Lakeside no longer on BBC?

Firewalkwithme

No more Lakeside on the BBC?

The BBC faces losing its Formula 1, darts and snooker coverage as part of swingeing cuts to its sports division to be announced by the corporation today.

If this happens it will be yet another nail in the coffin for the BDO. Would ITV be interested in picking it up, or could they even do it considering they already deal with the PDC? Eurosport would seem the most likely option but the audience size might see Lakeside pull the plug on the sponsorship money. All in all, it's hard to see this ending well.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12001755/BBC-faces-losing-Formula-1-darts-and-snooker-ina-new-cuts-to-sports-division.html

Devastator

Read that earlier and meant to stick it in gsod/wolfie thread in connection with his "BDO asked me" comments in regards the gsod. The BDO must already know their contract won't be renewed and are trying to rebuild some bridges but I fear their sly sports ship has sailed. I'm not sure ITV would be interested either, they don't exactly give off the feeling of doing everything possible for their few pdc events.

Eurosport or BTsport I think are their best options, I think BT have shown some BDO in the past, I remember Roy Stubbs was presenting it

Firewalkwithme

Devastator wrote: »

Read that earlier and meant to stick it in gsod/wolfie thread in connection with his "BDO asked me" comments in regards the gsod. The BDO must already know their contract won't be renewed and are trying to rebuild some bridges but I fear their sly sports ship has sailed. I'm not sure ITV would be interested either, they don't exactly give off the feeling of doing everything possible for their few pdc events.

Eurosport or BTsport I think are their best options, I think BT have shown some BDO in the past, I remember Roy Stubbs was presenting it

Problem for BDO is, how much would anyone of those broadcasters be willing to pay? Didn't Eurosport jointly broadcast the Lakeside this year with the BBC? The beeb seem to have lost interest anyway, the coverage was very thin compared to what it would have been in the past with a lot of it being on the red button or late night replays instead of live coverage.

As for the GSOD connection, that does make sense. Having Adams play did help to increase their profile and they must realise that they need it.

Devastator

I'm not sure, I seem to recall some of lakeside being on a cable channel but dont remember, eurosport or bt anyway. I don't know how much channels would offer for rights, any idea what BBC have been paying?

BBCs coverage of everything is ****e anyway, there is literally nothing I go out of my way to watch on it. Skint? Well stop paying huge salaries to horrible bastards like Norton and dinosaurs like Forsyth. As for their sports, most of it(live) seems to get shoved onto that red button because a rerun of colombo for the 84th time is obviously most important & popular......and to think they actually try to enforce the tv licencing laws to pay for the BBC! hahaha

Firewalkwithme

Devastator wrote: »

I'm not sure, I seem to recall some of lakeside being on a cable channel but dont remember, eurosport or bt anyway. I don't know how much channels would offer for rights, any idea what BBC have been paying?

BBCs coverage of everything is ****e anyway, there is literally nothing I go out of my way to watch on it. Skint? Well stop paying huge salaries to horrible bastards like Norton and dinosaurs like Forsyth. As for their sports, most of it(live) seems to get shoved onto that red button because a rerun of colombo for the 84th time is obviously most important & popular......and to think they actually try to enforce the tv licencing laws to pay for the BBC! hahaha

Here, have a Snickers :pac:

No, no idea what BBC pay but who else has been bidding for it? I wouldn't imagine it's big bucks though.

ArmaniJeanss

Even if they've been getting it for free (plausible enough) from the BDO, it is still costing them probably around £25K/£35K an hour to produce the program, so maybe £1M for the 8 days.

jamesbere

Eurosport I'd say would probably be the only crowd really interested, I can't see bt taking it over.

ThebitterLemon

That's terrible, I've been watching it for donkey's years and really enjoy it, crap coverage and all! Was it ever on ESPN?

TbL

DEFTLEFTHAND

It's one bloody week out of the year, and it does draw viewing figures, the final has regularly drawn more than the PDC final due to it being on terrestrial television.

This is a solid disgrace from the BBC. I'd expect BT sport to be the only ones picking it up come January.

Dozen Wicked Words

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

It's one bloody week out of the year, and it does draw viewing figures, the final has regularly drawn more than the PDC final due to it being on terrestrial television.

This is a solid disgrace from the BBC. I'd expect BT sport to be the only ones picking it up come January.

Sport on the BBC is a disgrace, they barely pay it lip service now. The cost of Premier League highlights for a year would probably cover the cost for darts, snooker and Rugby League.
Maybe ITV 4 will pick it up, they at least try with sport.

Kingp35

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

That's terrible, I've been watching it for donkey's years and really enjoy it, crap coverage and all! Was it ever on ESPN?

Yes it was. For those of you asking what channel showed the BDO World Championships along with the BBC, it was originally ESPN. It actually worked out quite well because we got to see the vast majority of the matches as ESPN showed the matches the BBC didn't, bar the ones they showed on the "red button". It was dropped by ESPN though after BT Sport took them over. BT Sport renewed their contract though and it last years tournament along with the BBC.

BT Sport would be the only viable option for the BDO but I'm sure BT recognise the huge gulf in standard between the BDO and the PDC and will only pay so much for the coverage.

Chris_Bradley

ESPN took coverage of this first in 2012 then BT took over the joint coverage (with BBC) in 2015.

BT had every session live with BBC only getting afternoon sessions, one semi-final and live coverage on both channels for the final.

Deal for BBC ends in 2016.... So I imagine the next will be on the BBC?

"In 2016, Lisa Ashton and Scott Mitchell with be defending their 2015 titles as world champions. In total, 40 men and 16 women will compete for the most prestigious titles in world darts.

