Give the game back to Channel 4

[fredfertang]

Worrying - seems like the chickens may be coming home to roost

 

[duffer]

Was Boycs on channel 4? Ultimate troll.

 

[YorksLanka]

Reading the article, it doesnt surprise me on the decline on people playing..We are all busy people and there seems to be even more of a burden of extra games and numerous cups even in local league level cricket. Our league has three limited over cups a, T20 cup and the league fixtures so that's a lot of time..not sure what the remedy is but I can understand why people are now giving up( there's also the financial impact of this too I suppose)

 

[ImpatientLime]

Was Boycs on channel 4? Ultimate troll.

boycs, slats, greigy, nicholas.

a little something for everybody to hate on.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Say what you will about CA, but getting 1,000,000 plus eyeballs on the Big Bash, on Free-To-Air, is massive in terms of engagement. Think this may be the chance to repackage your T20 competition.

 

[GIMH]

I just think it'd get shoved on ITV4 or whatever and get even fewer viewers than on Sky Sports. Dunno.

It's a tough one because on the one hand you do want kids exposed to cricket on FTA - but on the other hand Sky have done an incredible job with it.

 

[Jono]

I remember Neil and other English fans being so upset when Sky Sports got it, and then arguing against it going back to C4 years later. Cracked me up hard.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I just think it'd get shoved on ITV4 or whatever and get even fewer viewers than on Sky Sports. Dunno.

It's a tough one because on the one hand you do want kids exposed to cricket on FTA - but on the other hand Sky have done an incredible job with it.

Sky do a great job with the Tests; their domestic ODI games just seem like the guys are there to get the cheque at the end of the day at times. That's what's good about having some different voices do one part of the season, and a T20 competition is perfect for it.

 

[duffer]

I wasn't in Australia for the Big Bash last yer; how were the Channel 10 commentators? Did they have all the gadgets the C9 guys have/anything new?

 

[Spikey]

Say what you will about CA, but getting 1,000,000 plus eyeballs on the Big Bash, on Free-To-Air, is massive in terms of engagement. Think this may be the chance to repackage your T20 competition.

Up to 100K on most of the domestic ODers is pretty good too.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I wasn't in Australia for the Big Bash last yer; how were the Channel 10 commentators? Did they have all the gadgets the C9 guys have/anything new?

Commentators were in the main fantastic; the ex-cricketers were super, issue were the other Ch 10 guys. All the same gadgets, maybe not hot spot?

 

[Spikey]

There wasn't anything new but that's to be expected from a T20 game.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Their token gimmick was a d-grade celeb in a penned off area who, if he took a catch off a six, would win a home viewer some cash.

They also hung their hat on having more cameras at the games than ever before, from memory.

 

[Spikey]

and viv


really need to bring back the sign

 

[Furball]

The ECB really needs to take a long hard look at the domestic game in England, how it's run and marketed. They need to start with T20 (Eoin Morgan criticised it last week) but the entire game needs an overhaul.

 

[Goughy]

There should be no giving the game to anyone. If they want it then they can pay for it. Im all for cricket being on FTA but they have to make an effort as well. The main network broadcasters are not willing to really be competitive despite making certain noises. The BBC being the worst having completely abandoned the game. **** terrestrial TV if they are not willing and they are not.

 

[swede]

There should be no giving the game to anyone. If they want it then they can pay for it. Im all for cricket being on FTA but they have to make an effort as well. The main network broadcasters are not willing to really be competitive despite making certain noises. The BBC being the worst having completely abandoned the game. **** terrestrial TV if they are not willing and they are not.

I sort of agree but I also understand the fta channels. The time has gone for such channels to invest heavily in a sport only to watch the rain come down. They would basically pay to disrupt all their other programmes. Cricket will obviously continue for a long time yet. It gets the second highest ratings on sky but it seems to be in steady long term decline in England especially relative to other sports. Test crowds are slipping now as well. Looking at the kind of relationship Wimbledon tennis and 6-nations rugby have with the BBC really shows crickets problems.

Any solution have to include roofed venues. In the short term, if England want any kind of big bash tournament, they have to look at the millennium stadium. Its the only way its possible. Without guaranteed play its just to risky financially.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Over here, FTA channels are investing quite a bit in sport, because it's something that has to be watched live, which means you can't Sky Plus it and skip the ads or watch it on a streaming service. Fair to say the same thing isn't happening in England?

 

[honestbharani]

It is an interesting point... Watching it live has to be one of THE biggest selling points for anything on TV.. Otherwise, in this day and age, you can just youtube anything.. I have not watched anything other than cricket or tennis on TV in more than a year...

 

[Goughy]

Over here, FTA channels are investing quite a bit in sport, because it's something that has to be watched live, which means you can't Sky Plus it and skip the ads or watch it on a streaming service. Fair to say the same thing isn't happening in England?

If you look at how US broadcasters have evolved then live broadcasts are King for exactly the reasons you described. Everything can now be Sky Plused, torrented or watched online. Sports events have to be watched live or they lose value and broadcasters need those eyes on their advertisements. This isnt relevant to BBC but in the UK other broadcasters are slow to pick up on this.

In the US the value of all live sports - including marginal leagues such as MLS - have gone through the roof as this type of live content is golden to advertisers.