ESPN Preliminary Broadcast Schedule for 2007 GP

[R.D.]

Got this from the Skatefans listing- someone reported it:

I assume the times listed are for EST:

November 11, Skate Canada, ESPN, 4:30p-7p
November 18, Cup of China, ESPN, 4p-7p
November 25, Trophee Eric Bompard - France, ESPN, 4p-7p
December 02, Cup of Russia, ESPN, 4p-7p
December 09, NHK Trophy, ESPN, 4p-7p
December 23, Grand Prix Final, ESPN, 4p-7p

Note that those dates are Sundays- Sunday afternoons, so they will be counterprogramming to football, and even Disson skating on NBC a few times. Tape delay will be at least one week for each event.

[Tonichelle]

thanks for the info!

[clazzi]

I gotta watch them at daybreak. cool..........

[R.D.]

Last year a few events were moved over to ABC. I don't think that is happening this year because now ABC will televise NASCAR events on Sunday afternoons in the fall (taking over from NBC). Also, as this is the final year of ESPN's 5-yr contract with ISU, it's up in the air as to where we go from here. Do we lose GP event coverage? All skating coverage? Or does ESPN renew the deal as is (doubtful, since they didn't even keep national skating)?

It's very possible I might not have cable for the next year, so therefore I won't be able to watch these broadcasts with you guys. Maybe either someone will put them on Youtube, or make hq videos of the competition?

[Joesitz]

Given they are only 2-1/2 hours long for 4 disciplines each, how much will they show? Given they are taped, they are also edited to be sure Americans are shown if they podium.

I guess ESPN will not do anymore 3-1/2 hours.

Any news on who will do 2008 Worlds from Gothenberg?

Joe

[emma]

thanks for the info, RD.

I have this incredibly sinking feeling that we aren't gonna see much of skating - as Joe points out 2.5 hours for 4 disciplines - and of course, commercials....

I guess I got a little spoinled during the Olympic year when we had pretty ok coverage.

[Tinymavy15]

i thought that NBC had exculsive rights. November seem a little late for Skate Canada. I thought that it was always like the middle of October. Whatever. i could be wrong. sounds like the usuall though. Not enough time for all the skating and way too many commercials.

[Kypma]

i thought that NBC had exculsive rights. November seem a little late for Skate Canada. I thought that it was always like the middle of October. Whatever. i could be wrong. sounds like the usuall though. Not enough time for all the skating and way too many commercials.

Skate Canada is from Nov. 1st to 4th this year...

Kypma

[Mathman]

But then, too, television coverage isn't the only measure of success and growth in a sport.

The Universitiy of Michigan football stadium holds more than 100,000 people and has sold out every home game since 1975. As for television, maybe they will be on someone's game of the week occasionally, or in a bowl game. But the meat and potatoes of the program is the live gate, which generates so much money that it pays for the whole athletic department all by itself and makes up for all the sports that lose money ( = every other sport except basketball, which breaks even).

I wonder if there is anything the USFSA can do to increase interest in live attendance for it's events (besides holding them all in Spokane, LOL). The trend is for all sports to be shunted off major network TV onto specialty cable channels. There is no reason to expect that figure skating will be any exception.

[Kypma]

But then, too, television coverage isn't the only measure of success and growth in a sport.

The Universitiy of Michigan football stadium holds more than 100,000 people and has sold out every home game since 1975. As for television, maybe they will be on someone's game of the week occasionally, or in a bowl game. But the meat and potatoes of the program is the live gate, which generates so much money that it pays for the whole athletic department all by itself and makes up for all the sports that lose money ( = every other sport except basketball, which breaks even).

I wonder if there is anything the USFSA can do to increase interest in live attendance for it's events (besides holding them all in Spokane, LOL). The trend is for all sports to be shunted off major network TV onto specialty cable channels. There is no reason to expect that figure skating will be any exception.

