Darts

[TightEnd]

to ask a question that has bothered me for a while..

why do the BBC show the BDO version, with unknowns?

Granted Hearn presumably gets a nice rights fee from Sky but does the BDO version get the viewers to justify the BBc showing it

a bit like the World Snooker Champs from Preston would be wthout the top 32, or Wimbledon without the seeds...

the BDO to the casual armchair fan like me is rank boredom

[bobby1]

Tighty, here are the viewing figs for the BDO final on the BBC.

2007 3,300,000
2006 3,620,000
2005 2,550,000
2004 3,410,000
2003 2,810,000
2002 2,460,000
2001 3,680,000
2000 3,700,000
1999 4,060,000


and here are the viewing figs for the PDC finals

2007 1,028,000
2006 761,000
2005 530,000
2004 820,000
2003 610,000
2002 Unavailable
2001 420,000
2000 240,000
1999 200,000

Dont forget that with the PDC being on Sky it has a very limited audience.

[TightEnd]

i suppose 3m ish for a final is more than I thought

I don't regard the viewing figures PDC and PDO as comparable obv..put the PDC on BBC at primetime and it would trounce 3m I expect

[AndrewT]

to ask a question that has bothered me for a while..

why do the BBC show the BDO version, with unknowns?

Granted Hearn presumably gets a nice rights fee from Sky but does the BDO version get the viewers to justify the BBc showing it

a bit like the World Snooker Champs from Preston would be wthout the top 32, or Wimbledon without the seeds...

the BDO to the casual armchair fan like me is rank boredom

I assume it gets enough viewing figures to justify the expense of covering it. Which probably isn't that much as the BBC knows that without them, no one else would show it, and without TV coverage the event wouldn't get a sponsor and would die.

The BDO brought all this on themselves. In the early 80s darts was big and the top players were, for the first time, able to turn pro and play full time. Once the BDO presided over the mismanagement of losing sponsors and TV coverage the top players realised that their livelihoods were disappearing and so they broke away.

The BBC have tried to give darts a push over the last couple of years by showing other tournaments, but they are hurt by the fact there are no huge names in the BDO who consistently perform (as the top of the BDO tree isn't really that high). I remember the final of one of the BBC's live tournaments a couple of years ago (World Masters?) where neither of the finalists had even managed to qualify for the World Championships.

[bobby1]

i suppose 3m ish for a final is more than I thought

I don't regard the viewing figures PDC and PDO as comparable obv..put the PDC on BBC at primetime and it would trounce 3m I expect

In the format it is shown on Sky you are deffo right, there is deffo a need for the BBC to up their coverage given that almost everyone watching this weeks coverage will think it is poorv the Sky coverage but again if the BBC showed the BDO final in the same style as Sky it might well get 5 million viewers.

[ifm]

One point that may interest you is that there are very few actual professional dart players, indeed it is generally said that you need to be in the top 10 in the world to actually be able to make a living.
Puts a lot of pressure on ya!!

[bobby1]

to ask a question that has bothered me for a while..

why do the BBC show the BDO version, with unknowns?

Granted Hearn presumably gets a nice rights fee from Sky but does the BDO version get the viewers to justify the BBc showing it

a bit like the World Snooker Champs from Preston would be wthout the top 32, or Wimbledon without the seeds...

the BDO to the casual armchair fan like me is rank boredom

I assume it gets enough viewing figures to justify the expense of covering it. Which probably isn't that much as the BBC knows that without them, no one else would show it, and without TV coverage the event wouldn't get a sponsor and would die.

The BDO brought all this on themselves. In the early 80s darts was big and the top players were, for the first time, able to turn pro and play full time. Once the BDO presided over the mismanagement of losing sponsors and TV coverage the top players realised that their livelihoods were disappearing and so they broke away.

The BBC have tried to give darts a push over the last couple of years by showing other tournaments, but they are hurt by the fact there are no huge names in the BDO who consistently perform (as the top of the BDO tree isn't really that high). I remember the final of one of the BBC's live tournaments a couple of years ago (World Masters?) where neither of the finalists had even managed to qualify for the World Championships.

Simillar to Snooker to Andrew, I used to go to the World Championships every year and one year met someone from the BBC. I asked them why they showed snooker highlights well after midnight when most working people were going to bed and they replied that at that time of night they had nothing else that would get them as many viewers as snooker did. So in the end less peolpe watched, interest goes down and sponsors fall by the wayside. With the advent of BBCi It makes no sense for me to go to the venue as i can sit at home and watch both games at once.

