Millennium and Eurosport

[Robbo]

I think that televising paintball will ultimately aid its development. It may not be the only way or the most successful way of increasing participation and awareness, but it wil certainly play some form of role.


A recent event that i have been part of was the Leamington Spa Race Walking event. The aim wasnt to get more people into race walking (hardly the most popular of sports), it merely served the organisers to have their sponsors on telly. Air time, whatever the form, has a market value for event sponsors. If you can guarantee a certain amount of airtime for a television series based on an event, then the money will be there (ignoring the economic downturn and looking at a longer term outlook).

The questions isnt why we shoudl televise paintball, the questions is why not? If companies are willing to look at it seriously then why stop them?

For some reason mate, the point is not getting thru to you, I am not for one second opposing this, I am just giving my opinion as to its potential success, and that opinion is borne out of every single other TV initiative there has ever been ..... the only thing that changes is the production or TV company that tries to do it ..... but guess what Bug?
All the time teams and players are mistakenly convinced they have to buy in to this sporting and media utopia, the throwing away of money will continue.

You say 'let them carry on', I am no different, but ....don't keep asking the teams and players to put money up front for an initiative that will see no returns ..... and if you ask me how I know this, I will answer, '20 years in this industry taught me, that's how I know'.

 

[BUG01]

The only argument against that is, teams dont need to put the money upfront (maybe in this case) sponsorship of an event based on it being televised pays for the broadcast plus extra.

This does appear to be different which is why i would ask what it is that eurosport are offering. Also if teams are intending to play the event, then paying some money now is the same as paying some money later. Even if it just involves putting a credit card deposit down.

The teams dont need to be the ones that fund it, but they do need to be the ones that turn up and play. No teams means no television.

 

[Robbo]

The only argument against that is, teams dont need to put the money upfront (maybe in this case) sponsorship of an event based on it being televised pays for the broadcast plus extra.

I'm afraid the industry have heard this story far too many times before and won't be handing over any cash unless something more concrete is on offer than just promises...they have had their fingers burned too many times previously and on top of that, the money just isn't around any more.

This does appear to be different which is why i would ask what it is that eurosport are offering. Also if teams are intending to play the event, then paying some money now is the same as paying some money later. Even if it just involves putting a credit card deposit down.

This seems no different from every other case I have witnessed, if it were, the industry would be falling over themselves, they aren't.
As for teams paying now as against later?
Once again, you seem to have missed the point ........ teams haven't got that sorta money lying around anymore, times are harder and while you dismiss this payment request as a technicality, the harsh realities of coming up with that sorta money before the season end is crippling for a lot of guys.. .... but let them eat cake anyways ?

The teams dont need to be the ones that fund it, but they do need to be the ones that turn up and play. No teams means no television.

I'm afraid the teams do need to fund it in this case, and they are doing just that by committing up front to the series, the industry won't pay for it, and do you think the Millennium guys are gonna foot the bill to get everyone there and pay for it?????
Yeah right ......

 

[BUG01]

Im not talking about industry sponsorship of the televising/broadcast/production. Why is it not possible to have outside sponsors. They are more than happy to put money up for these events when they know it will be on telly (the problem is the credit crunch, but i refer you to the point i made about the long term argument, it may not work right now but it will work in the future. This based on it working in the past).

For reference to events where this has worked see the Race walking i mentioned, the world finals of Parkour held in London and sponsored by Barclay Card. Look at the Snowboard event that just took place in Battersea. None of these programmes were paid for by the event itself or the people that took part in them.

 

[Robbo]

Im not talking about industry sponsorship of the televising/broadcast/production. Why is it not possible to have outside sponsors. They are more than happy to put money up for these events when they know it will be on telly (the problem is the credit crunch, but i refer you to the point i made about the long term argument, it may not work right now but it will work in the future. This based on it working in the past).

For reference to events where this has worked see the Race walking i mentioned, the world finals of Parkour held in London and sponsored by Barclay Card. Look at the Snowboard event that just took place in Battersea. None of these programmes were paid for by the event itself or the people that took part in them.

Bug, listen to me mate, the only way you are gonna get out of industry companies involved in taking out ads in any TV show ad slot is by creating the necessary demographic i.e. the very thing you dismissed as one of the major differences between us and the Yanks ...yep, you got it...ratings.

We can't even drive our own industry to advertise in these shows (US example) and to entertain the notion you could get outside industry sponsors is ludicrous mate.

People like Nike, Coca Cola etc are formula driven advertisers and that formula's derivative relies upon one thing and one thing only, the numbers game.

We will never be in a position to attract outside companies who will advertise in any prospective paintball TV show in any significant way.

Now, I can understand you not liking this situation but it seems you are hellbent in trying to make an unmake-able argument ...it just ain't gonna happen mate and no matter how many times you repackage the idea, it won't change.

 

[BUG01]

From someone who has dealt with this form of event sponsorship and management. The event has only to fit a very loose demographic. The cost of broadcasting/making the programme is very little compared to the price of the air time it will fill. Through brand placement within this very loose demographic the exposure the outside company gets is greater than the equivalent advertising space (ie the cost of 45mins continuous transmission). It has also been proven that brand placement is far more effective at promoting brand recognition and identity than straight advertising (an example of this is the lynx music tours that have been created). View it as a recommendation from someone you trust, rather than a random bloke knocking on your door.

To this end, as long as someone is watching (and the numbers have to be far fewer than you may realise) the outside advertising/sponsorship company is more than happy to pay to be part of the show. In an age where advertising budgets are so tight, brand placement is a booming area. Through the careful use of sports events, the companies also navigate the problematic minefields of OFCOM regulation when it comes to the onscreen display of their brand or product. Having a lynx can in every shot of Coronation Street could not currently happen. however, having the lynx girls, lynx posters and Lynx t shirt wearing DJ's all over the screen is perfectly acceptable since it is incidental.

Thus within the European broadcast market, ratings are not everything.

 

[Robbo]

OK, I have tried to hang in there to explain the situation to you but I guessed from the outset you were more interested in winning an imaginary argument than homing in on the truth of the matter.
I'm afraid Bug you have contacted what seems to be the deadliest of all known viruses prevalent on forums such as these.
It's called brockdorffitis and generally strikes when you are least expecting it.

This infection has the effect of making the person believe he is right to continue an argument when everything around them is screaming 'stop' and yet....and yet, something inside this person (the virus) will not let go and forces the infected to keep going with ever more groundless arguments in a vain attempt to make his point, a point that was lost long ago.

brockdorff presented with the first known case of this a few years back and consequently disappeared up his own ass when telling everybody that there was an equal number of European amateur teams as there were in the US.
We administered countless injections of facts and commonsense but the disease prevailed and he continued his quest to rewrite reality.
His demise was as much sad as inevitable because it reduces semi-intelligent men to babbling fools attracting ridicule where there was once a modicum of respect.

Bug, do yourself a favour mate, seek help, please, don't go the way of brockdorff ......save yourself.

 

[Dusty]

You know thats going to be lost on a lot of the younger guys???????

Us old farts however remember it all too well. It is why inoculations were given out at Major league tournaments.....

 

[Robbo]

You know thats going to be lost on a lot of the younger guys???????
.....

The world needs to be made aware ....... this disease has been responsible for the loss of integrity suffered by so many ...... and as we all know, it's preventable - as soon as you enter into a thread, try to think clearly and rationally .... and if you get to a point in any debate where that little voice at the back of your ego begins to whisper 'keep going, keep going' ......just say 'No' ....

 

[newboy]

anyone remember Hermit?He had the same problem.He just kept going and going,lol