Sky 2014

[SteveLyric2]

Surely nobody is saying/has said that lapsed attendees should not be chased for their reasons for no longer attending?! However, it is more than just sensible to concentrate and prioritise one's research efforts on those that have recently lapsed ie, in the past 3-4 years lets say, rather than those that haven't attended for 20 years+, assuming of course that those recent punters can be contacted in sufficient numbers?!

 

Combine those responses with a good cross-section of views from current fans in a properly-run survey, and there should be some decent results!!?

[500cc]

Surely nobody is saying/has said that lapsed attendees should not be chased for their reasons for no longer attending?! However, it is more than just sensible to concentrate and prioritise one's research efforts on those that have recently lapsed ie, in the past 3-4 years lets say, rather than those that haven't attended for 20 years+, assuming of course that those recent punters can be contacted in sufficient numbers?!

 

Combine those responses with a good cross-section of views from current fans in a properly-run survey, and there should be some decent results!!?

 

The best survey I've seen was run on this site by Speedy19902006 with 399 respondees. Some of the results were very revealing and I'd suggest of serious concern to the sport.

 

Figures like:

67.1 % have followed the sport for over 25 years

69.3 % are aged over 40

50.8% have an average round trip over 25 miles

29.1% rarely or ever attend speedway anymore

70% have attended a GP

 

I'm somebody who falls into all those categories due to my total disillusionment with the way the sport is run in this country. Whilst the two teams I followed shut down in 2005 and 2008, it's only the last two years I've got totally fed up. I never thought I would.

 

I find those figures quite scary, and whilst you can never trust statistics, I think the illustrate a sport that is (an unstoppable?) decline. I think nationally and globally the authorities have been asleep on duty. Their inability to evolve in line with the massive changes in how the world operates staggers me. Social media is an enemy (I'm no fan but a business these days must embrace it), the amount of money top (and many not so top) riders earn especially in Poland, the exorbitant costs of machinery and especially engine tuning, the slow running of meetings (unsatisfactory start and back to the pits is a joke in modern times), the total disregard to fixtures (both planning and cancelling), the public arguments between promoters, as starters.

 

The Grand Prix series has its issues, but there is a product that actually looks like it fits the new millennium.

 

EDIT: "I'm somebody who falls into all those categories". For clarity, I fall into the first two categories historically (!!!), but the latter three are where I am at now. Our "rarely" now consists of Cardiff only. As a weekly spectator for years, it's not good if others have the same "viewing" profile as we do now. Those first three categories aren't the type of viewing profile any sport would appreciate. The distance one alone is less of an issue (and even a positive in the right circumstances), but combine it with the age profile and that is really bad news looking forward.

Edited October 18, 2013 by 500cc

[The White Knight]

Is he ?

Nearly all feedback is valuable, but surely that from people who actually still go is the most important. While trying to attract back those who no longer attend could easily be a pointless and wasted exercise, actually listening to those who are in attendance might ensure that they will continue to go.

 

 

What's the point HT - whilst I agree with you - at Speedway nobody listens or even worse seems to care. :sad:

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

IF Sky stick with it I can see it being on the basis that their outlay is no more than just the production costs. The clubs would get no Sky payout.

 

It would then be down to the BSPA to find a headline sponsor to bridge the gap.

 

At the moment the second part of that sounds pie in the sky(pun intended) but stranger things have happened!

[moxey63]

Initially we wished that coverage of live speedway would attract extra interest and help swell terrace support virtue of the mass of newcomers impressed by what they had seen on the box.

 

But all it's achieved, it seems, is fulfil the appetite of people that were already won over.

 

It gave many old stagers chance to remain at home, comforted by a bag of nuts and glass of something or other, and many chose this avenue above actually pulling out their coat every now and then and they actually lost the knack of attending speedway.

Besides the hope of SKY's early coverage attracted a new wave of fans that would flock to see our best kept secret, perhaps truth is... that live matches more likely than not encouraged once regular attendees to stay at home.

Edited October 18, 2013 by moxey63

[solrac19]

GOOD points Rob although we need to recognise that the production costs for a full season's coverage of the Elite League would appear to be prohibitive.

 

One TV exec in Stockholm said bluntly: "Why would you pay all that money to cover events at sparsely populated stadiums, on poorly prepared tracks, at the whim of the weather and between teams that never seem to be at full strength?"

 

Tough to argue with that which is why, personally, I can see merit in the idea of one channel going in hard at the end of the season and covering the play-offs in Britain, Poland and Sweden. They might even be persuaded to do an odd meeting (British Final perhaps) along the way especially if BSI were to throw in the Cardiff wild card for the highest placed rider other than Tai.

