How Do We Attract A New Young Audience?

[Derwent]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

[steve roberts]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

I suspect that your reference to 'Howard & Hilda' would be lost on most people...but not me! I remember the sit-com well...sad really!

Edited December 29, 2015 by steve roberts

[Trees]

That's not the point. The point is that the spectators need to be kept engaged during the breaks.It's all very well being annoyed that kids and spectators might lose interest during track prep, but if people lose interest they won't come back.

So play some great tunes, have some banter over the tannoy during breaks, get the kids chanting, give the kids name checks, read out tweets, give answers to comp in the prog (14 questions, one after each race) etc etc .... make some effort

[van wolfswinkel]

My next-door neighbour who is 10, and his Mum loved their first visit to Blunsdon, thing is cant go again in school-term as the late finish meant he was kipping in class the next day.

Said he was bored between races, but loved the crashes!

Edited December 29, 2015 by Mad Moose

[ColinMills]

razzamatazz, hype, atmosphere, ingredients needed to grab a youngster

[Gemini]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

Fills arenas indoors not standing/sitting outside in the cold and rain. I don't think Speedway will ever appeal to the masses again no matter what changes are made so unfortunately people will have to put up with us oldies sitting on folding chairs until we're no longer able to get our weary legs to the stadium. We're all doomed.

[ColinMills]

How about a season opener, where all clubs start with a challenge match with open gates and a donation bucket?

lets just see, if speedway can entice any newbies after a dose of "free" speedway..the ben fund, riders performed for free, when

the new air safety fences were introduced, the riders (I believe rode for free) at some tracks. lets see if we can actually

entice people for free, because if you cant do it for free, then lets face it, you certainly wont when charging £15.......And anybody

donating in the buckets, hand them an incentive the following week, paying adult, free kiddy. if they attend twice, they then likely

to return as a paying customer!!

[Humphrey Appleby]

Test cricket has a problem and we have to accept it has to change to suit modern life. I am a traditionalist. I was a player suited to Test match cricket and I loved the long form of the game in the way it challenged every aspect of your technique and character.

I think speedway would still be happy with the attendances that test cricket gets though.

 

The simple fact though, is that first class cricket should never have existed as a professional sport given how long it takes to play, the fact the action takes place some distance away from the spectators, and there's large gaps between the action. However, it still became very popular despite that, and even today pulls decent crowds at an international level.

 

I think both T20 and test cricket have their place (although I'm less enamoured with one day cricket which is a pig-in-a-poke to me) and for different reasons. I like passing the time of day at Lords or wherever, whereas the full-on 'experience' at the likes of the Big Bash (where I went yesterday) would hurt my head before long. Equally though, I paid less to watch some of the best players in the world in one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, than I would to watch so-called Elite League speedway in a ramshackle stadium.

 

So with respect to speedway, I don't think it's a matter of comparing test cricket to T20, but improving the value of the product and the general experience. It's also a matter of having decent marketing that properly leverages social media and the modern app world, rather than handing over the commercial rights to an old mate who doesn't know the first thing about how to exploit them properly.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Humphrey Appleby

[Shale Searcher]

I think speedway would still be happy with the attendances that test cricket gets though.

 

The simple fact though, is that first class cricket should never have existed as a professional sport given how long it takes to play, the fact the action takes place some distance away from the spectators, and the large gaps between the action. However, it still became very popular despite that, and even today pulls decent crowds at an international level.

 

I think both T20 and test cricket have their place (although I'm less enamoured with one day cricket which is a pig-in-a-poke to me) and for different reasons. I like passing the time of day at Lords or wherever, wheres the full-on 'experience' at the likes of the Big Bash (where I went yesterday) would hurt my head before long. Equally though, I paid less to watch some of the best players in the world in one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, than I would to watch so-called Elite League speedway in a ramshackle stadium.

 

So with respect to speedway, I don't think it's a matter of comparing test cricket to T20, but improving the value of the product and the general experience. It's also a matter of having decent marketing that properly leverages social media and the modern app world, rather than handing over the commercial rights to an old ate who doesn't know the first thing about how to exploit them properly.

You paid less, but surely most of the £18 admission to speedway goes on paying the speedway riders? Reduce the admission, and unless the additional spectators meets the shortfall in revenue from the reduced admission, then the riders will have to take a pay cut, and let's be honest, around £300 for winning a race is not exactly millionaires row earnings is it.....?

You know, a nice red shale and a well manicured grass centre green is a lot more pleasant on the eyes than a sh** up dirty browny-grey tarmacced middle..

