why is SKY not pushing cycling??

specialgueststar
specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
edited June 2013 in Pro race
Just watched the SKY ad for the summer of sport - ashes , F1, golf, rugby

but no world tour cycling .

I don't get it!

Comments

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    They don't have the rights to show it
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,174
    Yeah but surely they could advertise another channel's product for them?
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    They sponsor a cycling team, how much more pushing do they need to do for flips sake? :P
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  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    Damned if they do, damned if they don't!

    Not at all a fan of the Sky corporation and I share the fears of many others that the bigger concern is when Sky do start buying rights to cycling, many of us will then be without access.

    However, much as I'm not a fan, they have been investing in the sport for a long time without any significant return. When they do eventually start buying up rights to races, it will be impossible to argue that they're simply cashing in.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Sky don't have the program rights to it, and wouldn't advertise a competitors sport in a time that it is a struggle for Sky to make money from sport- the summer and no football season.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    sjmclean wrote:
    Sky don't have the program rights to it, and wouldn't advertise a competitors sport in a time that it is a struggle for Sky to make money from sport- the summer and no football season.
    What makes you think they aren't advertising the sport?
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  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,811
    I'm gona go on record to say I Love Sky. Not necessarily the cycling team, because I know that's a contentious subject on here, but as a company I have a great amount of respect from them.

    I know they're (allegedly) probably dodgy and Rupert Murdoch is (allegedly) the love child of Peter Mandleson and Margaret Thatcher but I think they're a great example of a great business model and a good way of working.

    Just for balance I have a similar respect for Richard Branson, and all that he's done.

    In terms of their cycling coverage, I think sponsoring a team and having bigger features on SSN is more than enough coverage. Half hour highlights shows via WCP or whoever aren't much to shout about (granted neither is the Lions Tour or Speedway but hey ho)

    Their coverage of the Giro was excellent, and in Orla Chenaaoui (sp?) they've got a presenter who reminds me of Ned Boulting when he first started, apart fro with a bit more knowledge of cycling
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    The TdF (for example) stipulates that each country's coverage should be available free to view to give the widest coverage for sponsors.
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  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    RichN95 wrote:
    sjmclean wrote:
    Sky don't have the program rights to it, and wouldn't advertise a competitors sport in a time that it is a struggle for Sky to make money from sport- the summer and no football season.
    What makes you think they aren't advertising the sport?
    I think he was referring to the specific Sky Sports advert mentioned above.
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  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Quite often see Sky installer vans with 'Sky ProCycling' liveries.
  • cristoff
    cristoff Posts: 229
    they had the rights to the tour de Swiss but didn't show it.

    didn't Murdoch want to bring in a cycling world series earlier this year? I guess that would be prominent coverage on sky?
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    I think they got plenty of coverage with Wiggo's win last year on news bulletins, and no doubt will do if the Kenyan wins this year.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Eurosport buy their channels from Sky (or something like that I believe) - so a strong Eurosport is good for Sky.

    Sky promote cycling massively - they run the regular sky rides in cities, back the track team, back the sky pro team.

    Sky also promote cycling internally in a big way - a very cycle friendly employer.

    Are they evil? Undoubtedly. But evil AND procycling! :evil:
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  • carl_p
    carl_p Posts: 989
    It will be interesting to see who broadcasts the TDF highlights first, Eurosport or Sky. As far as I remember for the Giro Eurosport didn't show the highlights until 10 pm at the earliest, whereas Sky broadcast at more prime time. Granted Eurosport were showing the Tour of California live each evening but even so it was rather odd, not too say inconvenient, for us who can't watch live stages day after day.

    I hope the highlights schedule doesn't turn out; Sky, ITV4, Eurosport.
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  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,811
    Do they have the rights to ASO races? I thought it was just RCS, and the Belgian ones?
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Sky have rights, as said above, to some Belgian classics, highlights of the various RSC races and the two Swiss WT events.

    Eurosport have almost everything else. ITV4 have their usual Tour coverage as well as Tour of Britain, British Champs and the recent crit series. BBC have Ride London Classic.

    It's unfortunate that while Romandie was live (albeit on red button one stage), Sky didn't do much with Tour de Suisse, I guess a stronger British element to the line-up would have helped. They're showing a highlights programme next week though.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Sky have rights, as said above, to some Belgian classics, highlights of the various RSC races and the two Swiss WT events.

    Eurosport have almost everything else. ITV4 have their usual Tour coverage as well as Tour of Britain, British Champs and the recent crit series. BBC have Ride London Classic.

