The Open on Sky - It's official

[jp15g08]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/go...-the-BBC-should-not-be-seen-as-a-disaster.htm
lnteresting take on the switch in the telegraph today.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/go...-the-BBC-should-not-be-seen-as-a-disaster.htm
lnteresting take on the switch in the telegraph today.

Link isn't working mate?

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/go...the-BBC-should-not-be-seen-as-a-disaster.html
There you go Phil

 

[Smiffy]

I personally think that 2 hours of the best action (as will be shown in the proposed highlights show) will be more of a draw than watching 15 hours of seagulls hanging in the breeze, the odd boat or two bobbing up and down out at sea, someone licking an ice cream and somebody elses hat being blown off interspersed with a few putts and people milling around doing nothing. You might get lucky and get the odd shot of somebody else having a slash in a bush to liven it up a bit.
Lost count of the numbers of times I've dozed off watching "live" golf.

 

[Odvan]

Article makes a valid point re viewing figures - something that hasn't really been picked up on in the thread. I don't quite understand the angst toward the R&A in here for this decision other than 'tradition'. A tradition which stemmed from those mad, dark years of just 4 channels, then wow, 5 channels. The rest as they say... And perceived 'golfing traditions' are what have been blamed for a certain sports decline, isn't/wasn't it...?

...I'm sure that over the last 6 months there have been a couple of threads on here highlighting the demise of Club golf participation over the last 3 years with the relevant links so who should be bashed for that? Looking at some comments on here 'from the other side' it should be the BBC, in that case? After all, they annually screen 4/5 days of out-and-out golf and therefore, with it being such a necessity for the good of the sport, would have expected anything but a decline...

Event over. Door shut. Hurrah for the BBC.

The highlights show will be good to watch - no different to MOTD and if anything is more likely to capture the imagination of those wannabee golfing upstarts (whatever age) rather than turning them off listening to Allis go on about a Tea Lady at a half-way house who washed her tea-towels at the 10th's water-hazard in 1963. But I do hope Ken Brown gets recruited by them in much the same way they were quick to recruit Brundle from for the F1 coverage.

One thing is a cert in all this, Sky and the R&A I'm sure (i bl00dy hope!) will have pledged time and money into more academy's, more community presence and even more into junior golf. I'm sure of this - and all the time the BEEB would have virtually ignored golf for the other 360 days and we know why - they're beholden to the license payer.

I think it's a short-sighted opinion to say its a bad move or they've 'sold their soul' - if participation/membership is declining perhaps a cash injection that the R&A weren't getting previously will help - I guess time will tell.

Its a great move for the sport in my humble opinion

 

[Deleted member 15344]

In regards money from Sky deals going into grass roots of the sport

How has that worked out in regards - cricket ? Football ? Rugby ? - participation numbers have all dropped over the years , crowds struggling at some sports

Has the money made football better in this country ? That's a debate

The article mentioned an extra £35mil into golf ? does anyone really see that going anywhere near golf clubs ?

It's great of the article to mention how little the price is - it's still a price.

Viewing figures on sky will always be lower - when it comes to the Masters the BBC has higher viewing figures than Sky

Participation numbers in all sports has reduced over the years - Is that to do with Sky - possibly not , more to do with the game console generation. When I was a child I watched a sport on telly and then me and my friends went out and played it - football , cricket , golf etc.

Thankfully we still have the Olympics which inspires people but every 4 years isn't enough.

I'm a massive sports fan but I do worry for the future in this country - this is another step backward imo

 

[Fish]

I think this is a good read for those vehemently opposed to change.

http://bit.ly/1F5aAcg

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The question I would ask is - how many "non golf" fans will now watch it ? Most golf fans have Sky already yet still doesn't pull in the viewers - they mention the BBC only gets a million on a Friday - I will be amazed if Sky gets near that on the Friday - I will be amazed if they get near half the peak the BBC did

Golf fans may pay £10.99 for a weeks worth of Open golf - but how many "non golf fans" who switched over for a quick watch will pay £10.99 to watch golf for 4 days ? £10.99 on top of the license fee they pay - £10.99 is more than they used to have pay - and do you have to get a Now TV box as well ?

