Does UK speedway need a new televised product?

[truthsayer]

League speedway in the UK is a joke. There are not enough spectators, not enough riders and not enough venues – and it really doesn’t make sense as a TV sport to the casual viewer.

But there is still a desire for team speedway from the (dwindling) hardcore and (probably) promoters. The sport needs a ground up rebuild that probably won’t happen, but how about trying to build a new product designed for TV, but accessible for existing fans?

Personally I would like to see an individual series take the Monday night TV slot, with traditionalists able to watch team racing away from Eurosport. Idea would be this…

Assume 12 ‘pro’ clubs. Each hosts a round of the series and nominates a rider from its line-up to represent it. Additional slots (to fill the 16) can be allocated to qualifiers or more likely wildcards from the local promoter, broadcast partner and federation, the idea being that they can invest in bringing in big names or local favourites if they think it will put bums on seats.

And basically you have a GP style meeting and GP style championship (or like British Superbikes). Riders ride for themselves, but also their teams, so if they are injured they will be replaced by a team-mate, who will score his own individual points but also team points. At the end of the series there is an individual and team champion (probably, but not definitely) the same.

TV has a credible, easy to understand series. It showcases each track during the season and represents each team, giving promotion to the local club. Each club has an opportunity to have a big night, tailored to its audience and with reason for supporters of every other club to come along, and hopefully the series would be able to attract sponsors to make it viable and able to generate reasonable prize money.

To me, this would be a better use of the TV deal than shooting ourselves in the foot live on Eurosport each week. I think I’d like to watch this more and it could be a step in speedway reinventing itself in the way that many other sports have in recent years

[Bavarian]

Forget it. There is nothing like league teams racing. So please, not another individual series, we already have the SGP and the SEC, that is more than enough.   

Here in Germany we had the German Speedway Masters series, which was in principle run extactly like what You propose here, as a combined individual and club team competition. It lasted no longer than two years. Riders were missing most of the time and had to be replaced by others, it was just not worth following this.

 

[Bavarian]

By the way, I watch the Premiership on DISCOVERY+ and I enjoy it very much. British league speedway is certainly different to what we get to see from Poland, but it has a very unique charm, and the TV coverage of the SGB Premiership Speedway on DISCOVERY+ presented by Kelvin, Scotty and Abby is excellent.  

[davie10]

the only individual worth watching is the gps and the three british ones plrc clrc and the british champion ship individuals meetings tend to be boring and if the home rider is crap people wont stay 

 

[Heedthebaw]

54 minutes ago, truthsayer said:

League speedway in the UK is a joke. There are not enough spectators, not enough riders and not enough venues – and it really doesn’t make sense as a TV sport to the casual viewer.

But there is still a desire for team speedway from the (dwindling) hardcore and (probably) promoters. The sport needs a ground up rebuild that probably won’t happen, but how about trying to build a new product designed for TV, but accessible for existing fans?

Personally I would like to see an individual series take the Monday night TV slot, with traditionalists able to watch team racing away from Eurosport. Idea would be this…

Assume 12 ‘pro’ clubs. Each hosts a round of the series and nominates a rider from its line-up to represent it. Additional slots (to fill the 16) can be allocated to qualifiers or more likely wildcards from the local promoter, broadcast partner and federation, the idea being that they can invest in bringing in big names or local favourites if they think it will put bums on seats.

And basically you have a GP style meeting and GP style championship (or like British Superbikes). Riders ride for themselves, but also their teams, so if they are injured they will be replaced by a team-mate, who will score his own individual points but also team points. At the end of the series there is an individual and team champion (probably, but not definitely) the same.

TV has a credible, easy to understand series. It showcases each track during the season and represents each team, giving promotion to the local club. Each club has an opportunity to have a big night, tailored to its audience and with reason for supporters of every other club to come along, and hopefully the series would be able to attract sponsors to make it viable and able to generate reasonable prize money.

To me, this would be a better use of the TV deal than shooting ourselves in the foot live on Eurosport each week. I think I’d like to watch this more and it could be a step in speedway reinventing itself in the way that many other sports have in recent years

Spectators do not turn up to watch individual meetings anymore, you’ll always get a hardcore but not enough to make it pay, 20 heats to pay instead of 15, and 18 riders to pay instead of 14.

[Mr Bee]

UK Speedway is on the scrapheap and needs re-building. The first thing that needs to happen is it needs to get some credibilty back. It's about to lose another two clubs, both from the so called top flight, so this needs addressing first and foremost. It needs a new league structure, a Super League perhaps along the lines of the Danish structure, and please, get rid of guests!! Yesterday, Leicester plunged to a real low by sacking Harris one week and getting him in as a guest the next. How do you sell that or explain it to anyone new? Or to sponsors?

