No Gps On Sky Television Next Year?

[SGP]

Yes i was having dinner with Paul Bellamy and his family last week and he confirmed this.

 

Wow doesn't that make me sound important. i am off now to work out how to make a fake BSPA pass to make me look even more amazing

 

WOW! I can't believe it. Good luck with your pass.

 

The other day I was on the phone to Havelock and he told me he was going to be the Coventry manager. Amazing.

Edited January 8, 2013 by SGP

[woofers]

So are there any Sky e-mail addresses or contacts to write to expressing disappointment if GPs aren't going to be televised by Sky ?

 

Although there is a bit of noise on this forum, couldn't something a bit more vociferous be organised via the Speedway Star for instance?

 

A few supporters ringing up and cancelling their subscriptions isn't going to amount to much.

 

A couple of hundred e- mails showing concern and asking a few pertinent questions regarding GP speedway coverage versus other minority sports including viewing figures, costs etc might gain more notice at Sky HQ. (Advice on critical factors to question would be welcomed!).

[stevebrum]

Myself and a few others wrote emails to Sky Sports and we all had the same response.

 

Still sounds like talks are ongoing??

 

 

Thank you for your email.

 

The current deal has ended, and I’m afraid we are not in a position at this time to advise what will happen with the coverage next season as the first GP race isn’t until 23rd March.

 

Regards

 

Joanne

skysports.com

Edited January 27, 2013 by stevebrum

[The White Knight]

Myself and a few others wrote emails to Sky Sports and we all had the same response.

 

Still sounds like talks are ongoing??

 

 

Thank you for your email.

 

The current deal has ended, and I’m afraid we are not in a position at this time to advise what will happen with the coverage next season as the first GP race isn’t until 23rd March.

 

Regards

 

Joanne

skysports.com

 

I bet you got your e-mail reply faster than if you were waiting on the 'phone to speak to someone. :shock:

[Dave_minall]

I'm still going to believe that if Sky don't do the GPs themselves, Eurosport will pick up the contract on a yearly basis. They're doing that new fangled series and seem to be promoting it very well, I can't see why they wouldn't do both.

 

Even if they do it for one year and it fails, at least we get GPs for another 12 months.

[Starman2006]

Although all this said, im very very suprised that Sky will not do the British GP as a one off in the series, given its actually in this country... Yes i can understand if they don't want to renew their contract due to cut backs, But they will feel the wrath from speedway fans, and i do feel they would be cutting their nose off to spite their face by not at least showing the British GP.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Starman2006

[Grand Central]

Although all this said, im very very suprised that Sky will not do the British GP as a one off in the series, given its actually in this country... Yes i can understand if they don't want to renew their contract due to cut backs, But they will feel the wrath from speedway fans, and i do feel they would be cutting their nose off to spite their face by not at least showing the British GP.

 

Sky may well relish such an arrangement.

But it would be a very strange negotiating stance on the part of BSI to let them cherry pick in that way.

 

If Sky cannot agree a deal with BSI surely Mr Bellamy would want to be able to offer exclusive rights to the whole series to a rival operator.

Not the other eleven minus the showpiece event.

[The White Knight]

Sky may well relish such an arrangement.

But it would be a very strange negotiating stance on the part of BSI to let them cherry pick in that way.

 

If Sky cannot agree a deal with BSI surely Mr Bellamy would want to be able to offer exclusive rights to the whole series to a rival operator.

Not the other eleven minus the showpiece event.

 

A very fair point GC.

[Blazeaway]

Surely Cardiff is the last GP BSI would want to televise as a one off? I would have thought with the GP's not available on telly this years Cardiff will be one of the biggest crowds they've had.

[speedibee]

It's for a year and then I will do it all over again.

virgin is just as expensive as sky . in the last 18 months every time I get my bill it has gone up a little , if the CEO of sky is worth his salt he will know about the pisspoor service and rising cost of virgin and he'll tell you to jog on .

 

Although all this said, im very very suprised that Sky will not do the British GP as a one off in the series, given its actually in this country... Yes i can understand if they don't want to renew their contract due to cut backs, But they will feel the wrath from speedway fans, and i do feel they would be cutting their nose off to spite their face by not at least showing the British GP.

If you can call them cut backs . the fact is they have wasted so much money on football that other sports have to miss out . I dont see that wasting billions on football will get them any more subscriptions but not showing speedway will cost them quite a few , lets hope it's enough to make them take notice ,

[emerald tyke]

Can i just say.... I'm sick to the b****cks of ball sports (most esp Football) on Sky. Come on Sky give the less supported sports a break and continue coverage. Its not like we're asking for more, just to remain at what always existed. I'm going to "try" and remain positive until theres an announcement.

 

Would be a pity to lose Gp coverage though just when a few 'legends' have left the sport/gps and the 'young guns' are entering

[chris4gillian]

I personally would be gutted if the Speedway GP's are not televised live this (or in future) years. My father and I have fab GP Saturday nights together...few beers, snacks etc. whilst watching the most exciting motor sport in the world. Come on Sky (or anyone other broadcaster), sort this out NOW!!!

