BT Sport drop their only football show worth watching

Wrongway1985

BT will axe the European football show after this seasons fixtures conclude.

Going back to when I first heard the news BT had received the rights to the CL, I thought with those lads in tow could make for a very interesting watch, so baffled I was when Gary Lineker and a truckload of ex pros showed up that most would see every other weekend on free TV. I'm even more baffled now, my views are summed up perfectly here...
http://www.football365.com/news/on-bt-sports-european-football-show-and-a-stupid-decision

ricero

Bring back fletch and sav ! Top bantz

Fr Tod Umptious

What's the reason ?

Cut backs ?

They paid a lot of money for EPL and UCL rights and have to recoup that money somewhere.

Dirty Dingus McGee

It's a really crap decision.The show was really good, funny and informative and you don't have the endless whining and analysing of referee's decisions that seems to make up majority of coverage these days.

Hopefully the champions league goals show stays but I'd imagine it'll be axed aswell.

Agent Coulson

Gary, Steven, Rio and Paul will give you a fun and insightful look at European football and Glen & Robbie will give us amazing commentary.



At least McManaman & Hargreaves have a decent understanding of football from around Europe.

Rekop dog

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

BT will axe the European football show after this seasons fixtures conclude.

Going back to when I first heard the news BT had received the rights to the CL, I thought with those lads in tow could make for a very interesting watch, so baffled I was when Gary Lineker and a truckload of ex pros showed up that most would see every other weekend on free TV. I'm even more baffled now, my views are summed up perfectly here...
http://www.football365.com/news/on-bt-sports-european-football-show-and-a-stupid-decision

That's a really poor article and very shortsighted. Saying the social media response was universally outraged is disingenuous. Perhaps his twitter following was outraged, he'll obviously follow fellow informed journalist and the like. But as so many people do these days, he's used his carefully selected niche group of followees as a sample for the wider public.

But this show was struggling badly for viewing figures and that's the bottom line. Even if you use boards soccer forum as an example, mundane premier league games get exponentially more attention than the best of games in other leagues. Love of good football is far down the list of what actually appeals to your average fan.

Yes this show had a cult following among those who genuinely love the game but those fans are unfortunately far more in the minority. In any case I found it a bit more restrictive/more rigid than the great podcasts you'll find its typical guests on.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Rekop dog wrote: »

That's a really poor article and very shortsighted. Saying the social media response was universally outraged is disingenuous. Perhaps his twitter following was outraged, he'll obviously follow fellow informed journalist and the like. But as so many people do these days, he's used his carefully selected niche group of followees as a sample for the wider public.

But this show was struggling badly for viewing figures and that's the bottom line. Even if you use boards soccer forum as an example, mundane premier league games get exponentially more attention than the best of games in other leagues. Love of good football is far down the list of what actually appeals to your average fan.

Yes this show had a cult following among those who genuinely love the game but those fans are unfortunately far more in the minority. In any case I found it a bit more restrictive/more rigid than the great podcasts you'll find its typical guests on.

Problem is that it was a good show but broadcasters don't actually care about quality these days which is a massive indictment of the entire television industry as clearly when BT are happy enough to keep on the likes of Robbie Savage but get rid of a studio show that is actually entertaining and informative then it just shows that the whole sports TV industry is simply a race to the bottom with no consideration for quality and just a case of getting whatever will get viewers regardless of how poor the programme might be.

BT had a big ad in the first couple of years about all the great studio shows they had and I think they're all gone.Clearly studio shows must not be cost effective as a concept.

Wrongway1985

Rekop dog wrote: »

That's a really poor article and very shortsighted.

Granted it isn't the best piece I linked it for the most part summed up some of my views (which would be worse written by me )

Rekop dog wrote: »

But this show was struggling badly for viewing figures and that's the bottom line. Even if you use boards soccer forum as an example, mundane premier league games get exponentially more attention than the best of games in other leagues. Love of good football is far down the list of what actually appeals to your average fan.

It must be the case it was struggling so, but what is a genuine success on there? Is their main objective PL/CL rights with familiar faces from other stations and persist with under par coverage especially in comparison to others, the bucks have been spent maintaining the exclusive access with very little thought put into much else.

Rekop dog

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Problem is that it was a good show but broadcasters don't actually care about quality these days which is a massive indictment of the entire television industry as clearly when BT are happy enough to keep on the likes of Robbie Savage but get rid of a studio show that is actually entertaining and informative then it just shows that the whole sports TV industry is simply a race to the bottom with no consideration for quality and just a case of getting whatever will get viewers regardless of how poor the programme might be.

.

But my point is what's entertaining and informative for you isn't for many others. I'd find the likes of Soccer Am, or that show Paul Merson hosts utter tripe but their numbers are huge.

Also, rightly or wrongly(wrongly obv) there's lots of fans who'd scoff at a journalist being an expert on a panel over an ex pro. Don't be fooled into thinking the informed circles you mix in is the norm because it's actually the opposite. Think how dumb the average fan you come across in a pub is, then consider half the fans are even more stupid than him.

Arghus

What's the alternative then? Just pander to the lowest common denominator then? It was a good show and it'll be missed.

Kerrydude1981

Bring back Eurogoals on Eurosport

Agent Coulson

Well since BT have the rights to Serie A they could always send Jimbo to Italy and have him do a show from coffee shops on a Sunday morning going through the back papers of the Sunday papers.

Kerrydude1981

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Well since BT have the rights to Serie A they could always send Jimbo to Italy and have him do a show from coffee shops on a Sunday morning going through the back papers of the Sunday papers.

Maybe call it Gazzetta Football Italia :D

Dirty Dingus McGee

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Maybe call it Gazzetta Football Italia :D

Bring back Peter Brackley to do commentary aswell.

Richard Hillman

Will this mean the goals show for Champions League night goes as well?

Kerrydude1981

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Bring back Peter Brackley to do commentary aswell.

Ya,he was class,

ERG89

Rekop dog wrote:

But this show was struggling badly for viewing figures and that's the bottom line.

Not being a smartass but where is there charts to reflect this?
Kinda interested to see the figures for BT Sports & the new series of TUF too.

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote:

Bring back Peter Brackley to do commentary aswell.

Bring back my childhood!
It's a pity James Richardson has had no luck on tv the last few years, he knows his stuff about even the smaller sides in Italy which is something rare now.
The writing was on the wall when they cut their time & the hour felt rushed.
I doubt it was expensive to make & was great advertisement to highlight the leagues they paid rights for.
It's such a shame as BT's coverage besides it is grim. Special shoutout to that show on after the Premier League games on Saturday evening.

After watching games today I really want to see 90 minutes of fence sitting or bias coverage analysing all of it.

Said absolutely nobody ever.

~Rebel~

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Will this mean the goals show for Champions League night goes as well?

Christ I hope not... best way to watch the group stages if your own team isn't playing.

ERG89

Last episode is a season review at 7 on Thursday on BT Sports 1. Weird they played a tribute video to the show & James Richardson on Sunday even though he wasn't there.

looie

He's in Botswana at the moment at the World's Strongest Man thing.