Good point, Mathman. I think though that all the talk about the new scoring system does have some truth in that it decreases the audience's understanding of what's going on, and does cause some lesser attractive moves here and there. I know I've been following the sport for a year now, so I never knew the 6.0 system (which I don't like much, because it's too subjective, and I prefer numbers added up), but I still have no clue what a "good score" would be in each discipline. I know some men and pairs get over 200, but for the short and free, I have no idea whether to expect 70s (SP) or 90s (SP) as good scores. So I think the NJS does have something to do, but I think that if the genral public new the numbers I'm looking for, it could help. And maybe have a few new stars, especially here in Canada, since no one except our dancers seem to stand out on the international stage. (Dubé and Davison are onto a good start, though, if she can stay in one piece).

Kypma

[R.D.]

Any news on who will do 2008 Worlds from Gothenberg?

That would be ESPN as well, but apparently we don't know that schedule yet. Nor do we know the schedule for the NBC portion of the coverage (but all we would need to know are times; looks like we will get one 2-hr broadcast of SA from them in Oct., a 2-hr. broadcast of the Nats Pairs Free Jan 27th, a 3-hr primetime broadcast that night of Dance/Ladies, and 2-hr broadcast the next day of the Men's Free. I take it there will also be additional online coverage on their website; that's also TBA.

Also, ESPN coverage stays three hours with the exception of Skate Canada, which is 2.5 hrs. note that it says 4-7pm ET. But, then again, it may or may not be finalized, so it's subject to change, of course. For those complaining about the time and commercials, I say ENJOY IT NOW because it may be the last time you get to see it. As delayed and lukewarm as it might be, it's still something.

[waxel]

Right, Red Dog. We should be happy for what table scraps are thrown our way. Of course we can always dream for greater coverage in the future ...

[Mathman]

... but I still have no clue what a "good score" would be in each discipline.

For what it's worth , I have a system for remembering what a good score it for ladies and men.

For ladies, the key number is 70.

You should aim for 70 in the Short Program (the all-time record is 71.95 by Yu-na Kim at 2007 Worlds).

The LP counts double (just like under 6.0), so you should get 70 in tech and 70 in PCSs for a total of 140 in the LP. (Mao Asada got 133.13 a 2007 Worlds, but she could have reached 140 with a completely clean program).

This gives a total of 210, which has never been achieved yet (but watch out for Mao next year!), for a monster score for ladies.

(Of your 70 tech points in the LP, two-thirds should be in jumps. So your LP should go, 47 points in jumps, 23 points in spins and step sequences, and 70 in PCSs. To get 70 in PCSs you need to average 8.75s accross the board in all five categories. At present, this is somewhat beyond the reach of the current generation of young ladies, whose tech is ahead of their presentation.)

For men, raise everything by 25 per cent.

So a gigantic score for a man would be 85 in the short, 175 in the long, for a total of 260. (Plushenko got 258.33 at Olys.)

[Mathman]

Right, Red Dog. We should be happy for what table scraps are thrown our way. Of course we can always dream for greater coverage in the future ...

I think it's a question of half empty or half full.

But if happiness is our goal, I don't think we should pin our hopes on TV coverage of figure skating.

[Kypma]

For what it's worth , I have a system for remembering what a good score it for ladies and men.

For ladies, the key number is 70.

You should aim for 70 in the Short Program (the all-time record is 71.95 by Yu-na Kim at 2007 Worlds).

The LP counts double (just like under 6.0), so you should get 70 in tech and 70 in PCSs for a total of 140 in the LP. (Mao Asada got 133.13 a 2007 Worlds, but she could have reached 140 with a completely clean program).

This gives a total of 210, which has never been achieved yet (but watch out for Mao next year!), for a monster score for ladies.

(Of your 70 tech points in the LP, two-thirds should be in jumps. So your LP should go, 47 points in jumps, 23 points in spins and step sequences, and 70 in PCSs. To get 70 in PCSs you need to average 8.75s accross the board in all five categories. At present, this is somewhat beyond the reach of the current generation of young ladies, whose tech is ahead of their presentation.)

For men, raise everything by 25 per cent.

So a gigantic score for a man would be 85 in the short, 175 in the long, for a total of 260. (Plushenko got 258.33 at Olys.)

Wow, thanks Mathman. At least now I know what kind of numbers are good or not Noiw I need such a scoresheet for pairs, and I have to understand Dance a little better before thinking of the scores

Kypma