 

At present there is a transition in riders, the older guys retiring with fantastically exciting younger riders moving up and this is going to continue during the next few years. Why would Sky want to drop the GP'S when the likes of Holder, Ward and Emil have now broken through. These guys racing with Nasty Nikki, Gollob and the ever youthful Hancock etc. etc. will be fantastic racing.

 

So once again I say, COME ON SKY, WE WANT THE GP COVERAGE TO CONTINUE THIS YEAR AND FOR MANY YEARS. You know it makes sense

[Backless]

I personally would be gutted if the Speedway GP's are not televised live this (or in future) years. My father and I have fab GP Saturday nights together...few beers, snacks etc. whilst watching the most exciting motor sport in the world. Come on Sky (or anyone other broadcaster), sort this out NOW!!!

 

At present there is a transition in riders, the older guys retiring with fantastically exciting younger riders moving up and this is going to continue during the next few years. Why would Sky want to drop the GP'S when the likes of Holder, Ward and Emil have now broken through. These guys racing with Nasty Nikki, Gollob and the ever youthful Hancock etc. etc. will be fantastic racing.

 

So once again I say, COME ON SKY, WE WANT THE GP COVERAGE TO CONTINUE THIS YEAR AND FOR MANY YEARS. You know it makes sense

 

Because they havent got a pot to p*ss in after BT Vision bid for some football. God forbid that Sky have a competitor, so they overspent ridiculously buying all the football they could, even by sticking another couple of quid a month onto subscriptions.

 

The football is also for Fox in the US (which is why most of the 3pm kick offs can be found on online streams - so Redneck Bill who's just found can see where the next overpaid retiree is coming from to replace David PoshSpice. Early morning fodder, so they can watch Chelsea Cherokees take on Tottenham TYphoons or whatever.

 

Noticed that there's a LOT more cricket on this winter - even more than the ridiculous amount last year? Because Murdoch wants it for Fox in Australia. It's cheap to Sky to put on endless hours of South Africa v Sri Lanka or whatever cobblers is supposed to be "of interest". Just like the Champions League football - who the hell watch Braga v Cluj while Man United played the other team in their group?

 

At least it was amusing to watch all the praise being heaped on Sky for bring us the NZ GP LIVE!!!!!! OMG!!!! THEYRE SOO GOOD TO US!!!! Why? Because they'd booked Hours & hours of cheap satellite time for NZ v Zimbabwe?

 

Rugby League gets @ £90m in a 4 - 5 year contract. Why? Because Murdoch wants it for Australia - that's why it's a summer sport now.

 

 

So, it's not as if the money that is being spent is being spent on UK viewers - they're a lucrative sideline.

[PHILIPRISING]

FOX have actually lost the rights to show Premier League soccer in the USA from next season. I am in the US at present and can see more PL matches here than at home, including one of the 3pm Saturday kick-offs. Think NBC have nicked it for 2013-14

[dave69]

FOX have actually lost the rights to show Premier League soccer in the USA from next season. I am in the US at present and can see more PL matches here than at home, including one of the 3pm Saturday kick-offs. Think NBC have nicked it for 2013-14

Every PL match is available by stream in the UK as are most Championship ones too.

[screm]

As others have said theres no definite decision been made yet so lets hope Sky decide to show the GPs in 2013,must admit though if Sky were going to televise the GPs you`d think they would have announced it by now.

[racers and royals]

Every PL match is available by stream in the UK as are most Championship ones too.

You are wrong about the championship -normally one only live match shown to a world wide audience

[Backless]

FOX have actually lost the rights to show Premier League soccer in the USA from next season. I am in the US at present and can see more PL matches here than at home, including one of the 3pm Saturday kick-offs. Think NBC have nicked it for 2013-14

 

So Murdoch then flogs it to NBC and trousers the cash - the thing that Sky in the UK have overspent massively and THAT is why speedway amongst other (much more well funded) sports are shafted still holds true.

 

As others have said theres no definite decision been made yet so lets hope Sky decide to show the GPs in 2013,must admit though if Sky were going to televise the GPs you`d think they would have announced it by now.

 

And if they did, I guess there'll be pages aplenty on here with sheep THANKING them.

If they did pick it up at the last minute, it would be because they'd succeeded in screwing BSI / IMG (actually not a bad thing, in itself).

 

Fast forward 12 months, Sky say to the EL that having paid (say) 40% less for the GPs, take a pittance or leave it. The fat orange cockney will have to settle for a Lexus and the EL will be potless. Yay.

[oldace]

the thing that Sky in the UK have overspent massively and THAT is why speedway amongst other (much more well funded) sports are shafted still holds true.

 

I tend to think that is something of a smokescreen. Sky would not be ditching a profitable revenue stream no matter what the spend on football, in fact quite the opposite is true, they need more profitable live TV than ever before to pay for it.

 

Sky need viewers, and the right calibre of viewers, watching their broadcasts to give value to the ad breaks in between. The viewing figures for the SGP have fallen a lot the past few years which coupled with the demograph of those viewers makes it difficult to justify 3 hours of prime time Saturday TV.

[PHILIPRISING]

SKY have admitted that ANY sport on Sky Sports 4 attracts less viewers than on 1 or 2 and that in fact speedway fared better than any other which in turn helped boost advertising revenue for that particular channel.

 

Make of that what you will...