In my opinion, Eurosport do a fantastic job and I enjoy watching GP's and the league. The Discovery App is first class. But they need to have something credible for the future. With the clubs that are left, it needs re-structuring quickly. 

[truthsayer]

23 minutes ago, Heedthebaw said:

Spectators do not turn up to watch individual meetings anymore, you’ll always get a hardcore but not enough to make it pay, 20 heats to pay instead of 15, and 18 riders to pay instead of 14.

Spectators don't turn up in enough numbers to make league racing viable. Continuing that route is only going in one direction.

Anyway, you misunderstand me. I am not saying to replace league racing, I am saying to develop a TV focussed product to go alongside it. Diehards are not really bothered about TV because they go, like in the old days, but the business model for any modern sport places more emphasis on the at home audience than those at the venue.

So league speedway still exists, and clubs may choose to stream, but I am suggesting once a year clubs participate in a TV series which is individual based, because:

- it is more relevant to a TV audience, they can understand the individual personalities, (almost) all races count and they need to tune in to the end to know the result

- it gives a more credible and valuable platform for sponsors, hopefully making for a viable event which is worthwhile for competitors, with meaningful prizes

- it engages with new fans who don't get league speedway, but its more accessible than Grands Prix

- it gives promoters a big night to promote with appeal to fans of all crowds, and an event to showcase their product

- it gives back some mainstream appeal

- it should not have a negative effect on crowds for league racing

Speedway has a lot to do to become relevant but as sports like darts, cricket and pool have shown, you have to adapt to win a new audience. I'd argue TV is having a negative effect on league racing in the UK, or at least not doing anything positive, so doing something different with that huge opportunity seems like something worth exploring.

[SteveLyric2]

1 hour ago, truthsayer said:

League speedway in the UK is a joke. There are not enough spectators, not enough riders and not enough venues – and it really doesn’t make sense as a TV sport to the casual viewer.

But there is still a desire for team speedway from the (dwindling) hardcore and (probably) promoters. The sport needs a ground up rebuild that probably won’t happen, but how about trying to build a new product designed for TV, but accessible for existing fans?

Personally I would like to see an individual series take the Monday night TV slot, with traditionalists able to watch team racing away from Eurosport. Idea would be this…

Assume 12 ‘pro’ clubs. Each hosts a round of the series and nominates a rider from its line-up to represent it. Additional slots (to fill the 16) can be allocated to qualifiers or more likely wildcards from the local promoter, broadcast partner and federation, the idea being that they can invest in bringing in big names or local favourites if they think it will put bums on seats.

And basically you have a GP style meeting and GP style championship (or like British Superbikes). Riders ride for themselves, but also their teams, so if they are injured they will be replaced by a team-mate, who will score his own individual points but also team points. At the end of the series there is an individual and team champion (probably, but not definitely) the same.

TV has a credible, easy to understand series. It showcases each track during the season and represents each team, giving promotion to the local club. Each club has an opportunity to have a big night, tailored to its audience and with reason for supporters of every other club to come along, and hopefully the series would be able to attract sponsors to make it viable and able to generate reasonable prize money.

To me, this would be a better use of the TV deal than shooting ourselves in the foot live on Eurosport each week. I think I’d like to watch this more and it could be a step in speedway reinventing itself in the way that many other sports have in recent years

Yeah but individual meetings are notoriously poorly attended especially if its on an off-racenight. And I can't see 12 different tracks attracting fans from 11 other clubs on a Monday night.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Skidder1

[orion]

17 minutes ago, truthsayer said:

Spectators don't turn up in enough numbers to make league racing viable. Continuing that route is only going in one direction.

Anyway, you misunderstand me. I am not saying to replace league racing, I am saying to develop a TV focussed product to go alongside it. Diehards are not really bothered about TV because they go, like in the old days, but the business model for any modern sport places more emphasis on the at home audience than those at the venue.

So league speedway still exists, and clubs may choose to stream, but I am suggesting once a year clubs participate in a TV series which is individual based, because:

- it is more relevant to a TV audience, they can understand the individual personalities, (almost) all races count and they need to tune in to the end to know the result

- it gives a more credible and valuable platform for sponsors, hopefully making for a viable event which is worthwhile for competitors, with meaningful prizes

- it engages with new fans who don't get league speedway, but its more accessible than Grands Prix

- it gives promoters a big night to promote with appeal to fans of all crowds, and an event to showcase their product

- it gives back some mainstream appeal

- it should not have a negative effect on crowds for league racing

Speedway has a lot to do to become relevant but as sports like darts, cricket and pool have shown, you have to adapt to win a new audience. I'd argue TV is having a negative effect on league racing in the UK, or at least not doing anything positive, so doing something different with that huge opportunity seems like something worth exploring.