The annual championships attract a live audience of millions of television viewers in Britain, Europe and around the globe who watched it via BBC TV Sport and its world partners." - source.... http://www.lakesideworlddarts.co.uk/

monkey9

I hope BT or Eurosport show it. It'd be nice for a dedicated sports channel to show BDO events throughout the year the way Sky do with PDC.

Devastator

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

Here, have a Snickers :pac:

HAAAAAA Have you not been reading my posts.....I need a box of 'em!



Just reading earlier again about this, more news sites reporting same basic story but sounding like its a donedeal.

1 very surprising thing I read was that as BBC plans to cut snooker,darts,golf,f1,etc they have just recently signed a 2 year deal to show American football!??!!??!!

MillField

No more Tony O' Shea

_Ace_

If this went down, I'd assume that the PDC would come in with a lowball offer again.

Devastator

_Ace_ wrote: »

If this went down, I'd assume that the PDC would come in with a lowball offer again.

Im not sure, it depends whether the PDC feel there would be any extra advantages than what they already have. With the PDC now seeming to be focusing on global darts (i.e. the world series, PL in Holland, etc) maybe they'll feel they've already outgrown what the BDO can offer.

Firewalkwithme

Devastator wrote: »

Im not sure, it depends whether the PDC feel there would be any extra advantages than what they already have. With the PDC now seeming to be focusing on global darts (i.e. the world series, PL in Holland, etc) maybe they'll feel they've already outgrown what the BDO can offer.

Yep I don't think Barry Hearn would be interested. He's won the war and he said himself that the stupidest thing he ever did was make an offer to the BDO to buy them out and he would never do it again.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

Yep I don't think Barry Hearn would be interested. He's won the war and he said himself that the stupidest thing he ever did was make an offer to the BDO to buy them out and he would never do it again.

I think it's better to leave it like it is, the BDO is a massive organisation, would the PDC be willing to take the running of all the inter county leagues etc. Probably be more trouble than it's worth.

I think there's room for the two with the BDO primarily focusing on grassroots and the running of the amateur game. They're a wonderful institution, mostly volunteer based too, people who love darts.

Devastator

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I think it's better to leave it like it is, the BDO is a massive organisation, would the PDC be willing to take the running of all the inter county leagues etc. Probably be more trouble than it's worth.

I think there's room for the two with the BDO primarily focusing on grassroots and the running of the amateur game. They're a wonderful institution, mostly volunteer based too, people who love darts.

haha just aswell its volunteer based, they've hardly the funds to offer good prizemoney nevermind paying wages "people who love darts" why do people, when showing their support of BDO, always say that? lol do the PDC lot not love darts?

jamesbere

Devastator wrote: »

haha just aswell its volunteer based, they've hardly the funds to offer good prizemoney nevermind paying wages "people who love darts" why do people, when showing their support of BDO, always say that? lol do the PDC lot not love darts?

Yeah exactly, I'd imagine the pdc lads love the darts just as much.

ArmaniJeanss

They probably don't love it enough to put a 16 player womens competition on in the Alexandra Palace in synch with the mens competition.

Devastator

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

They probably don't love it enough to put a 16 player womens competition on in the Alexandra Palace in synch with the mens competition.

So in order to prove their love of darts you reckon the PDC should run a gender specific amateur tournament? Even though they've previously run a 32 woman world championship?

still not sure what thats meant to achieve or prove....they could just tweet #LoveTheDarts if they felt the need to prove it

jamesbere

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

They probably don't love it enough to put a 16 player womens competition on in the Alexandra Palace in synch with the mens competition.

Didn't Barry hearn say that the pdc is gender neutral and if women want to play they'll have to mix it with the men

Firewalkwithme

jamesbere wrote: »

Didn't Barry hearn say that the pdc is gender neutral and if women want to play they'll have to mix it with the men

Yes he did. Darts is a game where there is no physical advantage for men over women as with other sports so there is no reason for there to be a separate championship for women.

Anastasia Dobromyslova has competed well with the men before and has a win over Vincent Van der Voort on TV. Deta Hedman also had a TV wins over men some years before that too.

ArmaniJeanss

jamesbere wrote: »

Didn't Barry hearn say that the pdc is gender neutral and if women want to play they'll have to mix it with the men

Meh, easy soundbite for him - he clearly has no interest in a womens event purely because it doesnt make money. Its zero to do with his feelings on whether women should compete with men.
The next day he was probably talking about how darts is big enough to be in the Olympics, even though an equivalent womens event is a basic IOC pre-requisite for all new sports.

Kingp35

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Meh, easy soundbite for him - he clearly has no interest in a womens event purely because it doesnt make money. Its zero to do with his feelings on whether women should compete with men.
The next day he was probably talking about how darts is big enough to be in the Olympics, even though an equivalent womens event is a basic IOC pre-requisite for all new sports.

I completely disagree with this. There should be NO women only events. There is nothing stopping women competing on the PDC tour. If they are good enough then they can play.

Personally I think the BDO should scrap the Womens World Championships because it's actually holding them back. If there was no Womens Championships then they would have to aspire to reach a higher level to compete with the men. As it is they just aspire to be good enough to play in womens events.

The PDC have it spot on with regards to having no women only events.

Devastator

"Modern thinking" and "BDO" are not 2 words/phrases I would usually associate together....but they love the darts so its alright

Lemmy Scott

so this is on bt is it?

blackbird99

saw an ad saturday night for it, havn't seen any since,
starting next sat http://www.radiotimes.com/programme/mt9mz/live-darts-bdo-world-championships

Surely the two can survive together. Just as the English Premier League survives in football, but you still have your FA's organisation of the game from the bottom up which the Premier League has no interest in. I like the current set up, I will enjoy the BDO competition even if only Scotty Waites has shown the ability to match the PDC players in the past and he is bang out of form in recent years.