Lack of audience in Espoo GP, in addition to high prices selling the rights to discovery is another reason

[TT_Fin]

It is strong topic, but it is just so. There are people, who did not even know about this. This is what STLL has answered at they Facebook to somebody
"It is a pity YLE did not advertice this event because it is the product of their rival". I am quite sure there would have been local people, who could afford to go, maybe had wanted to go to the event see it at place or part of it, but how can they go if they don't follow this forum, rivals of this forum or local fed's (STLL) home pages, instagram or facebook. I know there are people who think the fed's sites is made only for skaters. YLE is national TV channel, which is financed by taxes and anybody in Finland can watch it. FS is especially favourite of many older ladies, who don't want to order any extra channels. They just watch those which are free. Here is also a few other channels, which are free to watch and financed by ads. Maybe ISU got more money by selling rights to Viasport in Nordic countries, but they lost viewers, a lot of them.

Edit: if this topic is better to discuss somewhere else, please move I wasn't sure where was the right place to open this thread but I hope we can discuss about this issue.

Edit2: Not discovery, it was VIASPORT, would moderators please correct the topic because I cannot do it myself.

 

[purplecat]

That's a shame. Though the audience was small, I must say they were very enthusiastic and encouraging to all the skaters! In fact, all the audiences at the grand prix this year were pretty great!

 

[ladyjane]

I agree with @purplecat that all the audiences at the GP's seemed to be supportive not only of their own but all the skaters but it was a pity there were so few people here. Especially if it was just through a lack of promotion. And I'm not going to discuss the broadcasting issues and the money involved - not because I don't agree with @TT_Fin (I do) but I don't want to get angry before bed.

 

[TT_Fin]

The rights to Euros and worlds was sold for several years, but they came back to YLE after one season. I am quite sure the reason is disappointment by the unexpectedly low number of viewers. I have watched as many of you know the other GP competitions VIA VPN and it is also legal in Finland to use VPN watch this kind of broadcast.

But to back to this event: I tried to find out what there is in media about Espoo GP. Almost nothing. No articles about ID medals, no articles before the competition, no articles about Finland having GP competition. I don't know if local printed media in south Finland have had something, because I don't live in the area. So I dare to say that the media's low interest and lack of information is even more guilty than high prices. And the lack of interest is because main TV channel doesn't want to tell you see this competition from our rival's channel. Only thing media has really paid attention is Jenni's retirement and GP is mentioned is mentioned only slightly in that article. Not even in the evening posts anything. If there is nobody interested in FS they don't write articles about it and the other topics they write by following YLE.