So its almost gone full circle, when the BBC's coverage was bad it lead to less viewers, now its great it has less people attending and this is where darts  has been very clever and probably has summat to do with Hearns experience from snooker. They constantly show the crowd having a great time, chanting,dancing and singing and it looks a fantastic fun which it is as a social night out but as a viewing sport going to the darts is a watse of time as you can see absolutely none of the action. You watch it on a screen or a giant scoreboard yet most venues still sell out.

In the end its about branding the events a certain way and this is why everything seems better on Sky.

[AndrewT]

Simillar to Snooker to Andrew, I used to go to the World Championships every year and one year met someone from the BBC. I asked them why they showed snooker highlights well after midnight when most working people were going to bed and they replied that at that time of night they had nothing else that would get them as many viewers as snooker did. So in the end less peolpe watched, interest goes down and sponsors fall by the wayside. With the advent of BBCi It makes no sense for me to go to the venue as i can sit at home and watch both games at once.

So its almost gone full circle, when the BBC's coverage was bad it lead to less viewers, now its great it has less people attending and this is where darts  has been very clever and probably has summat to do with Hearns experience from snooker. They constantly show the crowd having a great time, chanting,dancing and singing and it looks a fantastic fun which it is as a social night out but as a viewing sport going to the darts is a watse of time as you can see absolutely none of the action. You watch it on a screen or a giant scoreboard yet most venues still sell out.

In the end its about branding the events a certain way and this is why everything seems better on Sky.

Indeed - my brother went to Alexandra Palace on Saturday and he said you could see nothing and just watched it all on the big screen. But the drinking and jumping up and down every time Sky went for a break made up for it.

And darts, like snooker, once you have everything set up for covering it, showing more of it costs you next to nothing.

[bobby1]

Simillar to Snooker to Andrew, I used to go to the World Championships every year and one year met someone from the BBC. I asked them why they showed snooker highlights well after midnight when most working people were going to bed and they replied that at that time of night they had nothing else that would get them as many viewers as snooker did. So in the end less peolpe watched, interest goes down and sponsors fall by the wayside. With the advent of BBCi It makes no sense for me to go to the venue as i can sit at home and watch both games at once.

So its almost gone full circle, when the BBC's coverage was bad it lead to less viewers, now its great it has less people attending and this is where darts  has been very clever and probably has summat to do with Hearns experience from snooker. They constantly show the crowd having a great time, chanting,dancing and singing and it looks a fantastic fun which it is as a social night out but as a viewing sport going to the darts is a watse of time as you can see absolutely none of the action. You watch it on a screen or a giant scoreboard yet most venues still sell out.

In the end its about branding the events a certain way and this is why everything seems better on Sky.

Indeed - my brother went to Alexandra Palace on Saturday and he said you could see nothing and just watched it all on the big screen. But the drinking and jumping up and down every time Sky went for a break made up for it.

And darts, like snooker, once you have everything set up for covering it, showing more of it costs you next to nothing.

and round to Barry Hearn poker again, when you have an empty wharehouse at Leyton Orient you can film any poker tourney you want there and make it look how you want. Poker Den,this world open that world open etc etc. Thats why they are making as many as possible without worrying about the quaility of it as their costs are now nailed to the floor yet they can prob charge more everytime they make one. In the Poker Den they even charged the players for the cost of the dealers, can you imagne that, someone making a TV poker show and charging the players for dealers? unreal.

[Bazzaboy]

to ask a question that has bothered me for a while..

why do the BBC show the BDO version, with unknowns?

Granted Hearn presumably gets a nice rights fee from Sky but does the BDO version get the viewers to justify the BBc showing it

a bit like the World Snooker Champs from Preston would be wthout the top 32, or Wimbledon without the seeds...

the BDO to the casual armchair fan like me is rank boredom

I assume it gets enough viewing figures to justify the expense of covering it. Which probably isn't that much as the BBC knows that without them, no one else would show it, and without TV coverage the event wouldn't get a sponsor and would die.

The BDO brought all this on themselves. In the early 80s darts was big and the top players were, for the first time, able to turn pro and play full time. Once the BDO presided over the mismanagement of losing sponsors and TV coverage the top players realised that their livelihoods were disappearing and so they broke away.

The BBC have tried to give darts a push over the last couple of years by showing other tournaments, but they are hurt by the fact there are no huge names in the BDO who consistently perform (as the top of the BDO tree isn't really that high). I remember the final of one of the BBC's live tournaments a couple of years ago (World Masters?) where neither of the finalists had even managed to qualify for the World Championships.

Simillar to Snooker to Andrew, I used to go to the World Championships every year and one year met someone from the BBC. I asked them why they showed snooker highlights well after midnight when most working people were going to bed and they replied that at that time of night they had nothing else that would get them as many viewers as snooker did. So in the end less peolpe watched, interest goes down and sponsors fall by the wayside. With the advent of BBCi It makes no sense for me to go to the venue as i can sit at home and watch both games at once.

