I don't miss anything MX/SX related on TV.
We've put up with having to tune to 3 different channels to watch one round of the Nationals. Delayed broadcasts that where shown at 3:00am. While SX broadcasts have mostly been easier to catch, for last season's outdoors, I actually bought the CBS or NBC (?) "Sports extra" thing, so I could be sure to see all the rounds. It was worth it. It also included a lot of extra content, including practice/qualifying coverage, interviews, etc. But there's a problem, even with the paid viewing.
It takes too long to watch.
3-4 hours is a fairly large commitment on a Saturday evening. If you're on the east coast, a large number of the races will keep you up until 1 am to watch them live. Here in the Republic, most start at 9:00. How about all those Cali rounds start a little earlier in the day? 2/3rds of the country would be thankful. If I'm not mistaken, round 4 in Glendale (PHX) will start earlier, airing here (central time) at 7:00. Much better.
So on to the point, finally.
I really enjoyed the 3 main format. They tried to make it clear that it's not the same as the Monster Cup, but for all practical purposes, it is the same. And it works. "Average" viewers in this short-attention-span era don't care about qualifiers, heats and LCQ's. IMHO, they need to take it a step further and do what it takes to get the broadcast down to 2 hours. Maybe just two "main" events for each class? Sound familiar? It works outside, why not for SX? Throw in some qualifying highlights between moto's, a couple of rider segments, done. The spots about riders is important (especially )for newer viewers, it's a way to "invest" and gain a favorite, etc.
What do you think?
We've put up with having to tune to 3 different channels to watch one round of the Nationals. Delayed broadcasts that where shown at 3:00am. While SX broadcasts have mostly been easier to catch, for last season's outdoors, I actually bought the CBS or NBC (?) "Sports extra" thing, so I could be sure to see all the rounds. It was worth it. It also included a lot of extra content, including practice/qualifying coverage, interviews, etc. But there's a problem, even with the paid viewing.
It takes too long to watch.
3-4 hours is a fairly large commitment on a Saturday evening. If you're on the east coast, a large number of the races will keep you up until 1 am to watch them live. Here in the Republic, most start at 9:00. How about all those Cali rounds start a little earlier in the day? 2/3rds of the country would be thankful. If I'm not mistaken, round 4 in Glendale (PHX) will start earlier, airing here (central time) at 7:00. Much better.
So on to the point, finally.
I really enjoyed the 3 main format. They tried to make it clear that it's not the same as the Monster Cup, but for all practical purposes, it is the same. And it works. "Average" viewers in this short-attention-span era don't care about qualifiers, heats and LCQ's. IMHO, they need to take it a step further and do what it takes to get the broadcast down to 2 hours. Maybe just two "main" events for each class? Sound familiar? It works outside, why not for SX? Throw in some qualifying highlights between moto's, a couple of rider segments, done. The spots about riders is important (especially )for newer viewers, it's a way to "invest" and gain a favorite, etc.
What do you think?