News Corporation holds talks with World Series Cycling

[Izzy eviel]

Why would they care? Tour, Giro, Vuelta and all important classics would still exist.

Not as we know it.

It's money. "Hey Mr Conatador, we'll give you a million Euros to ride the Tour of London instead of the Tour de France"

 

[Ferminal]

If News Corporation write a big enough check why would ASO and RCS care?

How will ASO and RCS earn more whilst most of the TV money is supposed to go to the teams?

 

[42x16ss]

Why would they care? Tour, Giro, Vuelta and all important classics would still exist.

Not if they throw enough money at the riders.

If this was being touted as some kind of development/feeder structure for conti/U23 teams then I could get behind it. As a top tier league, this threatens to take away the appeal and history of the sport.

 

[Afrank]

Lol

Son, this is business. The only hope is that they think they can get more out of continuing to run things themselves. But if the bad guys make a high enough offer, everyone has a price.

that's why I said hopefully.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

How will ASO and RCS earn more whilst most of the TV money is supposed to go to the teams?

You're assuming the pie is the size it is and the only thing left is a fight over who gets which slice.

If the French TV rights for the Tour are really that low, then the sport is grossly mismanaged and underselling itself, and everyone could be doing better with a little coordinated action.

 

[lukinox]

You're assuming the pie is the size it is and the only thing left is a fight over who gets which slice.

If the French TV rights for the Tour are really that low, then the sport is grossly mismanaged and underselling itself, and everyone could be doing better with a little coordinated action.

Cycling is not a major sport and not many people follow it so there's not that much money in it. I agree that the teams should get some money from tv revenues, the UCI and the race organizers should be able to talk with the teams and work something out and then there would not be any talks about some boring new races format. Having said that, even with the world cycling series the main races will still be there and maybe we should wait before we judge the WSC a bore fest, it might not be that bad, but it will definitely kill some smaller races with a lot of history and I personally like cycling the way it is. I guess we will see, but one thing is for sure: if the WSC really takes off, the UCI will want in.

 

[auscyclefan94]

People turning away money from a sport that is based in an economy which is floundering and sponsors are turning away...wow.

I don't see how race fixing could be any more rampant than it is now. Personally, I don't think it has been or will be an issue. Keep working out some more conspiracies my friends.

 

[Christian]

I told you when Sky joined cycling, in a couple of years we will only have cycling on PayTV. Dimlylitspace laughed at me. Too bad he is gone now.

 

[El Pistolero]

I told you when Sky joined cycling, in a couple of years we will only have cycling on PayTV. Dimlylitspace laughed at me. Too bad he is gone now.

Yeah, why would you want to watch HD cycling over a crappy stream online that will fall out more than Abondany himself?

 

[Carols]

I told you when Sky joined cycling, in a couple of years we will only have cycling on PayTV. Dimlylitspace laughed at me. Too bad he is gone now.

It's been on pay TV only in the US for many, many years. I gladly pay to get my fix!

But this Series stinks

 

[JimmyFingers]

Yeah, why would you want to watch HD cycling over a crappy stream online that will fall out more than Abondany himself?

This. I lolz

 

[movingtarget]

Cycling is not in good enough condition to turn down major sponsors. I hope if it happens that the changes won't be too radical and that we don't see more of the smaller races disappearing. Hopeful things will pick up in Europe. Eurosport coverage is pretty good, if it continues on that level I would be happy. There is no doubt that the points structure for different races needs an overhaul and I don't like the fact that some of the European races have had to change their schedules for some of the new ones. But this will probably happen more often as the sport becomes more global.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

this would kill cycling.

ASO, RCS, Unisport and the flandrien classics won't let this happen, particularly RCS and the flandriens.

particulary aso won't let this happen. rcs and flanders might, aso is way more powerful and make so much money, they will never let that go

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Why would they care? Tour, Giro, Vuelta and all important classics would still exist.

