Sky 2014

[Hodgy]

If it's going to be 38 you can't really call it Elite League. It's basically PL + 1. May as well have 1 league split North and South, top 2 or 4 play off. The rest play in the best of losers cup. Logical way forward in my opinion.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Hodgy

[SteveLyric2]

INTERESTING piece on BT Sport's ambitions here ...

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/10440065/Now-BT-plots-major-raid-on-summer-sports.html

 

Judging by this, Sky had better hang on to speedway ... it might be all they have left!

Can't imagine there being a huge fight between BT and Sky for Speedway rights!!

 

 

Why wait until the new year. Talks could have started weeks ago but they havent and now we head into an AGM which should really be held in October with a number of tracks unsure on which league they want to ride in and they need to sort out contracts asap with landlords, sponsors, riders etc and that needs doing asap.

 

 

In my opinion the EL should go forward by admitting Leicester and Ipswich but no more. Then with 12 teams go ahead with 22 home meetings and 22 away meetings with no KO Cup and no meaningless challenge meetings. Starting in mid to late March, there are only a few teams that will have GP riders in their line ups and fixtures can be sorted to ensure they dont have meetings around the time of the NZ GP.

 

 

With a combination of a few riders not riding in 2014 and more teams, the limit should be set somewhere around 37.50 in the EL and 25.00 (37.50 using PL averages) in the PL with ALL riders having just one average with riders featuring in two leagues having their averages conmined to give one set figure.

 

Ty Proctor for example rode in just 9 EL matches and 9 PL / PL Cup meetings. For Wolves in the EL he scored 64 points from 37 rides and for Plymouth he scored 76 from 40 rides. Going on a conversion rate of 1.5, that works out as 114.67 points from 77 rides which gives a one average of 5.96 ...... however thats not fom 28 matches.

 

 

 

76/40

You seem to be assuming that the EL will increase in size?! What about Birmingham, Swindon and Eastbourne (and others???) who have reportedly had major financial losses eg Eastbourne not less than £70k!!

[Ommer Mon]

I think BT's victory in the bidding for European Football could be significant.

 

At the very least it creates many vacant slots in the Sky live programme and it leaves many pennies in their pot to put into other sports, like ours!

 

My fingers are crossed that this could be good news for Speedway but the key is, if we get the money, we need to spend it sensibly and train British youngsters as I have mentioned elsewhere.

 

I don't agree with the fear that Sky could insist on the top riders. They don't cover the Grands Prix any more so there is little spin off in it for them in that direction. They want competitive and exciting racing that they can sell in its own right.

 

Cut costs - restructure the Leagues to get greater variety - spend the money wisely - train the kids - keep the cost for fans down.

[Grand Central]

I can see that Sky will now have vacant slots in their 2015 schedule ... But not 2014.

They still have their current contract with UEFA right through to the Berlin Final in May 2015.

 

TR will need all his famed wheeler-dealing skills to sell Speedway right now as some sort of gap-filler, so far ahead.

 

I think that people should also remember that Sky did not offer a huge sum for the football rights out of benevolence.

They offered more than ever before (but still not enough) so as to be able to sell it to subscribers and advertisers at a big profit.

Not winning that contract does not mean they 'have money in the coffers' for Speedway.

It means they will be looking for another contract, probably very expensive, with something that pulls in punters at a substantial rate.

 

I don't know what that will be.

But it won't be Lakeside v Eastbourne on a damp and dreary Monday night.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Grand Central

[TheReturn]

It seems that at sometime I must have ruffled the feathers of rmc although I have not the faintest idea who he is or what the matter is in relation to.

Don't worry, easily done with that geezer.

[ekimba]

In the 2012 / 2013 Ice Hockey season Sky produced a 1 hour magazine programme on the EIHL.

They would show highlights from previous weeks games only if the home club provided them with the footage and let Sky do the voice over.

Would this not be more sensible for speedway clubs.

I beleive many, if not most clubs now produce their own DVDs.

This should also have the benefit of stimulating the appeal of the sport rather than overkill with a full match which can be hit and miss at times.

[Hazzman]

BT Sport getting the CL rights is arguably bad news; it leaves league Speedway with realistically one broadcaster to televise it. A broadcaster which can pick and choose it's price now. If Eurosport were interested, they'd have enquired by now but they simply don't have the kit to do it.

 

It's further considering what else SKY can bid for to make the viewers up. They still have a good strangle of most sports at an international level. They can squeeze the lower leagues for more televised football matches. Rugby League is soon due a re-vamp with its structure. Can they hit BT with the market in reference to American Sports...they have NFL and NBA, they may want to increase that to MLB and NHL. There's lots of avenues they can take.

 

Worth noting as well that as an overall company SKY have made massive leaps to monopolise other European sport markets.

[Daniel Smith]

If it's going to be 38 you can't really call it Elite League. It's basically PL + 1. May as well have 1 league split North and South, top 2 or 4 play off. The rest play in the best of losers cup. Logical way forward in my opinion.

 

So, how would you make the split???