 

Good points made. From a viewing point of view, I couldn't give a damn if the Elite League is shown or not. It's consistently grim fare and I'd personally rather watch Swedish or Polish Leagues. However, it's not about me or my viewing preferences, it's unfortunately about the survival of a number of clubs if a TV deal is not done...

[PHILIPRISING]

Initially we wished that coverage of live speedway would attract extra interest and help swell terrace support virtue of the mass of newcomers impressed by what they had seen on the box.

 

But all it's achieved, it seems, is fulfil the appetite of people that were already won over.

 

It gave many old stagers chance to remain at home, comforted by a bag of nuts and glass of something or other, and many chose this avenue above actually pulling out their coat every now and then and they actually lost the knack of attending speedway.

Besides the hope of SKY's early coverage attracted a new wave of fans that would flock to see our best kept secret, perhaps truth is... that live matches more likely than not encouraged once regular attendees to stay at home.

 

A LOT of truth in that but had some of the Sky money been used more dynamically some new (or indeed old) fans might have been attracted to watch live speedway.

[2ndbendpostie]

We are two of the former regular attenders that have stopped attending live speedway in the last two years.So for those who are suggesting canvassing the reasons people do not go anymore here are our reasons, the main one is a financial one, every family has x amount of disposable income, for 2 of us to attend speedway factoring in admission, petrol, programme, food & drink, it was costing us around £50 per meeting, multiply that by 12 meetings a year = £600.00, for us a week in Majorca was a much better way of spending that sort of money. We were also getting the meetings on tv (although to be honest this year I have become a bit of GP snob). Will we go back if there is no EL on tv next year ?, I very much doubt it, we have now got out of the habit and as a result we have found other (cheaper) things to do.

[The White Knight]

Initially we wished that coverage of live speedway would attract extra interest and help swell terrace support virtue of the mass of newcomers impressed by what they had seen on the box.

 

But all it's achieved, it seems, is fulfil the appetite of people that were already won over.

 

It gave many old stagers chance to remain at home, comforted by a bag of nuts and glass of something or other, and many chose this avenue above actually pulling out their coat every now and then and they actually lost the knack of attending speedway.

Besides the hope of SKY's early coverage attracted a new wave of fans that would flock to see our best kept secret, perhaps truth is... that live matches more likely than not encouraged once regular attendees to stay at home.

Good points made. From a viewing point of view, I couldn't give a damn if the Elite League is shown or not. It's consistently grim fare and I'd personally rather watch Swedish or Polish Leagues. However, it's not about me or my viewing preferences, it's unfortunately about the survival of a number of clubs if a TV deal is not done...

A LOT of truth in that but had some of the Sky money been used more dynamically some new (or indeed old) fans might have been attracted to watch live speedway.

We are two of the former regular attenders that have stopped attending live speedway in the last two years.So for those who are suggesting canvassing the reasons people do not go anymore here are our reasons, the main one is a financial one, every family has x amount of disposable income, for 2 of us to attend speedway factoring in admission, petrol, programme, food & drink, it was costing us around £50 per meeting, multiply that by 12 meetings a year = £600.00, for us a week in Majorca was a much better way of spending that sort of money. We were also getting the meetings on tv (although to be honest this year I have become a bit of GP snob). Will we go back if there is no EL on tv next year ?, I very much doubt it, we have now got out of the habit and as a result we have found other (cheaper) things to do.

 

Read these Posts and despair for the future of our Sport. If the 'old' Brigade are getting fed up - then Speedway, as we know it, is FINISHED. :sad:

[moxey63]

A LOT of truth in that but had some of the Sky money been used more dynamically some new (or indeed old) fans might have been attracted to watch live speedway.

 

Phil

It is exactly what I have been thinking the past 10 years or so. Promoters seemed all out to inflate speedway's public profile during the initial years of the live coverage but then they seem to become complacent and expected the food of SKY's money to be on the table every season. We all remember the buzz, the Kids For A Quid thing, the face-painting days when SKY was in town.

I always remember reading prior to 1999 that SKY weren't interested in covering Elite League speedway, or so the rumours were, because of the derelict looking stadiums and the way they would be portrayed on TV.

But they gave us 15 years' great coverage and really received not much back in return. The product they have rented has been allowed to decay over time and now the foundations need a complete rebuild. As tenants, SKY is naturally unhappy about paying for something that has become tarnished over this time.