No matter how Sky produce it the size of the audience who watch the Open has just decreased.

 

[Slab]

Not sure how to view participation figures

I doubt that now or when I was growing up it would included me & mates playing road tennis with court lines drawn in dry mud or stumps drawn against someones wall or footie on the local park, hitting a golf ball round a field etc etc. Certainly did me no harm in getting some exercise and having fun but as I say I'm not sure I would've appeared on anyone's radar

Maybe they are only interested in participation when money changes hands!

Sky will do a good job with the Open and we can either watch highlights, use pay TV or watch using other methods that aren't authorised

 

[Darren24]

In regards money from Sky deals going into grass roots of the sport

How has that worked out in regards - cricket ? Football ? Rugby ? - participation numbers have all dropped over the years , crowds struggling at some sports

Has the money made football better in this country ? That's a debate

The article mentioned an extra £35mil into golf ? does anyone really see that going anywhere near golf clubs ?

It's great of the article to mention how little the price is - it's still a price.

Viewing figures on sky will always be lower - when it comes to the Masters the BBC has higher viewing figures than Sky

Participation numbers in all sports has reduced over the years - Is that to do with Sky - possibly not , more to do with the game console generation. When I was a child I watched a sport on telly and then me and my friends went out and played it - football , cricket , golf etc.

Thankfully we still have the Olympics which inspires people but every 4 years isn't enough.

I'm a massive sports fan but I do worry for the future in this country - this is another step backward imo

i totally agree with you here.

 

[Tongo]

Reading some comments it seems apparent that some people cant differentiate between what's good for them and what's good for the game.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I think I'm sitting down in the camp of the last two linked articles re: the Open on Sky not being an actual disaster, but may actually be good for the game.

 

[fundy]

An interesting article about cricket and free to air tv. Warning its a very long article but some reference to the open in there, especially when the MPs reviewed in 2010 the FTA events home test matches and the open golf were recommended to the list.

Also a snippet that Labour were talking about one of their manifesto points for the election next yr being about free to air sports again intimating adding the open to the list.

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/lost-key-crown-jewels/

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Cheers for posting that Fundy - shows a very highly likely future for golf

 

[Tongo]

An interesting article about cricket and free to air tv. Warning its a very long article but some reference to the open in there, especially when the MPs reviewed in 2010 the FTA events home test matches and the open golf were recommended to the list.

Also a snippet that Labour were talking about one of their manifesto points for the election next yr being about free to air sports again intimating adding the open to the list.

http://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/lost-key-crown-jewels/

The upshot with cricket is that the domestic structure in this country is not financially sustainable so it needs bankrolling by cash from the international game. The spoutings about grass roots cricket suffering in the event of test cricket returning to peasant tv is covering up the reality that the county game would have to downsize so that it is more self-sustainable. I would guess that this is not a scenario that the ECB, whose mandarins normally come from the counties, do not want to countenance.

 

[fundy]

The upshot with cricket is that the domestic structure in this country is not financially sustainable so it needs bankrolling by cash from the international game. The spoutings about grass roots cricket suffering in the event of test cricket returning to peasant tv is covering up the reality that the county game would have to downsize so that it is more self-sustainable. I would guess that this is not a scenario that the ECB, whose mandarins normally come from the counties, do not want to countenance.

Thats pretty much the nail on the head Tongo, the counties elect the ECB and the ECB funding props up the counties, almost everything else is a smokescreen really

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Guys from GM - Mike , Jezz etc it would be great to hear your views and how the media has taken the news ?

 

[CMAC]

Guys from GM - Mike , Jezz etc it would be great to hear your views and how the media has taken the news ?

I would imagine it will be a main feature in the mag next month or even the website

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Understand Mike was on Radio 5 this morning talking about it.

 

[USER1999]

Since the r and a is responsible for golf in a fair chunk of the globe, is the extra revenue being spent promoting golf in the UK, where this money was generated, or in developing countries like China?