I'm sure aso want them to f*** up paris nice, dauphinee, fleche, lbl etc besides aso want to distribute wildcards, this new system would stop that. no chance in hell

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I told you when Sky joined cycling, in a couple of years we will only have cycling on PayTV. Dimlylitspace laughed at me. Too bad he is gone now.

it won't happen. they tried it in italy 10 years ago and they went back from it within weeks after riders refused to talk to any rai correspondants, after putting it on pay tv and the italian viewers en mass stopped watching. football cna be ppv, cycling never. not enough market except the tour

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm sure aso want them to f*** up paris nice, dauphinee, fleche, lbl etc besides aso want to distribute wildcards, this new system would stop that. no chance in hell

All the classics would remain, so nothing changes about LBL and Fleche(although this one definitely needs changing lol).

Why would ASO give a rats *** about the Dauphiné and Paris-Nice? They'd still exist, but in a new format.

 

[Ferminal]

You're assuming the pie is the size it is and the only thing left is a fight over who gets which slice.

If the French TV rights for the Tour are really that low, then the sport is grossly mismanaged and underselling itself, and everyone could be doing better with a little coordinated action.

Yes and their model assumes willingness to pay 2, 3, 4, 5 times more than broadcasters currently pay for cycling.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Yes and their model assumes willingness to pay 2, 3, 4, 5 times more than broadcasters currently pay for cycling.

Just like in F1?

Cycling does not have the market for these kind of pay per view future scenarios.

edit:
cycling is a working class sport, it should remain that imho.

 

[bobbins]

Just what cycling needs. People who have been 'fans' for a few years coming along and deciding what we need is something different because they find it hard to understand.

Sky and the rest of the parasites should go find a new sport to fukc up.

I hope the general consensus in this thread is a reflection of the rest of the sport.

 

[argyllflyer]

This is being driven by teams wanting more money, don't blame the fans!

Though I did hear a commentator say recently (may have been Carlton Kirby) that the reason one of the Olympic track events got dropped, Madison afaik, was because Bernie Ecclestone was sitting next to someone from the UCI at a velodrome watching it and whinged it was too complicated. Next thing - it's out.

And Bernie Eisel was talking in January about his own confusion of the calendar.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eisel-calls-for-better-promotion-of-uci-worldtour

Is the World Tour a league in its own or is it part of the UCI? There must be a clear decision on where we’re going, let’s say for the next three seasons. Teams and riders must be united to go in the same direction. We want the public to understand our sport. We want a world ranking that determines who is the best rider and which is the best team. The ranking must sanction the season and qualify for the WorldTour the following season. The sporting evaluation system is very confusing. We need clarification

 

[Christian]

Yeah, why would you want to watch HD cycling over a crappy stream online that will fall out more than Abondany himself?

I watch most races on TV for free, dunno about you, clearly I seem to have struck a nerve with this

 

[argyllflyer]

I watch most races on TV for free, dunno about you, clearly I seem to have struck a nerve with this

In the UK, the only team races that are free to watch live are the Tour de France and as of 2012, the Tour of Britain and the Vuelta. The Worlds and some track stuff get shown for free as well.

Everything else for us is either on Eurosport (most WT events plus a few .HCs and .1s) or Sky Sports (Tour Down Under). Eurosport in HD costs me roughly £370 a year through Sky Digital (£250 without HD). Sky Sports would be an extra £250 a year and I don't get it anymore.

If more events end up on Sky Sports I'll be a lot poorer!

 

[Marco Pantani]

Well, in german i'd say "geh kacken" Brailsford.

Love and passion for cycling all around the world will prevent this horrible idea.

 

[armchairclimber]

This is where cycling goes the way of the premier League, England's cricket team and F1. It'll be really good professional coverage...it will all be about the SKY money...and I won't be watching it (unless it's on some pirate internet feed). This is what I feared when SKY got involved with cycling. It makes me want to throw up.

 

[Kwibus]

I told you when Sky joined cycling, in a couple of years we will only have cycling on PayTV. Dimlylitspace laughed at me. Too bad he is gone now.

He isn't far away. Just started an own cycling community site where most the good posters of the past went