TV rights are maybe wrong
By TMX Archives on 16th Jul 08
WE live in an age when television has taken over as the great god of sport. Virtually every event from the Olympics (which sadly these days are nothing more than a huge, ridiculously expensive, gravy-train driven farce) down to club enduros have to be seen to be on television.
Now I enjoy watching sport on telly as much as the next man, probably more so: MXGP, MotoGP, Tour-de France, I'm in the front row every time with the remote, my beer and my pizza mumbling vague, "Yeahs” "Nos” and "I'll do it laters” to whatever it is my other half is attempting to force into my brain, which is probably
fully engaged in wishing fervently that Ducati's virtually fool-proof traction control would throw a wobbly and dump Casey Stoner on his backside.
Not very nice of me I know but I do hate man-made aids when it comes to sport. I would so hate traction control to make its way into MX, enduro or trials.
So, just like you, I enjoy watching sport on TV. The big question is, does motorcycle sport really benefit from TV coverage? There is currently, in MotoGP circles, a big hoo-hah going on about Eurosport having lost the broadcasting rights to the BBC next year.
Eurosport has done a fantastic job providing MotoGP fans with amazing full-on coverage for years. Practice, Qualifying, 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP races and everything in between. But MotoGP promoter Dorna reckons that MotoGP will benefit from the BBC because it will have (potentially) a much greater audience and will drastically enlarge the fan-base.
Firstly, the coverage will be abysmal compared to Eurosport. Every time there is a football match, rugby match, cricket match, horse race, boat race or whatever the bikes will be bumped down the order. And what about the 125s and 250s? Farmed out to some little-known Beeb channel and broadcast at midnight is my guess.
Secondly, you will NOT convert footie, rugger and horse racing fans to MotoGP. It's a great idea but it just won't happen.
We know the theory. You get more viewers, therefore more sponsors will be attracted to the teams. Does anyone really think that this will happen? I mean in reality rather than theoretically? Convince me if you can.
I remember talking to promoter Neil Crosswaite about TV coverage regarding the Sheffield Indoor Trial. The production companies made a great play of telling Neil that they had access to 3 billion viewers across the Indian sub-continent or some such marketing speak. "And how does that benefit me
exactly?” was Neil's reply. I think he's still awaiting an answer.
Are MXGPs really any better now than they were 20, 30, even 40-years ago? We are told that they need the TV exposure in order to be a success. So how exactly does that work? Back in the 1950s and 1960s the MXGPs at Hawkstone Park and other places enjoyed crowds well into the tens of thousands. Back in the mists of time Hawkstone boasted over 50,000 spectators. Doesn't sound bad to me.
Who really benefits from a team comprising three articulated trailers and a 50-strong staff? Double World Champion (1964/65) Jeff Smith used to ferry his factory BSAs round in an Austin pick-up. And he was every bit as much a hero of his time and more of a household name than today's riders ever will.
TV is absolutely brilliant for the fan wishing to watch his favourite sport or sports. But is it really worth chasing television coverage when the costs clearly outweigh the benefits? If you know the answer please tell me as I am more than willing to be proved wrong.
Finally, thanks to all those amongst you who contacted me to reminisce about the ‘good old days' following last week's column in which I admitted falling off a bike at the traffic lights because my flared jeans had dropped over the kickstart.
I had no idea exactly how many people had enjoyed a similar experience. The old flares were of course also prone to getting tangled-up in the front sprocket and chain as well. In fact, you could spot the motorcyclists (and cyclists) of the day by the state of their mangled and oily jeans where the sprocket had done its stuff.
The most frightening accident I ever had off-road – and I've had a few – was while marking out a trial when the tail end of the thin rope dangling off my flag-bag got caught in the rear wheel. I was yanked off the bike in spectacular fashion and thank God the engine died as my face was
being wound rapidly towards the rear sprocket...