Cycling on TV

Skull

I read somewhere a couple of months ago that SBS will be showing regular sessions on cycling. To my knowledge this has not happened even though there has been a number of pro-rides recently .

Is it on another channel (fox, espn etc) or are they saving up for the TOUR.

Anyone that knows please post as I keep reading the same magazines over and over until the next one comes out and I am dying to see some more footage on road cycling.

Skull

cycleski

Skull, seems like Sunday mornings 10.30 -12.00 is when the bike action is on at SBS, it does vary in duration though. Last W/E it was on mtb action in Germany but only a half hour show, good value though.

rooman

SBS does summer sessions of Cycling Central, and will cover the TdF in 05 with live cosses every race....

Fox does a bit from time to time, it is unpredictable, and the Giro was on 54 last month (RAI) with daily live crosses and taped sessions, (all in Italian) even Robbie McEwen did interviews in Italian...and when Lance visited and you could just make out his voice over the dubbing translation ( into Italian)....

QUESTION: anyone got any stats on revenue and cycling advertising potential from Cyclists as tv watchers of cycling programming?


until we get someone to show that cyclists actually can impact on tv advertising revenues, unlikely we will see much more cycling tv for quite a while....weird because we are selling more bikes than cars in Australia, the bike accessories business must be huge, cycling cafe/bakery culture is established, cycling clothing is a fashion statement and body products for men are booming for shaving and skin care, so what gives?

Football, Olympics, Cricket, Tennis, even top level golf, they are predominently spectator sports, rather than participatory so I guess the massing of people in one place to watch a spectacle suggests to the advertisers that is the place to spend the money......and that answers the question on cycling tv.....they think perhaps that too many participate and therefore not enough watch......or say they want to!, what is it?

I would have thought that the TdF would be the greatest human sporting spectacle of each year, drama, action, challenge, travel, scenery, equipment, personalities, skill, endurance, speed, guts, tears, intrigue, sometimes tragedy, and all wrapped in tradition and history.....over a month of profile and headlines...and even then our TV stations leave it to SBS to do the job...and they do it well and full marks...but the TdF is one of many fabulous spectacles on the road every year...The Belgian Classics, The Paris Tours, The Six Day Races, even the Japanese Kieren Race Circuits involve a fortune in investment and spectacle...where is the TV?, just a few bits here and there...we get a bit of Jacobs creek TdUnda, but even that is hardly extensive, and rarely full coverage live.......even the Australian Championships are all repolayed in bits, and the coverage from Vodafone, Dunc Gray, and elsewhere...just plain poor poor poor.....

seems CA have let the team down too!

arrrrrghhhhhhhhh!


meantime, ride, ride ride....tv sucks anyway......when they can deliver some decent cycling coverage I will be much keener to set up the trainer in front of the telly and burn along with those guys up Mont Ventoux.....or ride the hour record or do a TT, yeah !, till then I just have to settle for DVD's and Tapes........on these cold winter nights (sniff).

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I think..that the greatest benefit to cyclists would ensue if government were to..gradually signify and produce society's view that cycling is a legitimate form of roadway transportation, open to all on an equal basis of proper skills and responsibilities that are easily attained and exercised.(John Forester)

Skull

I am with you Roo.

Marx SS

I like the little we do get.

Come Tour de Frenchy time, everyone at work becomes an overnight cycling expert which is no end of fun.
I usually end up on the outer 'cos I can't name them all to 20th place....

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'03 Specialised Stumpjumper 27spd hardtail MTB.
'90 Apollo MTB commuter rigid ss 44/18.
'02 Kinesis Crosslight cyclocross/roadie 27spd.

peterlip

I'm just looking forward to 3rd July, 01:15 (EST), SBS, Stage 1 broadcast live....

And so, it begins...