Why do think clubs don't run individual meetings  ? Because fans don't turn up to make them viable. . That ship sailed years ago. Doing something that clearly does  not work is not postive its stupid .

[Sir Sidney]

2 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Yeah but individual meetings are notoriously poorly attended especially if its on an off-racenight.

They are now, but why is that? Why don't individual meetings appeal to current supporters ( when the GP series apparently does)

I come from an era when most clubs had one showpiece individual event that was well supported. My club was Wimbledon.  We had the Daily Express Spring Classic, The Wills (Embassy) Internationale,  The Berger / Daily Mirror Grand Prix, The Southern Roders Championship, The Laurels, and The NLRC each year. As far as I recall they were all well supported.

What is the difference now? Quality of riders , commitment of riders, standard of sponsor maybe? 

[IainB]

Maybe they should televise some kind of Eurosport Trophy (assuming somebody can remember to bring it to the presentation ceremony) where it doesn't really matter if it stops during the Olympics or French Open tennis or tour de France etc. Made up of franchise teams similar to The Hundred run over a mixed format like the women's ashes... then they can leave the madness of a league campaign to us paying punters

Edited August 29, 2023 by iainb

[truthsayer]

3 minutes ago, orion said:

Why do think clubs don't run individual meetings  ? Because fans don't turn up to make them viable. . That ship sailed years ago. Doing something that clearly does  not work is not postive its stupid .

Maybe I am not making myself clear. What I'm talking about is a product for TV, for a TV audiences, not Jack and Doris who've been standing on the fourth bend for the past 60 years.

[truthsayer]

2 minutes ago, iainb said:

... then they can leave the madness of a league campaign to us paying punters

He gets it!

[IainB]

16 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Yeah but individual meetings are notoriously poorly attended especially if its on an off-racenight. And I can't see 12 different tracks attracting fans from 11 other clubs on a Monday night.

Not if promoted properly with a decent line up... PCMT

[IainB]

8 minutes ago, orion said:

Why do think clubs don't run individual meetings  ? Because fans don't turn up to make them viable. . That ship sailed years ago. Doing something that clearly does  not work is not postive its stupid .

PCMT Always draws a large crowd

[truthsayer]

14 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Yeah but individual meetings are notoriously poorly attended especially if its on an off-racenight. And I can't see 12 different tracks attracting fans from 11 other clubs on a Monday night.

I also don't see a big travelling support, to be honest, as most speedway fans fall asleep at 9pm but a bold promotor might bring in some big names and local favourites in a bid to create some PR and put some bums on seats.

But, and I can't stress this enough, the idea is a format for a TV audience first and a trackside one second. A series which can generate some interest and attention beyond the anoraks. Maybe it is a loss leader, maybe not, but trying to make a prestigious domestic series is one way for speedway to try and regain some credibility. Maybe this is not the format, maybe you disagree with me, but league race is dull for the mainstream and speedway has to develop something that has broader appeal and which is TV friendly.

Personally I don't care a jot about 'teams' but my concept dabbles with it because it is so engrained in the sport.

[DazS]

teams worked in its a knockout,

[IainB]

15 minutes ago, DazS said:

teams worked in its a knockout,

We could have that nice Stuart Hall presenting it, he brought real fun to proceedings... what's he up to these days? 

[Tim G]

13 minutes ago, truthsayer said:

I also don't see a big travelling support, to be honest, as most speedway fans fall asleep at 9pm but a bold promotor might bring in some big names and local favourites in a bid to create some PR and put some bums on seats.

But, and I can't stress this enough, the idea is a format for a TV audience first and a trackside one second. A series which can generate some interest and attention beyond the anoraks. Maybe it is a loss leader, maybe not, but trying to make a prestigious domestic series is one way for speedway to try and regain some credibility. Maybe this is not the format, maybe you disagree with me, but league race is dull for the mainstream and speedway has to develop something that has broader appeal and which is TV friendly.

Personally I don't care a jot about 'teams' but my concept dabbles with it because it is so engrained in the sport.

So what you are saying is a promoter should run an individual event that nobody would care about in the log run and lose money whilst doing it. You will have them queuing up to showcase one of these events.

Why would a tv audience be more interested in this than they are league racing?  

 

[mikebv]

23 minutes ago, DazS said:

teams worked in its a knockout,

Its a knockout had credibility and kudos in winning...

If UK Speedway had ran it, it would be...

"Tonight representing France is"...

"Italy"....