[Humphrey Appleby]

You paid less, but surely most of the £18 admission to speedway goes on paying the speedway riders? Reduce the admission, and unless the additional spectators meets the shortfall in revenue from the reduced admission, then the riders will have to take a pay cut, and let's be honest, around £300 for winning a race is not exactly millionaires row earnings is it.....?

I fully understand the problem, but the fact of the matter is that Elite League speedway is a poor value product. I was able to pay the equivalent of 16 quid (and the cheapest adult tickets were about a tenner) because the Big Bash can pull 30,000 spectators to a run-of-the-mill match, as well as leverage decent sponsorship because sponsors want to be associated with the product.

 

Regardless of whether riders are getting to be millionaires or not, they're unfortunately not worth what they're being paid in terms of the crowds they're pulling. And if the majority of 18 quid is wages, then something is badly wrong with the economic structure of the sport.

[Skid Sprocket]

How about a season opener, where all clubs start with a challenge match with open gates and a donation bucket?

lets just see, if speedway can entice any newbies after a dose of "free" speedway..the ben fund, riders performed for free, when

the new air safety fences were introduced, the riders (I believe rode for free) at some tracks. lets see if we can actually

entice people for free, because if you cant do it for free, then lets face it, you certainly wont when charging £15.......And anybody

donating in the buckets, hand them an incentive the following week, paying adult, free kiddy. if they attend twice, they then likely

to return as a paying customer!!

A free challenge match is a great idea but I'm not sure about at the start of the season, March can be a very cruel month for weather and if you get newbies standing about in the wind and cold their not going to be keen of a return visit.

I distribute a lot of posters each year but would never deliver them in March for that reason. March is for hardened supporters, tempt the newbies with free challenge matches in late April early May and you might have them to the end of the season and beyond.

[Reviresco]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

 

I think I'm correct in saying that Tai Woffinden contacted Barry Hearn direct about taking on the job of promoting and modernising speedway in the UK and Barry responded that he may have been interested 20 years ago (Barry is in his late 60's now), so Tai then asked if Barry's son Eddie would be interested to which Barry replied that Eddie was probably too busy to take on another project, with Eddie now running the boxing arm of Matchroom Sport.

 

I think speedway would still be happy with the attendances that test cricket gets though.

 

The simple fact though, is that first class cricket should never have existed as a professional sport given how long it takes to play, the fact the action takes place some distance away from the spectators, and there's large gaps between the action. However, it still became very popular despite that, and even today pulls decent crowds at an international level.

 

I think both T20 and test cricket have their place (although I'm less enamoured with one day cricket which is a pig-in-a-poke to me) and for different reasons. I like passing the time of day at Lords or wherever, whereas the full-on 'experience' at the likes of the Big Bash (where I went yesterday) would hurt my head before long. Equally though, I paid less to watch some of the best players in the world in one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, than I would to watch so-called Elite League speedway in a ramshackle stadium.

 

So with respect to speedway, I don't think it's a matter of comparing test cricket to T20, but improving the value of the product and the general experience. It's also a matter of having decent marketing that properly leverages social media and the modern app world, rather than handing over the commercial rights to an old mate who doesn't know the first thing about how to exploit them properly.

 

And I don't think that you should compare Test cricket (which is international) attendances with domestic speedway, more equitable to compare County cricket attendances with domestic speedway. Not that I know the crowd levels for County cricket, but some that I have attended would be far short of a league speedway match with only the 'festival' matches being roughly equal or higher than current speedway attendances.

 

Yesterday, the BBC did a comparison of the attendances at three cricket matches that were taking place that day with the SA v England match in Durban attracting 5,000+, Aus v WI in Melbourne attracting 7,000+ and the Big Bash match at the Gabba 27,000+.

[OGT]

One of the biggest problems with speedway now is identity. I mean, where does it stand in the world of sport? Is it a motorsport? Well there are motors involved, but it doesn't attract traditional motorsport fans, probably because nobody can identify with a particular manufacturer like they can in road racing, MX etc. Anyway, how many motorcycles do you see parked outside a speedway stadium? Is it an extreme sport? Well yes, it probably is. but it doesn't appeal to the Nitro Circus types in the way it should.

Maybe speedway promoters should treat themselves to a trip to a BSB round. £25-30 all day. not much more than that for the whole weekend package. Generally decent facilities, pit walks with meet the riders, paddock access, stalls, things for kids to do, all in all a sport that gears itself to keeping fans happy and entertained. Decent crowds bearing in mind that each event is heavily televised. There's a lot to be learned.

