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30 Jul 2021, 13:45 (Ref:4063978) | #3751 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 1,098
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The BTCC probably would get more fans and money with some change, but from a selfish point of view, I haven't been too keen on all the extra publicity that F1 has had the last few years, and think that the slightly old-fashioned nature of the BTCC adds to the charm of the sport. So I would prefer for Gow to remain in charge,.
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Ten-tenths Predictions Contest World Champion of 2022 |
30 Jul 2021, 14:42 (Ref:4063986) | #3752 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,028
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Someone will have to replace Gow eventually, even he stays in charge beyond 2026, anyway roll on Oulton Park and Jack Mitchell's debut.
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30 Jul 2021, 15:31 (Ref:4063993) | #3753 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 858
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Quote:
- Qualifying coverage is restricted to a poor quality stream which is only available to watch live and not outside the UK. The on-demand race videos contain no pre or post-race coverage, and in the event of a red-flagged race/aborted start the original start is omitted, so there's little context as to what's going on. I can't even see the 2021 races on the ITV site. - The live TV coverage will often feature the presenters waffling on about something or other when there's a support race on (seriously, who thinks it's a good idea to deliberately NOT show racing?). - The coverage that the support package gets is disgraceful. You'll never see the Saturday races unless you're at the track, and I bet there's a very small percentage of fans who are able to attend full weekends at each round in order to see them, even in non-covid times. Of course, the exception to this is the final event, where ITV do actually bother to put some effort in. Some of the Sunday races either won't be shown, or will only be shown in the form of very brief highlights. I personally don't understand why the top class of the MINI Challenge joined the package, because it's getting the worst coverage it's had for years. From 2013-15 it had a highlights package on TV and on Youtube where the videos can still be seen, featuring every race; 2016-18 was highlights on TV only but all of the races were covered; 2019 had full-season live streaming on Youtube and the races can still be watched. Since joining the TOCA package only about 70-ish% of the races have been shown in any form (and that number might be generous). It's pretty ridiculous, considering the fact that it's possible for me, a person in the UK, to freely and legally watch full events from Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, etc. as well as full club events in the UK, but I can't watch full events from the highest-profile package in my home country. In short, ITV is **** and they don't care. On a more positive note, I'm quite looking forward to seeing how Jack Mitchell gets on. He's quite the handy pedaller. |
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There are no such things as races which are too long, only people whose attention spans are too short. |
30 Jul 2021, 18:07 (Ref:4064019) | #3754 | |||
Racer
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 158
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30 Jul 2021, 18:22 (Ref:4064021) | #3755 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 271
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30 Jul 2021, 20:36 (Ref:4064051) | #3756 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,472
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Quote:
Wow and I thought having to wait a week for a half an hour of highlights in the 90s was bad! Just imagine what that would have been like last year when no one was allowed to attend…. At least this is a motorsport that is live on FTA. What I would do to get every F1 race live on FTA again. In fact I would be happy if it was like a few years ago when half the races were live… |
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He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
30 Jul 2021, 21:00 (Ref:4064053) | #3757 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,225
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Could be worse, it could be on Eurosport.
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30 Jul 2021, 22:12 (Ref:4064057) | #3758 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 158
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30 Jul 2021, 22:40 (Ref:4064060) | #3759 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,028
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31 Jul 2021, 18:33 (Ref:4064271) | #3760 | |
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 481
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The best thing and the worst thing about the BTCC is the tv coverage. It's great because it gets it in front of so many people who otherwise wouldn't see it. The flip side of that is that the contract prevents it from being shown on services that appeal to the younger generation. There will come a tipping point though if they're not careful.
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2 Aug 2021, 22:24 (Ref:4064996) | #3761 | |||||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,585
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Quote:
You also can't criticise ITV for not making the stream available outside the UK and Ireland, as they don't have the rights outside of those countries. You want to watch it in a different country? Complain to the broadcaster who has the rights in that country! I agree that the international distribution of the BTCC on TV is shockingly bad, but that's nothing to do with ITV. Quote:
It will be at TOCA's insistence that the first race shown on the TV programme is a BTCC race. They are, after all, the headline event. Quote:
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The top result if I search for "Mini Challenge 2019" on YouTube is a race from Brands Hatch which has so far had 8,513 views. That's after more than two years. While at 3.30pm on June 13th, there were more than 120,000 people watching the Mini Challenge from Snetterton on ITV4 or the ITV Hub. Alan Gow repeatedly says the BTCC's TV deal is the envy of national championships across the world. And he's right. |
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2 Aug 2021, 23:18 (Ref:4064997) | #3762 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,472
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I can’t complain about the coverage, it’s easy to find if you know where to look. What more do people want? Have highlights on the BBC like they have done in the past? Maybe that would be a good idea, but it still isn’t better than having it live on ITV4, for which we should be thankful, as it gives us great coverage on a FTA channel that is made for people like us
People need to stop complaining about the coverage, we’ve never had this much of it before. The number of opportunities to watch the premier motorsport series in the UK is way beyond what it was back in the 90s and early 00s. I am so happy that I am able to watch it live, even if it means I can’t do anything else on Sunday! We should be thankful for this and ITV have done well to get a good deal for the series and continue broadcasting to a great standard, even if it could be shown to a more mass audience like the days of Grandstand. I think the whole team does well to bring it together considering. Every BTCC race live, plus plenty of support action. It’s not quite as good as being there, but it means you have a nice alternative Plenty of support action is shown that wouldn’t otherwise be. How else would the Mini Challenge and Porsche Cup get exposure. I’m sure F4 would find a way otherwise, but the others need that exposure. Ok, it’s only really petrolheads who will watch, but at least it’s getting enough of an audience, better than nothing, otherwise they would not show it. Let’s just enjoy this coverage, it might not last forever, but remember, we’ve never had it so good |
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He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
3 Aug 2021, 07:03 (Ref:4065032) | #3763 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,665
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Sadly I'm old enough to remember when the BTCC was shown on BBC1's Grandstand, often 2 or 3 weeks after the event. Quite often the races would not be shown at the originally published times so when I got home (probably from the next BTCC meeting and turned on my VCR (ask your Grandad if you don't know), I'd often find I had 30 minutes of Horse racing, Curling or some-such, not the Touring Car action I was hoping for!