Speedway promoters only have themselves to blame, which is why I wouldn’t trust any of them to reverse me up Blackpool beach.

I don’t know if audiences have dropped for live matches, and whether this could have helped SKY decide, that’s if they are ditching us, but the sport became too reliant on their cash, too expectant and became quite lazy about the guarantee of SKY’s paycheque every season.

 

If a rider treated a sponsor the same, that sponsor wouldn’t have given 15 years of their hard-earned dosh. So the sport should be grateful.

Just hope they’ve put some of their 15-year winnings away for the ensuing rainy days.

Edited October 19, 2013 by moxey63

[The White Knight]

Phil

It is exactly what I have been thinking the past 10 years or so. Promoters seemed all out to inflate speedway's public profile during the initial years of the live coverage but then they seem to become complacent and expected the food of SKY's money to be on the table every season. We all remember the buzz, the Kids For A Quid thing, the face-painting days when SKY was in town. But we

I always remember SKY weren't interested in covering Elite League speedway, or so the rumours were, because of the derelict looking stadiums and the way they would be portrayed on TV.

But they gave us 15 years' great coverage and really received not much back in return. The product they have rented has been allowed to decay over time and now the foundations need a complete rebuild. As tenants, SKY is naturally unhappy about paying for something that has become tarnished over this time.

Speedway promoters only have themselves to blame, which is why I wouldn’t trust any of them to reverse me up Blackpool beach.

I don’t know if audiences have dropped for live matches, and whether this could have helped SKY decide, that’s if they are ditching us, but the sport became too reliant on their cash, too expectant and became quite lazy about the guarantee of SKY’s paycheque every season.

 

If a rider treated a sponsor the same, that sponsor wouldn’t have given 15 years of their hard-earned dosh. So the sport should be grateful.

Just hope they’ve put some of their 15-year winnings away for the ensuing rainy days.

 

I somehow doubt that. :shock:

[New Science]

Phil

It is exactly what I have been thinking the past 10 years or so. Promoters seemed all out to inflate speedway's public profile during the initial years of the live coverage but then they seem to become complacent and expected the food of SKY's money to be on the table every season. We all remember the buzz, the Kids For A Quid thing, the face-painting days when SKY was in town.

I always remember reading prior to 1999 that SKY weren't interested in covering Elite League speedway, or so the rumours were, because of the derelict looking stadiums and the way they would be portrayed on TV.

But they gave us 15 years' great coverage and really received not much back in return. The product they have rented has been allowed to decay over time and now the foundations need a complete rebuild. As tenants, SKY is naturally unhappy about paying for something that has become tarnished over this time.

Speedway promoters only have themselves to blame, which is why I wouldn’t trust any of them to reverse me up Blackpool beach.

I don’t know if audiences have dropped for live matches, and whether this could have helped SKY decide, that’s if they are ditching us, but the sport became too reliant on their cash, too expectant and became quite lazy about the guarantee of SKY’s paycheque every season.

 

If a rider treated a sponsor the same, that sponsor wouldn’t have given 15 years of their hard-earned dosh. So the sport should be grateful.

Just hope they’ve put some of their 15-year winnings away for the ensuing rainy days.

Reading between the lines in the speedway press most Elite league clubs are losing significant amounts of money even with the Sky TV money so there is actually no money to put away for a rainy day Edited October 19, 2013 by New Science

[pandorum]

Read these Posts and despair for the future of our Sport. If the 'old' Brigade are getting fed up - then Speedway, as we know it, is FINISHED. :sad:

League speeway here as I knew it finished a long time ago and the last few years of EL on TV have shown how corrupt and bankrupt it has become in it's death throes.

I used to love league racing but no team left me watching on TV and this year I could not be bothered to watch EL even if I saw it free.

I prefer the excitement of Polish, Swedish, Russian and Danish league racing which of course has it's dull days but is way better than Monday night on SKY.

 

I feel sorry for SKY having to put up with such poor fare this last few years as they have been the best thing ever to happen to our sport but sadly with corrupt imbiciles in charge nothing worthwhile ever came out of thier 15 year sojourn with EL racing.

These morons could not even attract a sponsor for the league

 

Now if SKY have any sense they will dump the toxic involvement with the BSPA and be well rid of such idiots.

Of course it would be nice if UK speedway was on a major TV channel but such things are a two way affair and the BSPA have proved them selves lamentable when it comes to showcasing thier product.

 

Now it's too late and this selfish bunch of backstabbing fools are left with empty run down stadiums and a fanbase that expects something more for thier hard earned pounds than the BSPA are capable of giving.

