The Open 2016 - TV Coverage

[Deleted member 15344]

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Quote Originally Posted by Liverpoolphil
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Budget restraints and costs

The BBC have to cater for everyone and not just sports fans

They were told to reduce their costs and sports have taken a big hit because of those budget cuts - the BBC will pay for big programs like MOTD because over the period of the program they get viewing figures justified enough to continue to show it

Whether we like it or not golf is a minority sport - within tight budget restraints they couldn't afford to pay more for a minority sport '

I actually think that the argument is totally the opposite and the BBC should ditch Match of the Day and show more niche sports. The idea of the BBC is to be a public service broadcaster funded in such a way as to be free from the constraints of viewing figures. The idea is that it should cover areas that would not be taken up by commercial TV. The argument is that the BBC should be more niche in all areas rather than pander to viewing figures but that idea seems to have been lost. If the BBC got rid of the football highlights package it would not disappear, it would just re-appear on ITV or channel 4.

Out of interest Mike, are you aware of whether the viewing rights for The Open was a 2 horse race or whether commercial terrestrial TV was invited to bid.

I totally agree that they should bin MOTD and use the money to fund broadcasting over sports - I think you are spot in those regards and that £250 mil could easily be spread across a lot of sports - golf , rugby , hockey , - sports that need more broadcasting but it seems the BBC are going more for the popular route

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Wimbledon is one the biggest sporting draws on telly - average over 10 million viewers for finals day and a couple million every day - they show 13 days of tennis and the viewing they get justifies the cost they pay for it. It's also protected by the government and must be available to terrestrial viewers - Tennis is not a minority sport in regards viewers

The same with the Olympics - it's viewed and watched by millions and covers every spectrum of sport

The Open could easily be added back onto the gold protected list - especially if R&A request it via the government - it will depend on how the viewing figures pan out over the years and what affect it has on the sport

Like I said "it ain't gonna happen".

There is absolutely no will on the part of the BBC to make it happen and no reason why the R&A should accept less money.

Judging by the fall in participant numbers over recent years in most televised sports including those on "free to air" coverage makes no difference to the promotion of a sport

 

[chrisd]

hello all
been reading this thread with interest
Think everyone knows by now my views on how golf has been covered by the BBC/Sky winning live rights to show the Open so wont repeat those but very keen to get an understanding of awareness of the fact you didn't need SKY to watch the Open so if you have 2 mins can you give me some answers/views on the below

Did you know you didn't need to have a sky box/ sky sports subscription to watch the Open?
Did you know you could have taken out a NOW TV pass to watch the whole of Open week for £10.99
Did you know that you can watch NOW TV on a host of devices - one of which is probably whatever you are using to look at this post - at home or, data allowance permitting, on the move without wifi?
Is £10.99 really too much to ask for 40 plus hours of broadcasting one of the biggest golfing events of the year?
Have we all been weaned on free content to the point that we have the mindset of "I want tons of great content, but I don't want to pay for it"

I'm clearly one of the old ones who other posters often refer to

I've had the full Sky package for, I guess, 25 years and therefore pay for all my non terrestrial viewing

If I didn't have Sky I would pay for a Now TV pass to see a weeks golf but absolutely won't pay £15 or so to watch a boxing match although I loved boxing when it was free to air - I just don't perceive that outlay for what might be 2 rounds, good value

I do stream some viewing and I use SkyGo too sometimes

 

[sawtooth]

I totally agree that they should bin MOTD and use the money to fund broadcasting over sports - I think you are spot in those regards and that £250 mil could easily be spread across a lot of sports - golf , rugby , hockey , - sports that need more broadcasting but it seems the BBC are going more for the popular route

Then you deprive millions of people access to football if they don't have Sky, Broadband, etc - The very thing you are arguing for except it was for golf instead of football.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Wimbledon is one the biggest sporting draws on telly - average over 10 million viewers for finals day and a couple million every day - they show 13 days of tennis and the viewing they get justifies the cost they pay for it. It's also protected by the government and must be available to terrestrial viewers - Tennis is not a minority sport in regards viewers

The same with the Olympics - it's viewed and watched by millions and covers every spectrum of sport

The Open could easily be added back onto the gold protected list - especially if R&A request it via the government - it will depend on how the viewing figures pan out over the years and what affect it has on the sport

The viewing figures are a red herring, the BBC will not get anymore money if they have 10 Million or 10 Thousand, the BBC is not encouraging people to play sport by showing Wimbledon and dropping The Open, as said the BBC should be there for all, we all pay the same fee.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Then you deprive millions of people access to football if they don't have Sky, Broadband, etc - The very thing you are arguing for except it was for golf instead of football.