At least with the latest ITV4 coverage and recording devices, I can record the whole programme and still go about my Sunday chores, deciding to watch whatever and whenever I can (and whenever my schedule/wife allows)! |
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__________________
Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning Nice Gearchange! |
3 Aug 2021, 08:19 (Ref:4065040) | #3764 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,150
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Overheard at the weekend:
"It would be better if Neal was still racing the Honda, I liked it when Neal and Plato were racing" "Plato isn't racing either" "Yes he is... Oh, I see what you mean" |
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Walk a mile in someone else's shoes. When they realise you have, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes. |
3 Aug 2021, 12:51 (Ref:4065096) | #3765 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,494
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We have a lot to thank Steve Rider for, he has been the common point throughout the past 30 years of BTCC coverage -
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4 Aug 2021, 07:22 (Ref:4065220) | #3766 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 873
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Anyone who thinks ITV is bad for the series needs to give their head a wobble. Is there any other series in the world who gets the same amount of time on a major FTA TV channel? Then also available on catch-up services?
TOCA could make more money by offering the footage to non-UK viewers via some subscription platform, Im sure if there was enough demand then Lord Gow would have done it by now. He isn't a stupid person, neither are the team bosses. |
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4 Aug 2021, 08:44 (Ref:4065236) | #3767 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
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i don’t think itv is bad for the series as such, but the current way the coverage is being managed has some drawbacks and there’s no harm in discussing and being critical of those. the idea that any criticism means someone needs “their heads wobbling” is a bit weird, but then so is thinking the current coverage is terrible because it doesn’t service one persons exact needs.
personally i find a lot of things frustrating - why can’t i see the races online that itv choose not to broadcast. why do i need to see 15 minutes of adverts as a result of scrubbing through the 6 hour broadcast to find the race before the last touring cars. that kind of stuff. but the fact i can sit on the sofa and watch the entire sunday’s racing, give or take is superb for me AND the event. particularly in these weird times. |
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devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
4 Aug 2021, 08:57 (Ref:4065238) | #3768 | |||
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,494
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4 Aug 2021, 09:10 (Ref:4065239) | #3769 | |
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Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 481
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4 Aug 2021, 09:14 (Ref:4065240) | #3770 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,329
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They still pay, although ITV4 ads tend to have been bundled with other things, as viewing figures are not high.
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4 Aug 2021, 09:25 (Ref:4065243) | #3771 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
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Quote:
like i say, no issue with watching adverts to maintain a free service but it’s beef with itv being itv. i’d imagine a lot of the ads on the live tv service are fulfilling a quota for the required number of broadcasts. |
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__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
4 Aug 2021, 09:31 (Ref:4065245) | #3772 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,663
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The ITV coverage, for which I am grateful as I watch every event, is not beyond criticism though. For example, although I appreciate that racing (or is just engines?) is not permitted at Oulton, I believe, before midday on a Sunday, that would have been an ideal opportunity for ITV to start the show at around the usual time and then show some of the Saturday races, instead of starting the broadcast at 10 minutes to 12.
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4 Aug 2021, 09:49 (Ref:4065248) | #3773 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,278
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It's noise that is the problem at Oulton. Sunday mornings are out due to local church. Even then the circuit is still limited to just six Sundays a year. One of the very worst in the country in terms of how restricted their operations are.
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4 Aug 2021, 13:48 (Ref:4065305) | #3774 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 158
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Whilst we're indulging in constructive criticism of coverage, my biggest frustration was they seemed to go almost half a race without displaying the positions of drivers below the top 20. I suppose if I'd been able to watch it live I could have followed on the Tsl Timing website, but still, when so many championship contenders were at the back it's pretty crucial to know where they are in the order.
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4 Aug 2021, 15:30 (Ref:4065322) | #3775 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,585
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