 

All this nonsense of trying to blame fans for not turning out misses the unequivocally obvious.

The sport is clapped out and clueless and an anachronism stuck in an era that it's audience no longer live in.

 

This forum provides the answers as many people here have put forward many an erudite solution to whats wrong with the sport.

But all these clueless fools do is portray thier customers as an enemy and ignore them or abuse them.

 

2014 will be a pivotal year for the sport. Speedway needs every friend it can get if it is to survive.

It is blatantly obvious that 'doing nothing' is not an answer.

Tinkering with the odd rule won't save the sport.

It needs investment in the new generation of rider and supporter.

Thier lackadaisical attitude to promotion and presentaton has to change.

People expect more when they are asked to pay more. The lazy promoters need to start promoting thier product not just to a new audience but the old one as well.

 

The new National Stadium will not save speedway if there is nobody to fill it.

Can it rise from the ashes of indifference?

 

Maybe if it acts now and starts to show it has a plan and some solutions to the problems.

But unfortunately we are talking about the BSPA and that really does not fill me with confidence that the sport will survive much longer in the UK.

And considering speedway was such a big part of my life I find that incredibly sad

[arthur cross]

I don’t know if audiences have dropped for live matches, and whether this could have helped SKY decide, that’s if they are ditching us, but the sport became too reliant on their cash, too expectant and became quite lazy about the guarantee of SKY’s paycheque every season.

 

On this occasion, I don't think any change in audience-figures is at the top of Sky's thinking (although it'll still matter to some degree) ... instead, whether you're a speedway supporter or a speedway promoter, you need to understand that Sky's situation within televised-sport in this country has changed enormously since it included speedway (and several other minority sports like greyhounds, pool and ice hockey) on its schedules during the mid-to-late-1990's.

 

At that stage, it was still the fairly new upstart that had revolutionized British tv-sport by hooking up with the Football Association to push through the breakaway in 1992 of the Premier League clubs from the traditional 4-division format of the Football League ... Sky Sports' head honcho at that time, Vic Wakeling, led an attitude that wanted to be seen to be supporting a variety of sports up and down the land as well as making millions from the subscriptions that were mostly football-driven.

 

But now, in a much greater multi-channel era thanks to everyone having to swtich over to digital-tv whether they subscribe to anything or not, Sky has become the longest-established sports-subscription service and therefore a target for a new wave of upstart sports-broadcasters to aim at.

 

It wasn't too difficult to see off Setanta (a badly organized bunch) while ESPN soon realized they weren't going to defeat Sky over here (regardless of how big ESPN is in the United States) ... in fact, ESPN gladly showed adverts for Sky to help their own UK finances !!

 

But more recently 3 things have happened ... firstly, Sky paid way too many shedloads to guarantee it would be the only British broadcaster with live coverage of every F1 Grand Prix race (and all the practice sessions) ... secondly, BT Sport emerged with by far the toughest challenge yet to Sky's dominance, both in terms of attaching broadband deals into sports-subscriptions and also in the willingness to bid mega-money for Premier League football (and by the looks of it, the upcoming round of Champions League rights).

 

Thirdly, Vic Wakeling retired after about 20 years in charge and his successor Barney Francis (either by choice or being forced into it by the previous 2 changes I've mentioned) appears much more concerned with hanging on to their biggest deals than also continuing the effort to support a wider variety of sports ... hence more use in recent schedules of "golden archive" material from those big deals.

 

Arguably, the only "minority sport" that's harnessed Sky well enough to lift itself into the list of "big deals" is darts.

 

None of what I've just explained is really speedway's fault ... except the stumbling way speedway's been run in this country has left it even more vulnerable than similar sports when faced by these changes to Sky's landscape.

 

If there's one person Terry Russell should make an effort to talk to before he visits Sky in the next few days, it's a chap called Tom Kelly who's in charge of BAGS (the organization of the greyhound racing tracks shown in betting shops) ... this time last year, the dogs on Sky had reached the crossroads speedway's at now but everyone in the greyhound industry (whether it be the tracks, the bookmakers or Sky themselves) will tell you it was Tom Kelly's ideas and negotiating skills that underpinned the compromise-deal that kept the dogs on Sky this year.

 

The greyhounds dropped from about 35-shows on their traditional deal across the whole of 2012 to around 22-shows from March-onwards this year but the indications are that everyone's close to agreeing around 26-shows in 2014 that will include some January and February action this time ... it can't do any harm on this occasion for speedway to find out more about greyhound racing's case study.

