Who's enjoying tennis?

[mike]

but then how come the other sports networks, even the regional ones, don't have nearly the issue with programing not coming one anywhere near it scheduled time that ESPN does?...they have plenty of filler shows when a game/match/etc. runs short; ESPN just chooses not to do that and lets a lot of events, especially non-stick and ball ones, fall where they will...

 

[clwill]

ESPN is one of the most profitable TV networks in the country, and there isn't a regional sports network (other than YES) that is regularly in the black. See any connection?

 

[parrotwhisperer]

ESPN is THE most profitable deal going on television. It is owned by ABC/Mickey Mouse and it make more money than all their other channels combined including the ABC channel. A big part of how they do that is under scheduling programming. Take Sunday's race for example. For an hour in prime time all tennis fans and all Drag Racing fans on the planet were watching tennis. ESPN will take that total number of viewers and sell advertising based on it.
I talked with execs at ESPN about this once and they did not deny it. They just said scheduling is hard to do and viewership is what it is. They also said in so many words that NHRA races are infomercials to them and just fill time. I ask if NHRA could buy a set time block for their programming and they said they would not even offer such a deal to to NHRA for their programming.
ESPN does not give a D___ about Drag Racing fans or any other fans. They have a business model that makes a ton of money and an audience that watches no matter how bad they abuse them. I have thought about organizing fans to go to sponsors and ***** but I doubt the sponsors are interested because at some point their commercials are being viewed by a broader audience.

 

[Dave]

They have a business model that makes a ton of money and an audience that watches no matter how bad they abuse them.

Sounds like business as usual in the good ol' U. S. of A. As long as the loyal followers accept being loyally screwed, nothing will ever change, anywhere.

 

[BaldyLochs]

Unlike drag racing....Tennis requires balls!

 

[d'kid]

Bottom Line...

I watch only on ESPN3... I do not watch commercial TV... If we lose ESPN3, I guess I just won't see drag racing... and I'll just have to deal with written results...

d'kid

 

[Wayne]

Unlike drag racing....Tennis requires balls!

ROTFLMAO!!! Thx Chris!!!


Stupid question: Isn't ESPN3 real time like the audiocast? So it's an all day thing?

Thx in advance!


PS: Sunday I had to bail early so I watched some of the tennis before bed(watched the race last night)! It was actually cool to see Nadal come back for the win!

 

[d'kid]

ROTFLMAO!!! Thx Chris!!!


Stupid question: Isn't ESPN3 real time like the audiocast? So it's an all day thing?

Thx in advance!


PS: Sunday I had to bail early so I watched some of the tennis before bed(watched the race last night)! It was actually cool to see Nadal come back for the win!

Yepper, real time, oil downs, track prep, and all

d'kid

 

[Wayne]

Thanks Karl!

 

[Bob]

and since it's an announcer's post, Bob Orme used to laugh any time he could say "Jack Arute" and "Dick Trickle" in the same sentence.

Yeah, and you laughed too!

 

[turbojoe]

Lastly, it cost me $7.95 more per month to get the "Digital Sports Tier" that included NBCSports HD (as well as NFL Network HD). While I agree that "a la carte TV" can't get here soon enough, the thought of not watching F1 FAR outweighed the 8 bucks a month more that the cable company is getting out of me, plus I get the added premium of Thursday night NFL games this fall. Not gonna cut off my nose to spite my face for 8 bucks. Your mileage may vary.

$8.00 I might consider. For me it's $23.00 extra. THAT is a deal killer!

Joe

 

[.]

Anyone remember that one of the original selling points for cable TV was to pay a monthly fee to see less commercials? So much for that!

 

[PJ]

The problem for ESPN is the converse situation. Let's say they allocate 3 hours for a basketball game and it runs 2:15. They suddenly have to make up 45mins of material. Anyone who watched the Super Bowl knows that watching sportscasters kill time is infinitely painful.

So they under-schedule as you call it, and push things back. From their perspective, I don't blame them.

And it's not like they are delaying coverage of a live event. It's already tape delayed, what's another few minutes? You'll still see the whole thing. The tape will still be there, and so will the audience -- the NHRA audience is loyal and will wait for it.

As much as I don't like it, it seems like a pretty reasonable approach for ESPN...

ESPN is one of the most profitable TV networks in the country, and there isn't a regional sports network (other than YES) that is regularly in the black. See any connection?

Part of the reason that they are the most profitable is that they charge over twice as much as the second place station to your cable company in order to air their programming.
If I have time I will try to find the chart I saw. I think most of the major channels were under a dollar per customer. ESPN was over $4. Not that they don't have ways to earn that money but, when you start off by bringing in over 4x the competition you are already a leg up.


I get the under-scheduling and when a game or match goes over 5-10 minutes, no biggie, that is part of sports. Once we cross 15 minutes I am annoyed. Here it was nearly an hour over and it happens constantly. To me that is poor planning and bad management.

Now instead of watching it live (air live) I ended up watching it the next day, which means I zipped through all of the commercials.

Showing the event closer to the time it is intended, provided it is at a reasonable time, means there is a greater chance that it is not DVR'd. Less DVR means more eyes on the ads which is where you make the money.

 

[clwill]

I can't remember the last NHRA race I watched when it was broadcast. I, and everyone I know, DVRs every one. And watch it later that evening (one benefit of Pacific time) or the next day. The only pain the late start causes me is having to skip over the tennis/basketball/badminton at the beginning.

As for ESPN, they only get what the market will bear. And apparently it bears a lot...

 

[yoda]

Maybe it's just crappy gear?

No reason to start a new thread...

15 minutes on The Greek's cleanup in the first round. Is he literally "grandfathered" in to not have the same no-spill devices ( I'm being sarcastic...).

No flame, no hanging parts, and yet, he must have put every liquid left in the car in the surface for it to take the Safari that long to get back to racing...

So- the question is: when DSR blows the lid off and the SS has the track back to racing in 5 minutes, but a privateer pushes out a pan gasket and the event grinds to a halt for 15-30 minutes, is it because their containment gear has failed, or was a POS to start with? And does everyone realize that is why the drags will never be able to NOT be on the same level as college ball sports or golf or ANYTHING else that doesn't give your main show 20 minutes of down time after 10 minutes of competition time?

 

[DrRocket]

Re: Who's enjoying CFL

Instead of tennis, it's CFL football, which undoubtedly WILL run over. Don't rely on an automatic time set or season ticket. Add extra time, and don't come back here whining about it on Monday...

 

[Wayne]

Re: Who's enjoying CFL

Instead of tennis, it's CFL football, which undoubtedly WILL run over. Don't rely on an automatic time set or season ticket. Add extra time, and don't come back here whining about it on Monday...

Post of the Year nominee!!!

 

[clwill]

Re: Who's enjoying CFL

Instead of tennis, it's CFL football, which undoubtedly WILL run over. Don't rely on an automatic time set or season ticket. Add extra time, and don't come back here whining about it on Monday...

Or be a wise DVR user and add 1hour to everything that has the phrase NHRA in it for your "season ticket" (or whatever your system calls it). You'll be fine about 99% of the time.