[Archived] pay per view

[thenodrog]

Before I begin it's prob fair to say that I have never had anything other than terrestrial TV in my life. Politicians used to hurl accusations across the House if one Party but up the TV licence by a fiver not long ago and now I understand it can cost the equivalent of a TV licence every month depending on contract.

However it appears that there is to be no Grand Prix held in Germany this year despite the success of the German motor industry in general and German drivers Schumacher and Vettel along with the emergence of Mercedes as the top manufacturer. This comes after France packed up hosting GP's a few years ago despite also being massively prominant in the sport.

Much blame apportioned this am by David Coulthard is that the declining interest of the German public is the move to put the GP on Pay per View. I must say I regard Pay per View and satellite TV in general as an unecessary evil. It's severely damaged both boxing, cricket and golf already imo. All appears to be a classic example of short term gain, long term loss imo.

[ABBEY]

Some things are miles better on sports channels than the "five " channels.

CRICKET:

When it was on Beeb you couldnt watch a full test match as they would disappear for tennis ,horse racing etc. Wayching overseas test matches was impossible as well.

BOXING

ITV & BBC were absolute pants for showing boxing, they would miss rounds and never show the undercard.Some fights the announcer would say ,we join the fight at round 6 . Why?

GOLF

You can now watch every shot from tourements all around the world instead of nothing apart from the majors.

[thenodrog]

Do you not subscribe to the theory that too much exposure will devalue a product Abbey? Certainly seems to have devalued Formula 1 in Germany if David Coulthard is to be believed.

[Baz]

Its more to do with Bernie Ecclestone selling the rights to hold a Grand Prix to the highest bidding tracks.

I do think that although sky does a great job at showing the sports it covers it can lead to no exposure for many sports to kids in lower income or non-sporting households.

The sports need to be better at dictating terms though, why cant the lower league clubs be allowed to be shown on regional tv?

Similarly for cricket, if you dont have sky you wouldn't see a game, why not allow lancashire to show their home sunday games on regional tv, it may actually invoke more support for the club.

[thenodrog]

All appears to be a classic example of short term gain, long term loss imo.

Its more to do with Bernie Ecclestone selling the rights to hold a Grand Prix to the highest bidding tracks.

Exactly as I pointed out Baz.

[Mike E]

Some things are miles better on sports channels than the "five " channels.

CRICKET:

When it was on Beeb you couldnt watch a full test match as they would disappear for tennis ,horse racing etc. Wayching overseas test matches was impossible as well.

BOXING

ITV & BBC were absolute pants for showing boxing, they would miss rounds and never show the undercard.Some fights the announcer would say ,we join the fight at round 6 . Why?

GOLF

You can now watch every shot from tourements all around the world instead of nothing apart from the majors.

As a golf nut, I think it's a disgrace. If you want wall-to-wall then great, but things like the 4 majors and the Ryder Cup should be on terrestrial imo.

[jim mk2]

Football has been ruined by the TV-driven Champions League, one reason kids aren't playing cricket is because they don't see it on (free) TV any more and golf participation worldwide is in decline probably for the same reason. Money rules sport so why is anyone surprised ?

[ABBEY]

As a golf nut, I think it's a disgrace. If you want wall-to-wall then great, but things like the 4 majors and the Ryder Cup should be on terrestrial imo.

but even if they did they wouldnt show it all.

[thenodrog]

As a golf nut, I think it's a disgrace. If you want wall-to-wall then great, but things like the 4 majors and the Ryder Cup should be on terrestrial imo.

ffs!! Don't ever tell Abbey that you play golf Mike!

[thenodrog]

Football has been ruined by the TV-driven Champions League, one reason kids aren't playing cricket is because they don't see it on (free) TV any more and golf participation worldwide is in decline probably for the same reason. Money rules sport so why is anyone surprised ?

True and I couldn't name any boxing champion at whatever weight these days. In fact I'd struggle to come up with the names of 3 current boxers ..... and I think 2 of them might have retired. Compare that to the days when the likes of Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Minter, McGuigan, Graham, Green, Benn, Eubank, Holmes, Holyfield, Tyson were household names.

[K-Hod]

The heavyweight division is a shadow of its former self especially.

[thenodrog]

pay per view in the 60's and we'd never have watched this fella. No wonder he stayed so purdy no one could hit him. A remarkeable talent.

Enjoy

[adopted scouser]

The only reason most people pay the extortionate fees for Sky television is football.

The sport single handedly saved Sky's bacon, and now the ridiculous fee paid to clubs next season will push the price up even more (and a lot of the big games are on f****in BT !!)

I'm cancelling mine, I'll listen to it on the radio, if there's a big game I'll watch it down the pub.

[ABBEY]

ffs!! Don't ever tell Abbey that you play golf Mike!