Edited October 19, 2013 by arthur cross

[rogero]

A lot of my friends have left Sky to go to BT Sport as many of the rugby matches are now on there. I love both rugby and speedway so, in the knowledge that Sky might drop speedway, I emailed Sky a couple of times. The first reply explained as follows:

Thank you for your recent email enquiry regarding Elite Speedway. please allow me to assist you further with this matter.

 

Just to advise you that ESPN, which was an independent company and only used Sky's platform for their viewing services, ceased to broadcast on 31/07/13 and the services were taken over by BT Sports.

 

I have checked our Sky Sports calendar and can advise that the only Speedway Elite we currently have to view is on Sky Sports 2 HD this evening which is the Grand Final between Birmingham and Poole.

 

 

We want all of our customers to receive the best service possible from us and I am sorry that I cannot provide you with any further information of this service. However if we can assist you with any other Sky related enquiry, please don't hesitate to contact us

As this didn't answer anything I went back to them and asked directly, are there plans to cover the british speedway elite league on 2014, yes or no? The reply came back as follows:

Thank you for your email about Speedway.

 

As this time we have no plans to broadcast Speedway on our Sky Sports channels.

 

I am sorry that I can't offer further assistance at this time. True, the responses were not originally from the sports dept but I persevered to get the contacts to check with the sports editor. So, who knows who wrote the reply but it doesn't look positive. Let's hope that another broadcaster will take over. At this moment in time I fear for my favourite sport more than any time in the last 50 years of supporting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[salty]

Interesting points as ever, Arthur. Unfortunately, I think the key difference between greyhounds and speedway will be the influence of the bookmakers. They have a vested interest in keeping the dogs on sky as the live coverage boosts their turnover. They also have the funds to help shore up the production costs. Speedway has nothing like that level of support and it will be the BSPA on its own that will have to come up with a package to entice the broadcasters.

[topaz325]

Reading between the lines in the speedway press most Elite league clubs are losing significant amounts of money even with the Sky TV money so there is actually no money to put away for a rainy day

 

From what i have read in the SS Eastbourne £70k and in the PL Glasgow £50k.....no doubt many more have suffered major losses again this year...then again we have had new clubs joining the Leagues Birmingham, Plymouth and Bradford thinking about re starting.

[crazysue]

In business, you move with the times, not get on about the good old days that will NEVER come back. Note you are 'like'd by old codgers, not folks in the business or attending fans. Blows your case really, probably time for you to move on.In any business, you concentrate your efforts on the ones that might come back, or start coming. Why bother wasting your time and efforts on someone already out of it and likely to stay out of it.

Would anybody waste their time with 'past it' folks like moxey or Oldace. There are bigger fish to fry.

 

Felt I had to post in reply to this, I fell out of love with the sport back in 1994 due to increasing costs (went to the first meeting of the season and that was it) and had absolutely no interest in returning for almost a decade. I was enticed back however due to the GP's on television and an old friend badgering me to go to a meeting whilst we were on holiday..and so, I returned to speedway in 2002.

 

In my time away, I didn't chase up the results, I didn't keep up with the news, speedway was completely off my radar, I had completely lost interest.

 

Never say never, although you may think a fan has been lost and is not worth the effort, you could be very very wrong.

[DiamondsRock]

From what i have read in the SS Eastbourne £70k and in the PL Glasgow £50k.....no doubt many more have suffered major losses again this year...then again we have had new clubs joining the Leagues Birmingham, Plymouth and Bradford thinking about re starting.

 

Then it's about time that club's got realistic with wages, and actually started to put some effort into promote. Hopefully with the loss of the Sky handouts, certain clubs will start to think about how much they can afford to pay out, and try harder to bring new fans in.

 

Should Sky return, then hopefully the promoters will use it to subsidise Sky match admission costs (rather than paying out unaffordable wages) - make the product look popular, and maybe it will entice more people along to regular meetings. A rolling one year contract (or no contract at all) may give them the kick up the backside they need.

[G the Bee]

Put simply, we must be the only sport who has had a decade and a half's investment from Sky and come out the other end in a significantly worse position than when we entered it.

 

A damning indictment of how the sport in this country has been run.

 

Clueless promotion, no long-term plan, stumbling along from agm to agm making rule changes on a whim...

 

Need I go on.

 

As far as I'm concerned the management team of the BSPA as a collective (and I know it's membership has changed over this period) has blood on its hands and owes each and every speedway supporter in the country an apology for the shambolic and ineffective way the sport has been governed over this period.

Edited October 20, 2013 by G the Bee