fmk_RoI said:
Lappartient:
"We need to get everyone around the table and work out how we can increase the revenue of cycling, while we must also discuss how we share these revenues.
"In some places, we might have to compromise.
"It would be good to have a system where the UCI can organise and sell some television rights, working with the organisers on a voluntary basis, which would be a good way to increase the revenues.
"One organiser is able to earn money, which is good for them, but if you take the other organisers some of them are not in a strong situation, as well as teams.
"We need to create value and share it in our sport, otherwise we will never solve the problem."
If he's saying what I think he's saying, it makes a lot of sense. In league sports like hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball and football, television rights aren't sold on an event by event basis. They're sold as a package. If you want to broadcast the playoffs, you also have to buy rights to all the crappy matches nobody cares about. If cycling was able to organize and bundle the rights for all WT races into one package, that would be immense. It would provide stability and guaranteed coverage with a known budget that could be split up appropriately as agreed upon by organizers, teams, riders, and the UCI. I really don't see a down side.
John Swanson