons, Clappers The promotors have previously always been reimbursed financially when it's been a TV meeting but most do not do any offers or promotions for fans to attend. This was suggested to BSPA & Go Speed numerous times but instead promotors just wanted to pocket the money as profit. Also suggestions were made at getting an agency involved to get every tv match sponsored by local business and then we would give them the exposure with increased focus on their banners and involvement in coin toss etc but the BSPA didn't want to pay the fees When a few clubs did try offers like Leicester,Lakeside,Swindon and Birmingham they were generally rewarded with large crowds compared to other tv meetings so proof the concept works. A weekly magazine type show has been considered previously and was even fully costed out but in the end it was deemed to be too expensive for amount of viewers it would attract and also at that point there was only two companies that produce Speedway DVDS that could have provided footage at the required standard so would have meant getting more independent companies in to do some tracks. I can't remember full costs but do remember it was going to be over £1200 a meeting just for maybe 8 mins of footage then you had editing, on screen talent, studio time so quite expensive to produce. On a positive note at least there will be British Speedway on tv in 2017 and have already heard some good things about the coverage Edited March 3, 2017 by flagrag 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