It would be picked up by either ITV or CH 4 or 5 because a highlights package still has to be available to terrestrial telly - remember BBC outbid ITV to get MOTD back

 

[Beezerk]

I'm clearly one of the old ones who other posters often refer to

I've had the full Sky package for, I guess, 25 years and therefore pay for all my non terrestrial viewing

If I didn't have Sky I would pay for a Now TV pass to see a weeks golf but absolutely won't pay £15 or so to watch a boxing match although I loved boxing when it was free to air - I just don't perceive that outlay for what might be 2 rounds, good value

I do stream some viewing and I use SkyGo too sometimes

Probably an identical answer to one I'd give apart from I've only been a Sky subscriber for less than a year. Oh and not the Old bit 😁

 

[Papas1982]

hello all
been reading this thread with interest
Think everyone knows by now my views on how golf has been covered by the BBC/Sky winning live rights to show the Open so wont repeat those but very keen to get an understanding of awareness of the fact you didn't need SKY to watch the Open so if you have 2 mins can you give me some answers/views on the below

Did you know you didn't need to have a sky box/ sky sports subscription to watch the Open?
Did you know you could have taken out a NOW TV pass to watch the whole of Open week for £10.99
Did you know that you can watch NOW TV on a host of devices - one of which is probably whatever you are using to look at this post - at home or, data allowance permitting, on the move without wifi?
Is £10.99 really too much to ask for 40 plus hours of broadcasting one of the biggest golfing events of the year?
Have we all been weaned on free content to the point that we have the mindset of "I want tons of great content, but I don't want to pay for it"

Personally think most are aware of those options and those that haven't watched the open have done so by choice.

Cost and internet speeds are poor excuses not to have seen it. I live in a village with slow speeds and yet viewed it just fine, also streamed some on my phone over 4g.

I cant imagine even 1percent of the population that has an interest in the open doesn't have a mobile phone....

 

[Deleted member 16999]

hello all
been reading this thread with interest
Think everyone knows by now my views on how golf has been covered by the BBC/Sky winning live rights to show the Open so wont repeat those but very keen to get an understanding of awareness of the fact you didn't need SKY to watch the Open so if you have 2 mins can you give me some answers/views on the below

Did you know you didn't need to have a sky box/ sky sports subscription to watch the Open?
Did you know you could have taken out a NOW TV pass to watch the whole of Open week for £10.99
Did you know that you can watch NOW TV on a host of devices - one of which is probably whatever you are using to look at this post - at home or, data allowance permitting, on the move without wifi?
Is £10.99 really too much to ask for 40 plus hours of broadcasting one of the biggest golfing events of the year?
Have we all been weaned on free content to the point that we have the mindset of "I want tons of great content, but I don't want to pay for it"

Hi Mike,

Personally I have Sky and was more than happy for it to be shown live on any Channel.

Have Sky Go on my Ipad and Iphone so coukd follow it on either.

I also have Radio Apps on my phone to follow it and The Open App also showed highlights or you could listen to the on course radio.

Plenty of options available and that's without the Now TV.

No excuses for anybody not to have access to it in one form or another.

Too much being made about the "casual viewer"

 

[Papas1982]

It would be picked up by either ITV or CH 4 or 5 because a highlights package still has to be available to terrestrial telly - remember BBC outbid ITV to get MOTD back

But it's a business, and has to be run as one. They obviously decided that giving up motd lost them viewers, but also strengthened the competition. They may well be live that if itv had motd (equivalent) the extra revenue they generate through adds could then be used to outbid them for others.

Not sure why the bcc should be obligated to cater for the niche either when it is funded by everyone. So the masses need to be catered for too.

 

[Papas1982]

Hi Mike,

Personally I have Sky and was more than happy for it to be shown live on any Channel.

Have Sky Go on my Ipad and Iphone so coukd follow it on either.

I also have Radio Apps on my phone to follow it and The Open App also showed highlights or you could listen to the on course radio.

Plenty of options available and that's without the Now TV.

No excuses for anybody not to have access to it in one form or another.

Too much being made about the "casual viewer"

Agree totally, just because poeple watched it because it was on, does t mean that they missed it not being there. Everyone on here obviously is aware of it. But without the bbc plastering it all over their channel. The general public carry on blissfully unaware. One tournament on to a year won't have any effect on participation

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Mike, I would answer no to all of your initial questions. I do not know anything about now tv.

In answer to your last question, yes. People expect most things for free now. Let's face it, you can even stream things on the internet for free if you are so inclined and willing to take the risk, I am not incidentally.

With regards to some of the comments on here regarding streaming on phones and other devices. Personally I'm still on PAYG as are millions of others. Streaming would munch my money. We also have an incredibly weak signal, certainly not 3G where I live (not out in the sticks but a market town with a reasonable population. I have tried streaming via the internet using both a computer and tablet on previous occasions using my sisters BT account but frankly it was rubbish and we gave up following endless buffering. I am sure I am not alone in suggesting that streaming is as much an answer at the moment as DAB radio is. Great for some, useless for others.

As it happens, I cough up for SKY tv. I love my sport and I will sacrifice other things rather than give that up.