    It's unfortunate that while Romandie was live (albeit on red button one stage), Sky didn't do much with Tour de Suisse, I guess a stronger British element to the line-up would have helped. They're showing a highlights programme next week though.


    Having the rights to TdS and doing bugger all with them apart from a measly delayed single highlights package, has done them little favours. Poor show.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Sky probably aren't showing Tour of Switzerland not only because there's little British interest but also because they are quite busy at the moment - cricket's Champions Trophy, football's U21 Euros, golf's US Open, various rugby tours etc.
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  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    RichN95 wrote:
    Sky probably aren't showing Tour of Switzerland not only because there's little British interest but also because they are quite busy at the moment - cricket's Champions Trophy, football's U21 Euros, golf's US Open, various rugby tours etc.

    Surely they could have either red buttoned it or put the highlights on on the same day? They're not that busy at 11pm are they? That's when they were showing stuff in the spring. Maybe ratings were poor?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    argyllflyer wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Sky probably aren't showing Tour of Switzerland not only because there's little British interest but also because they are quite busy at the moment - cricket's Champions Trophy, football's U21 Euros, golf's US Open, various rugby tours etc.

    Surely they could have either red buttoned it or put the highlights on on the same day? They're not that busy at 11pm are they? That's when they were showing stuff in the spring. Maybe ratings were poor?
    It still costs money. They've only got the rights because they come in a package with Romandie.
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  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    RichN95 wrote:
    argyllflyer wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Sky probably aren't showing Tour of Switzerland not only because there's little British interest but also because they are quite busy at the moment - cricket's Champions Trophy, football's U21 Euros, golf's US Open, various rugby tours etc.

    Surely they could have either red buttoned it or put the highlights on on the same day? They're not that busy at 11pm are they? That's when they were showing stuff in the spring. Maybe ratings were poor?
    It still costs money. They've only got the rights because they come in a package with Romandie.

    Sky are not short of money so I don't see why that would be a consideration - the commentary is bought in so all they'd need to do is tack on a few graphics and edit it.

    Buying the rights and not really using them is not good. If it is a reflection on Sky Sports' future approach to cycling, they can shove it. I've hated watching ropey streams this last few days. At least Eurosport gave both Swiss races decent coverage last season.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Guys, Sky have done a great job for UK cycling, fans as well as competitors, without them we'd still be nowhere.
    I hate Murdoch, I hate the Murdoch media gangster empire you can't cant say that Sky have been anything other than first class for UK cycling.
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  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Guys, Sky have done a great job for UK cycling, fans as well as competitors, without them we'd still be nowhere.
    I hate Murdoch, I hate the Murdoch media gangster empire you can't cant say that Sky have been anything other than first class for UK cycling.

    Unarguably, that said though I'd rather they used the rights they've got i.e. live coverage of World Tour events they are happy to let fester (Gent-Wevelgem and TdS).
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Guys, Sky have done a great job for UK cycling, fans as well as competitors, without them we'd still be nowhere.
    I hate Murdoch, I hate the Murdoch media gangster empire you can't cant say that Sky have been anything other than first class for UK cycling.

    Unarguably, that said though I'd rather they used the rights they've got i.e. live coverage of World Tour events they are happy to let fester (Gent-Wevelgem and TdS).

    So rather than invest millions in the sport, raising awareness about cycling: potentially making it safer on roads etc for cyclists, have programs to get children cycling (in a nation with huge obesity problems), you would rather watch two extra world tour races a year when they can easily be watched online. Genuine question.
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    sjmclean wrote:
    So rather than invest millions in the sport, raising awareness about cycling: potentially making it safer on roads etc for cyclists, have programs to get children cycling (in a nation with huge obesity problems), you would rather watch two extra world tour races a year when they can easily be watched online. Genuine question.

    I don't recall saying that they shouldn't do the former - my use of "I'd rather" was more to do with them being a TV station who hold the rights to races otherwise not available on TV, and choosing to not use them. I didn't say I'd rather they chose to show minor WT events instead of investing millions in cycling etc... that wasn't what I said or meant at all.

    On your question, I find it difficult to switch from watching the races on a HD TV to a crappy stream that is heavily pixellated and not always in English. Personal preference but I'd rather pay £500pa to watch all the races on TV than all of them for free online on dreadful quality streams. There's also the issue that I'm not usually in from work until after most races have finished being shown. In the case of G-W it was a weekend but was on at the same time as another race iirc and I'd have liked to record it to watch back later on. Tour de Suisse has been slightly better in that it has been finishing a lot later but the streams have been useless and I'd far rather watch a race 'as live' on catch-up after dinner than come in the door straight into a stream.

    I really hate streams. Question answered? :P

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