[MattK]

How about a season opener, where all clubs start with a challenge match with open gates and a donation bucket?

lets just see, if speedway can entice any newbies after a dose of "free" speedway..the ben fund, riders performed for free, when

the new air safety fences were introduced, the riders (I believe rode for free) at some tracks. lets see if we can actually

entice people for free, because if you cant do it for free, then lets face it, you certainly wont when charging £15.......And anybody

donating in the buckets, hand them an incentive the following week, paying adult, free kiddy. if they attend twice, they then likely

to return as a paying customer!!

 

I've always wondered why clubs don't offer reduced (or even free) admission at the start of the season, firstly to get returning fans back into the habit and secondy to entice new fans.

 

Swindon offered a £5 entry and got probably double the crowd of a regular meeting. The problem was, the next meeting the price was back up to normal (£17) and the crowd went back down again.

 

I don't understand why clubs don't play around with the price. There must be a sweet spot between attracting lots of fans but not generating enough revenue which is where you are at £5 and charging so much it puts people off, which I believe is where we currently are at £17.

[Gemini]

......Colin Mills......donating in the buckets, hand them an incentive the following week, paying adult, free kiddy. if they attend twice, they then likely to return as a paying customer!!

 

Doubt it once they realize they've got to hand over £17 or £18 to watch fifteen races. Not only that but how many tracks have 3 consecutive meetings? Attend 2 and then find there isn't another for a couple of weeks. Result? Lost interest and can't be bothered.

 

 

 

.....MattK.....I've always wondered why clubs don't offer reduced (or even free) admission at the start of the season, firstly to get returning fans back into the habit and secondy to entice new fans.

 

I quite fancy that idea for Coventry's first match against Poole for the Elite Shield or whatever it's called.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Gemini

[steve roberts]

 

I've always wondered why clubs don't offer reduced (or even free) admission at the start of the season, firstly to get returning fans back into the habit and secondy to entice new fans.

 

Swindon offered a £5 entry and got probably double the crowd of a regular meeting. The problem was, the next meeting the price was back up to normal (£17) and the crowd went back down again.

 

I don't understand why clubs don't play around with the price. There must be a sweet spot between attracting lots of fans but not generating enough revenue which is where you are at £5 and charging so much it puts people off, which I believe is where we currently are at £17.

Didn't Arena Essex (or Lakeside!) offer free admission some years back and it attracted a goodly attendance? However the following week the crowd level was back to normal...perhaps those attending the freebie didn't view it as good value for money when required to pay an admission price the following week?

[MattK]

Didn't Arena Essex (or Lakeside!) offer free admission some years back and it attracted a goodly attendance? However the following week the crowd level was back to normal...perhaps those attending the freebie didn't view it as good value for money when required to pay an admission price the following week?

 

Anecdotally, it was suggested most of the crowd were speedway supporters from other clubs, who enjoyed a free meeting, rather than attracting lots of new local interest.

 

However, a good way of attracting people back would be a voucher for money off the next meeting and so on. These are simple marketing techniques used in almost all consumer-focussed businesses.

[KevH]

 

Anecdotally, it was suggested most of the crowd were speedway supporters from other clubs, who enjoyed a free meeting, rather than attracting lots of new local interest.

 

I don't think that's right.

 

The 'free' meeting was televised by Sky and if other teams' supporters had wished to view the meeting, I suggest they would have done so on their televisions. If you are correct, they would have endured the jam-packed M25 and spent money on fuel etc.......not something I expect the majority of people to do when their own team isn't involved :/

[Humphrey Appleby]

Didn't Arena Essex (or Lakeside!) offer free admission some years back and it attracted a goodly attendance? However the following week the crowd level was back to normal...perhaps those attending the freebie didn't view it as good value for money when required to pay an admission price the following week?

I don't feel there's any point trying promotional offers whilst the product is such poor value for money to start with. You might get a few interested people through the door initially, but they'll quickly be put off by the unfathomable delays and the fact they'll have to pay 18 quid for the privilege next time around. In fact, I feel it's actually worse than doing nothing because those customers are unlikely to ever come back.

 

I think speedway needs to be promoted through existing supporters and by creating online interest so people already know what to expect if and when they do finally take the plunge of going to a live speedway meeting. But ultimately it comes down to making it cheap enough that people are prepared to take a punt on a sport that's virtually unknown outside its own circle.

[Odds On]

speedway has many problems some are self inflicted and some are out of its control.

Riders need to realise that the people who pay their wages(promoters) can only pay what is coming in through the turnstiles, this then relates to how the sport can be more attractive to youngsters, most promoters are often chasing their tales in terms of finances and in turn cant really promote the sport.

Riders who want £100 a point, flights, van etc etc should look closely to what they are riding in front of on a race night, its not rocket science to realise that they are gradually killing the golden goose that is laying the golden eggs for them.