 

[MikeH]

What do you think is the reason for that Mike?

seen as an very uncool, white dominated, middle-class, snobby - everything the BBC tries so very hard not to be - sport
Also understand very few of the decision makers play golf

 

[Papas1982]

Mike, I would answer no to all of your initial questions. I do not know anything about now tv.

In answer to your last question, yes. People expect most things for free now. Let's face it, you can even stream things on the internet for free if you are so inclined and willing to take the risk, I am not incidentally.

With regards to some of the comments on here regarding streaming on phones and other devices. Personally I'm still on PAYG as are millions of others. Streaming would munch my money. We also have an incredibly weak signal, certainly not 3G where I live (not out in the sticks but a market town with a reasonable population. I have tried streaming via the internet using both a computer and tablet on previous occasions using my sisters BT account but frankly it was rubbish and we gave up following endless buffering. I am sure I am not alone in suggesting that streaming is as much an answer at the moment as DAB radio is. Great for some, useless for others.

As it happens, I cough up for SKY tv. I love my sport and I will sacrifice other things rather than give that up.

When using your sis Bt was that for all sports of just Bt sport? Because if just the Bt sport, I'd give up. Possibly the worst online sports broadcast their is. Countless issues streaming on my laptop, phone, pic and iPad all with super fast broadband.

Im in the sticks, with anywhere between 1.2 and 4 download speeds and sky go / now tv works fine for me.

Maybe be an idea to speedtest your broadband if not getting anywhere near those speeds and most of mainland uk gets those as a minimum I believe.

 

[BrianM]

Hi Mike,

Personally I have Sky and was more than happy for it to be shown live on any Channel.

Have Sky Go on my Ipad and Iphone so coukd follow it on either.

I also have Radio Apps on my phone to follow it and The Open App also showed highlights or you could listen to the on course radio.

Plenty of options available and that's without the Now TV.

No excuses for anybody not to have access to it in one form or another.

Too much being made about the "casual viewer"

This for me as well, the coverage by Sky was superb, how anyone can complain is beyond me.
The BBC couldn't touch what Sky achieved.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Papas - you are right, it was BT sport. Luckily, having SKY I don't need to use one of the online options. We have tried to watch a couple of football matches on BT but gave up. I have tarred all online with the same brush, obviously incorrectly. Worth knowing in future regarding Now TV :thup:

 

[steveo77]

ok so I got a NOWTV pass to watch the golf this week.
what I hadn't anticipated though was how poor SKY is when it comes to covering golf. it just does not know how to convey any excitement and so at time I ended up muting coverage and listening on radio 5.

actually there was so much other top sport on yesterday it was hard to focus solely on the golf. I ended up with Davis Cup tennis on my TV, golf on the laptop and the Test Match on the radio.

what I did notice was the sparse crowds at Troon. this will be just the start, now that golf has made itself a minority sport crowd numbers will continue to dwindle and the Open will do well to keep shifting their hospitality packages.

it does make me laugh to see comments on here such as "this final round will be talked about in years to come" er no it won't because hardly anyone was watching on TV.
also some on here appear to pay £100 a month for SKY and they think it is good value just think if no one took out a SKY subscription then ALL sport would be free....

 

[Garush34]

Used Nowtv for the week to watch. I think sky did a great job of the coverage. All of the added features made it better overall. I personally like the sky commentary team and liked when they had Faldo in as well.

NowTV wasn't the only option I had to watch, could of used a couple apps on my phone to watch but wanted to stream via chromecast to the TV to watch on the bigger screen. Getting Sky in a couple weeks when I move house and happy to pay the extra for it to watch the golf whenever it is on.

 

[GB72]

seen as an very uncool, white dominated, middle-class, snobby - everything the BBC tries so very hard not to be - sport
Also understand very few of the decision makers play golf

Do you think golf could find a home on ITV or Channel 4/5 or are the R&A very much BBC or nothing when it comes to terrestrial rights

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I asked some questions because I was interested in hearing some specific answers to those questions... but rather than answering them you've come back with what amounts to a long statement of your view on and asking double the number of questions I did!

...takes deep breath and returns to listening to GM podcast

Apologies you said views so gave them in regards Now Tv - it's just something that overall has disappointed me - we just had one of the greatest days in our sport and so little watched it

For your questions - yes I'm aware of Now Tv and so are my family members and aware they can get the coverage on tablets etc - none of them purchased it but they used to watch it.

Is 10.99 too much to ask ? I guess that will always come down to people's own situation - it's worth it if the golf is as good as yesterday but if it's a damp squid then some might not think it is worth it - are enough people going to risk paying in case it's a damp squid.

I don't think it has ever been free content - we all pay a license fee and some of that went to help purchasing sports rights like the Open. I do think we are used to being able to watch telly on non subscription services - I think people were happy for it to be part of the license fee but I can't see people being happy to pay subscription for it or indeed many things.