The widest audience
After the R&A extended its contract with the BBC, thereby keeping the Open accessible to all, until 2016, Peter Dawson, chief executive, said: "We might have got more money from a satellite broadcaster but I am delighted we've come to a commercially satisfactory settlement, while at the same time bringing the championship to its widest audience."
Now that's how to run a sport...
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Brian Halford - Brian Halford’s look at Edgbaston.
Oh dear – our local hack is off again on his favourite topic again. Large chips on both his shoulders where Sky is concerned.
Last week they got it in the neck for daring to inconvenience him and his well-fed colleagues with their empty commentary gantry at Northampton and now he’s
back onto the old TV rights chestnut.Look – last time round the BBC didn’t even bid for cricket rights and C4 actually offered less than they’d previously spent.
So were the ECB supposed to take less money and commit themselves to penury or take a reasonable sum and ensure coverage of all competitions and funding for the grass roots?The ECB get a lot wrong – not least the T20 overkill this season - but when it comes to tv rights they were spot on.
I’d stick to trawling up old war stories from the 19th century if I were you and leave the insightful reportage to your former colleague.
Hi MemberEx. Many thanks for your interesting thoughts. They are much appreciated.
Brian just to also add some thoughts, C4 also wanted to cover only the second half of the seasons test matches so it would have left no coverage of test matches in the UK, and the Beeb do not care a toss about showing live cricket as it takes too much of their schedules F1 is fine 3 hours on a sunday job done but can you see them ever showing all 7 tests of a summer it would always be behind a red button.
Times have changed I am afraid when it comes too televised Sport I expect ball by ball covereage and Sky are the only company who can offer that.
Hi Spencer - fair play, they are good points you make.
I guess it's just a fantasy now but I just wish English cricket was in slightly less thrall to Sky. I'd hate to think there will never be a way back for live Test cricket on terrestrial TV. I think of a pal of mine whose little boy is just getting into lots of sports but his dad fears that cricket will drop from the equation pretty soon because while the little 'un sees lots of other sports on telly there's no live cricket for him.
Ah well, fingers crossed for the future of our beloved game.
Meantime, I'm off on hols now for a week. A cottage in Northumberland.
Hope it's got Sky...
Brian has a good point.
The Sky commentary boxes and all the black sight screens are an eye sore!
Sports that are as important as cricket ought not be dictated to by commercial broadcasters like Sky.
Cricket now has 3 viable formats so should seek to explore a longstanding and considered approach to dealing with commercial opportunities and constraints.
BBC's Red button is superb btw, negating the need for subscription based satellite or cable television at all.
LVC Championship games could be shown from 3pm to 7pm each evening via the red button and the system could be used creatively to promote the 9 LVC per week up and down the country instead of simply used to promote the next thing Sky has to show us.
Talking of being in thrall to Sky, the quarter final is next Monday at 1640 - hardly an ideal time for those of us who will be at work. Wasn't the whole idea of T20 that it would be played when people could more easily attend !? I'm sure Mr Povey will bear this in mind when the ticket prices are announced in the morning....