So its almost gone full circle, when the BBC's coverage was bad it lead to less viewers, now its great it has less people attending and this is where darts  has been very clever and probably has summat to do with Hearns experience from snooker. They constantly show the crowd having a great time, chanting,dancing and singing and it looks a fantastic fun which it is as a social night out but as a viewing sport going to the darts is a watse of time as you can see absolutely none of the action. You watch it on a screen or a giant scoreboard yet most venues still sell out.

In the end its about branding the events a certain way and this is why everything seems better on Sky.

The Premier League being a prime example of this.  The event in Glasgow sold out in hours and I know of loads of people who are going that know next to nothing about darts, they are going for a night out and a piss up.  They have attracted a new crowd to the game.  Compare the crowd at and PDC event with the crowd at the Lakeside this year and they will be worlds apart.

[bobby1]

to ask a question that has bothered me for a while..

why do the BBC show the BDO version, with unknowns?

Granted Hearn presumably gets a nice rights fee from Sky but does the BDO version get the viewers to justify the BBc showing it

a bit like the World Snooker Champs from Preston would be wthout the top 32, or Wimbledon without the seeds...

the BDO to the casual armchair fan like me is rank boredom

I assume it gets enough viewing figures to justify the expense of covering it. Which probably isn't that much as the BBC knows that without them, no one else would show it, and without TV coverage the event wouldn't get a sponsor and would die.

The BDO brought all this on themselves. In the early 80s darts was big and the top players were, for the first time, able to turn pro and play full time. Once the BDO presided over the mismanagement of losing sponsors and TV coverage the top players realised that their livelihoods were disappearing and so they broke away.

The BBC have tried to give darts a push over the last couple of years by showing other tournaments, but they are hurt by the fact there are no huge names in the BDO who consistently perform (as the top of the BDO tree isn't really that high). I remember the final of one of the BBC's live tournaments a couple of years ago (World Masters?) where neither of the finalists had even managed to qualify for the World Championships.

Simillar to Snooker to Andrew, I used to go to the World Championships every year and one year met someone from the BBC. I asked them why they showed snooker highlights well after midnight when most working people were going to bed and they replied that at that time of night they had nothing else that would get them as many viewers as snooker did. So in the end less peolpe watched, interest goes down and sponsors fall by the wayside. With the advent of BBCi It makes no sense for me to go to the venue as i can sit at home and watch both games at once.

So its almost gone full circle, when the BBC's coverage was bad it lead to less viewers, now its great it has less people attending and this is where darts  has been very clever and probably has summat to do with Hearns experience from snooker. They constantly show the crowd having a great time, chanting,dancing and singing and it looks a fantastic fun which it is as a social night out but as a viewing sport going to the darts is a watse of time as you can see absolutely none of the action. You watch it on a screen or a giant scoreboard yet most venues still sell out.

In the end its about branding the events a certain way and this is why everything seems better on Sky.

The Premier League being a prime example of this.  The event in Glasgow sold out in hours and I know of loads of people who are going that know next to nothing about darts, they are going for a night out and a piss up.  They have attracted a new crowd to the game.  Compare the crowd at and PDC event with the crowd at the Lakeside this year and they will be worlds apart.

spot on mate

[ifm]

The Premier League being a prime example of this.  The event in Glasgow sold out in hours and I know of loads of people who are going that know next to nothing about darts, they are going for a night out and a piss up.  They have attracted a new crowd to the game.  Compare the crowd at and PDC event with the crowd at the Lakeside this year and they will be worlds apart.

I dunno, i thought it was the BDO events that started all the crowd interaction stuff, handing out the cards and marking pens etc.

[Bazzaboy]

The Premier League being a prime example of this.  The event in Glasgow sold out in hours and I know of loads of people who are going that know next to nothing about darts, they are going for a night out and a piss up.  They have attracted a new crowd to the game.  Compare the crowd at and PDC event with the crowd at the Lakeside this year and they will be worlds apart.

I dunno, i thought it was the BDO events that started all the crowd interaction stuff, handing out the cards and marking pens etc.

I was referring more to the make up of the crowd.  I spoke to someone who was at the UK Open in Bolton and he said that a large percentage of the crowd didnt give a toss about the darts they basically sat and chatted amongst themselves before jumping about like a loon when the music came on, it was similar when I was at the PL event last year.  Whereas at the Lakeside the crowd in general are much more knowledgable (and respectful) and more interested in the darts.  I have never been to the lakeside so I could be off the mark but thats the impression I get from watching on TV.

[ifm]

Bolton was awesome, there were a couple of coach loads of us went cuz we had several qualifiers from round here.

[Indestructable]

What is that music they were playing every time to get the crowd going?