Europeans don't like track anymore?

[gh]

at least not as TV entertainment, if these numbers are to be believed:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/asset/ ... /Barra.pdf

[lapsus]

Disquieting figures, but one reason for the drop was surely that Osaka was in a more inconvenient timezone for European viewers.

[AS]

Was there a shift from free-to-air TV coverage to pay-TV in any of these countries and, if so, when?

[mump boy]

Was there a shift from free-to-air TV coverage to pay-TV in any of these countries and, if so, when?

Major champs are still free to air in UK but nothing else is apart from domestic meetings. so nobodu know any athletes anymore. there was a time when all grand prix were shown free to air an major meets like Zurich would be on prime time.

now nothing is on free to air their not even on regular cable like eurosport but on setanta or sky sports 3 which means youhave to buy the most expensive cable package just to watch track for 3 months a year.

no wonder people's interest has waned it's ben made practically impossible to follow track anyomore :cry:

[DPP]

http://tonyward-trackchat.blogspot.com/ ... -woes.html

[DPP]

This article links the decline in viewing figures with a decline in medals won by European athletes.

http://tonyward-trackchat.blogspot.com/ ... -woes.html

[az2004]

so europeans are like americans, they like a winner...

the swith in america from t&f to swimming and gymastics...

although in europe with soccer being an almost year round sport, it's the big monster..

all american sports have a substantial off season

[Brettboy]

Was there a shift from free-to-air TV coverage to pay-TV in any of these countries and, if so, when?

Major champs are still free to air in UK but nothing else is apart from domestic meetings. so nobodu know any athletes anymore. there was a time when all grand prix were shown free to air an major meets like Zurich would be on prime time.

now nothing is on free to air their not even on regular cable like eurosport but on setanta or sky sports 3 which means youhave to buy the most expensive cable package just to watch track for 3 months a year.

no wonder people's interest has waned it's ben made practically impossible to follow track anyomore :cry:

I agree totally with mump. When I was a wee kid both the UK's main channels showed athletics, sometimes both showing the same meets. The now Golden League meets were such a highlight of the summer, many of my friends who werent die hard fans would watch the T&F and know who the main stars were. Now, you get some on the sat channels eurosport and setanta but only one or two (crap) domestic meets are shown on terrestrial. And they sure have dumbed down what limited coverage they do provide. And it's gone all Ghetto. Also, since cable itself in the UK has changed a lot since the early days, I no longer get access to DSF and ARD/ZDF/ORB which used to show all the German meets. You still get those on the continent though.

I am positive that the poor media coverage has had a direct impact on participation in athletics in the UK.

[midnightsun]

the German channels are still free-to-air on Hotbird 13°E and Astra 19.2°E which are easily accessible in the UK.

Of course Sky (same as in Italy) tries to lock you out of the channels they do not offer, but nothing keeps people from receiving freely available sat channels

BTW it is satellite we're talking about, not cable.

[GeorgeK]

don't you think that it has something to do with doping problems in the sport? I know for myself that I just don't get as excited watching those big time events that I used to watch just because I feel a bit dissilusioned with the whole thing. It just seems to get worse and worse and the athletes seem to get more and more "out there", hard to identify with.

I know that "the best man/woman wins anyway" if they are all doped but still.. So, this year I just didn't watch any of the major track meets televised through Eurosport and I also refrained from following the big cycling events that I would follow every year like the Giro and the Vuelta. The Tour de France has been trying to do something with cheaters, we'll see if they continue...

I still follow track and field and I still love the sport however. Every time there is a local "open" or school event here in Luxembourg I try to be there to watch (there aren't that many unfortunately). And if I were living in the States I know that I would be present in any of the meets at my old high school and college in Florida whenever I could get the time off from work.

No waning of interest on my part then and I wonder if the seeming lack of interest has more to do with the doping problems and the consequent disillusionment .

[croflash]

don't you think that it has something to do with doping problems in the sport? I know for myself that I just don't get as excited watching those big time events that I used to watch just because I feel a bit dissilusioned with the whole thing. It just seems to get worse and worse and the athletes seem to get more and more "out there", hard to identify with.

I know that "the best man/woman wins anyway" if they are all doped but still.. So, this year I just didn't watch any of the major track meets televised through Eurosport and I also refrained from following the big cycling events that I would follow every year like the Giro and the Vuelta. The Tour de France has been trying to do something with cheaters, we'll see if they continue...

I still follow track and field and I still love the sport however. Every time there is a local "open" or school event here in Luxembourg I try to be there to watch (there aren't that many unfortunately). And if I were living in the States I know that I would be present in any of the meets at my old high school and college in Florida whenever I could get the time off from work.

No waning of interest on my part then and I wonder if the seeming lack of interest has more to do with the doping problems and the consequent disillusionment .

You raise a good point and that is the biggest reason why the media is more reluctant to broadcast those meets. I'm confident it will change in the wake of Berlin (at least in Germany) and T&F will get more time on TV, but it will be barely enough to get some recognition.

[eldrick]

Also, since cable itself in the UK has changed a lot since the early days, I no longer get access to DSF and ARD/ZDF/ORB which used to show all the German meets. You still get those on the continent though

i remember those days - analog sky dish ( flicking channels 1 weekend i just caught urrutia effortlessly jumping 17.83wr & nonchantly walking out of pit like it was a 17.00 jump ! )

i got digital dish which looks like it is pointed in same direction as ole analog one, but no teuton channels ?!

as manuit says, i think they may have shifted the digital versions of these channels to another satellite, so it means pointing the dish in another direction - probably need a mobile dish

[Non Potest]

Was there a shift from free-to-air TV coverage to pay-TV in any of these countries and, if so, when?

Major champs are still free to air in UK but nothing else is apart from domestic meetings. so nobodu know any athletes anymore. there was a time when all grand prix were shown free to air an major meets like Zurich would be on prime time.

now nothing is on free to air their not even on regular cable like eurosport but on setanta or sky sports 3 which means youhave to buy the most expensive cable package just to watch track for 3 months a year.

no wonder people's interest has waned it's ben made practically impossible to follow track anyomore :cry:

This is a very valid point which applies basically every where. Couldn't have said it any better.

I agree totally with mump. When I was a wee kid both the UK's main channels showed athletics, sometimes both showing the same meets. The now Golden League meets were such a highlight of the summer, many of my friends who werent die hard fans would watch the T&F and know who the main stars were. Now, you get some on the sat channels eurosport and setanta but only one or two (crap) domestic meets are shown on terrestrial. And they sure have dumbed down what limited coverage they do provide. And it's gone all Ghetto. Also, since cable itself in the UK has changed a lot since the early days, I no longer get access to DSF and ARD/ZDF/ORB which used to show all the German meets. You still get those on the continent though.

I am positive that the poor media coverage has had a direct impact on participation in athletics in the UK.

[nevetsllim]

Oh dear, the BBC aren't showing the New York Marathon this year. They always show the big city marathons if Paula races

[midnightsun]

it's live on Eurosport if you get it, and most likely live on RAISport+ (Hotbird 13°E) as well