Nothing wrong with golf .. Except when rovers are playing

True and I couldn't name any boxing champion at whatever weight these days. In fact I'd struggle to come up with the names of 3 current boxers ..... and I think 2 of them might have retired. Compare that to the days when the likes of Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Minter, McGuigan, Graham, Green, Benn, Eubank, Holmes, Holyfield, Tyson were household names.

Hurrah .. Something you don't have the answer for .. Hahahaha

The only reason most people pay the extortionate fees for Sky television is football.

The sport single handedly saved Sky's bacon, and now the ridiculous fee paid to clubs next season will push the price up even more (and a lot of the big games are on f****in BT !!)

I'm cancelling mine, I'll listen to it on the radio, if there's a big game I'll watch it down the pub.

I have sky for the better tv programmes on Sky Atlantic , the boxing , cricket & the NFL. BT I for MLB & UFC .

[thenodrog]

Hurrah .. Something you don't have the answer for .. Hahahaha

Thank you, I take that as a compliment.

[otto man]

pay per view in the 60's and we'd never have watched this fella. No wonder he stayed so purdy no one could hit him. A remarkeable talent.

Enjoy

"Floats like a Butterfly, stings like a Bee".......Mind you "our enry" had him!

[thenodrog]

He would have if the bell hadn't rung. After that and Angelo Dundee's cheating 'split glove' episode he never allowed Enery to land another punch and cut his face to ribbons.

"I was looking at Liz Taylor at ringside." - Clay's excuse for being knocked down

"Cooper hit me so hard my kinfolks felt it back home in Africa".

http://static.boxrec.com/thumb/2/2b/Bloody_Cooper.jpg/300px-Bloody_Cooper.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/17/article-2343207-1A505AFB000005DC-159_634x427.jpg

[adopted scouser]

Ali was fast and funny, the foreman fight was incredible to watch BUT he ran away for most of the time.

Marciano was a real boxer.

[ABBEY]

Fantastic boxing and ufc over the weekend .. Worth paying for

[thenodrog]

Ali was fast and funny, the foreman fight was incredible to watch BUT he ran away for most of the time.

Marciano was a real boxer fighter.

Thats more like Nick. 'rope a dope' worked brilliantly. Ali knew that at his age he couldn't stand toe to toe with Foreman so he suckered him and let him punch himself out.

Just like Tyson though after serving his jail sentence for rape, Ali was never the same after his three year exile. Both were absolutely fantastic as young boxers and far removed from the rather lumbering and more conventional fighters they turned into.

btw Just as an aside Rocky Marciano retired in 1956. No doubt he was a remarkable boxer but I certainly don't remember him fighting and footage is scarce and sketchy so unless you are 75+ you can only be judging him on heresay and his fight record which tbh can never be an entirely reliable comparison.

Fantastic boxing and ufc over the weekend .. Worth paying for

Who has been fighting who and what is ufc Abbey?

[adopted scouser]

Thats more like Nick. 'rope a dope' worked brilliantly. Ali knew that at his age he couldn't stand toe to toe with Foreman so he suckered him and let him punch himself out.

Just like Tyson though after serving his jail sentence for rape, Ali was never the same after his three year exile. Both were absolutely fantastic as young boxers and far removed from the rather lumbering and more conventional fighters they turned into.

btw Just as an aside Rocky Marciano retired in 1956. No doubt he was a remarkable boxer but I certainly don't remember him fighting and footage is scarce and sketchy so unless you are 75+ you can only be judging him on heresay and his fight record which tbh can never be an entirely reliable comparison.

Daft thing to say. I wasn't around during World War 2 but I know Hitler was a c***.

Marciano was the only undefeated world champion, never lost a fight. Despite his size he tried to annihilate his opponent, punching their arms until the blood vessels burst (a 'fighting' technique, not throwing insults whilst horizontal on the slackest ropes I have ever seen).

[davulsukur]

Me and my dad went halves for the sky subscription when I lived at home just because we wanted to watch sport. When I moved out he was pretty p*ssed off that he'd either have to cough up the full amount or lose the sports coverage. He still pays it.

I currently don't have sky and I have to admit, its rubbish not having it.

[davulsukur]

Its definitely crossed my mind.

[thenodrog]

Daft thing to say. I wasn't around during World War 2 but I know Hitler was a c***.

Marciano was the only undefeated world champion, never lost a fight. Despite his size he tried to annihilate his opponent, punching their arms until the blood vessels burst (a 'fighting' technique, not throwing insults whilst horizontal on the slackest ropes I have ever seen).

Never fought Cassius either.

btw No doubt you'll be able to tell us who was the better footballer Tom Finney or Stan Matthews?

[yoda]

Never fought Cassius either.

btw No doubt you'll be able to tell us who was the better footballer Tom Finney or Stan Matthews?

That's an easy one