 

All the Midland's teams will want to be together which is likely to be in the southern group.

 

King's Lynn will want to be partnered with Peterborough, Ipswich, Rye House and the Midland's clubs as they're all within about 2 1/2 hours of each other.

 

None of the EL clubs except Belle Vue will want to be part of a Northern group. Wouldn't be cost affective to be travelling up to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Berwick, Redcar and Workington.

 

The split just isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[GM]

I don't know why the scb are waiting for sky there are plenty of other channels who would snap the speedway up and maybe give better and more coverage.

Our sport is so slow getting things in place just like the winter agm why it's so late in November when major decisions need made is unbelievable.

Every club is waiting news to move forward it's a joke

[PHILIPRISING]

AND those channels are? And what has it to do with the SCB?

[LagutaRacingFan]

AND those channels are? And what has it to do with the SCB?

 

Playboy TV

[Guest]

 

Playboy TV

 

Does your wife know of your interest in this?

[foamfence]

I don't know why the scb are waiting for sky there are plenty of other channels who would snap the speedway up and maybe give better and more coverage.

Our sport is so slow getting things in place just like the winter agm why it's so late in November when major decisions need made is unbelievable.

Every club is waiting news to move forward it's a joke

As is your post... ...But was it meant to be?

[Hodgy]

So, how would you make the split???

All the Midland's teams will want to be together which is likely to be in the southern group.

King's Lynn will want to be partnered with Peterborough, Ipswich, Rye House and the Midland's clubs as they're all within about 2 1/2 hours of each other.

None of the EL clubs except Belle Vue will want to be part of a Northern group. Wouldn't be cost affective to be travelling up to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Berwick, Redcar and Workington.

The split just isn't going to happen anytime soon.

You make a valid point. PL would split easily but EL would all want to be in a southern group. Plan B, just split the one league in two, split how fits best. Maybe one league, home and away, will suffice.

[GM]

BT Sport are splashing the cash. Eurosport. Premier sport.

Speedway not looking for big money like football. Not even anything like rugby league or union.

All I'm saying is Sky is not the be all and and all.

[CUFC_Brummie]

The sport should be planning cost cutting measures without the Sky money anyway as it needs to be done regardless of whether there is a television deal or not. If Sky don't come in then the clubs are still being run sustainably on a reduced budget, if they do then it is essentially bonus money, but it should be handled by the BSPA (or an independent body) and distributed to clubs only when they propose to do something for the benefit of the sport, such as upgrading facilities, investing in young rider development, offering promotional schemes to increase crowds, rather than go on the wages of a some 6 point foreigner or second tier GP rider which quite frankly we don't need.

 

Sky or no Sky, the sport can move forward either way but from a team building perspective at least, it should be being done without the Sky money regardless of whether a deal is going to be struck or not.

[Tommy Sweetman]

BT Sport are splashing the cash. Eurosport. Premier sport.

Speedway not looking for big money like football. Not even anything like rugby league or union.

All I'm saying is Sky is not the be all and and all.

Think you will find logistics,are a big part of the problem.

[Hodgy]

The sport should be planning cost cutting measures without the Sky money anyway as it needs to be done regardless of whether there is a television deal or not. If Sky don't come in then the clubs are still being run sustainably on a reduced budget, if they do then it is essentially bonus money, but it should be handled by the BSPA (or an independent body) and distributed to clubs only when they propose to do something for the benefit of the sport, such as upgrading facilities, investing in young rider development, offering promotional schemes to increase crowds, rather than go on the wages of a some 6 point foreigner or second tier GP rider which quite frankly we don't need.Sky or no Sky, the sport can move forward either way but from a team building perspective at least, it should be being done without the Sky money regardless of whether a deal is going to be struck or not.

Makes sense.

[skthecat]

Where exactly should any tv money go? Most clubs don't own the stadia, so even if they wanted to spend any money on that side, they probably wouldn't be able to..

I suppose it could be spent on track surface improvement, you know, the actual track material itself, like having enough shale, covers for a supply of dry shale, for saving meetings when weathers been poor, but good on the day/night of the meeting. On adaquate track work equipment, a decent working start gate! A track spare or 2 (bikes) The list of [stuff] must be quite long, which would improve racing and smarten up the general appearance of the sport......

[foamfence]

Where exactly should any tv money go? Most clubs don't own the stadia, so even if they wanted to spend any money on that side, they probably wouldn't be able to..

I suppose it could be spent on track surface improvement, you know, the actual track material itself, like having enough shale, covers for a supply of dry shale, for saving meetings when weathers been poor, but good on the day/night of the meeting. On adaquate track work equipment, a decent working start gate! A track spare or 2 (bikes) The list of [stuff] must be quite long, which would improve racing and smarten up the general appearance of the sport......

I would like to see more investment in equipment and coaching for beginners and riders at or below NL level. In the long term it would benefit the clubs and British Speedway in general. I don't care what the top level is for next year, but too much is being spent on it at the expense of the lower leagues that are ultimately the providers. Start a rebuilding plan.