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HELP, itv is KILLING Eurosport!

British Eurosport is the ‘Home of Cycling’, with extensive cycling coverage all year round. How could we promote the channel’s experience and knowledge to capture viewers for the biggest race in the world against stiff competition from ITV?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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42 comments

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bashthebox | 10 years ago
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It's interesting to note how much the pro riders hate all cycling commentary. I've seen a few tweeting their disdain for the giro coverage. The Secret Pro mentioned that he thought Harmon and Backstedt were too biased.

I'm not enjoying the Giro commentary much. Kelly is just so dull, Quigley irritating and seems to miss a lot of what's going on. Not entirely sure what the answer is though. Eurosport's got pretty tiny budgets, so it's not like they can spice things up by putting people in cars to mix it up a bit with the peloton or anything.
I'd love to see a bit more honesty and outspokenness though. With Kelly you're obviously not going to be able to talk about doping, same with fucking Phil and Paul on ITV.
It's really stupid that the only ex doper that gets talked about as an ex doper is Millar, and that's because he talks about it as much as possible. The exploits of Valverde, Contador, Basso etc etc all go off without comment. Scarponi, for example, cranking out that stunning ITT performance the other day - only on twitter did I see comment that he's not looked that good since he tested positive. I'm not suggesting that you have to assume every rider's doping, but performances ought to be put in the context of what's come before.

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andyp | 10 years ago
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'It's cheaper, easier and nicer to spend £50 on a satellite set and watch the free-to-air Eurosport Deutsch on your TV (while listening to the BBC radio commentary if you do not understand German).'

Not if you don't want a satellite set it isn't. Why on earth would I want a satellite dish on my house?

Look - you like using satellite, I like using my existing laptop/tablet/phone, which also have other uses. And we both get great cycling on Eurosport for a pittance. That's all there is to this, really. ITV isn't killing Eurosport, and won't unless it buys into the races which Eurosport covers.

Although, I do agree that race commentary should only ever be in the national tongue of the race. There is nothing like watching Il Giro with Italian commentary, or Le Tour on Radio Tour...  3

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Cycle_Jim | 10 years ago
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Just to note this is word for word from the YCN awards brief for British Eurosport.

Looks like some student is looking for tips for his/her project...

Not done the research like, poor show from a graphic designer!

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Stumps | 10 years ago
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Just out of interest where is David Harmon ???????

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Super Domestique replied to Stumps | 10 years ago
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stumps wrote:

Just out of interest where is David Harmon ???????

During the Tour of Turkey he said he'd be off till TdF from then on.

Time off for moving house IIRC.

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Simon_MacMichael | 10 years ago
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Learn Italian and listen to RAI commentary - fantastic insight  3

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andyp | 10 years ago
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'ITV isn't killing Eurosport.. ITV only shows a few races a year - and even then its only highlights.

Eurosport covers almost everything you could reasonably expect them to... and they show most stages live.'

This.

And £2.50 a month (ish) for Eurosport is nothing to pay for masses of cycling. No need for any of this satellite/cable nonsense.

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a.jumper replied to andyp | 10 years ago
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andyp wrote:

And £2.50 a month (ish) for Eurosport is nothing to pay for masses of cycling. No need for any of this satellite/cable nonsense.

I think it's £3/month now (minimum 12 months - £6/month otherwise) and what's nonsense is that that's only if you already spend hundreds keeping up with one of their blessed "supported" operating systems like Microsoft Windows or MacOS X. Want to watch it on an older device that you've not yet paid to upgrade, or even a current device that doesn't support silly silverlight? Eurosport goes all "computer says no" on you.

It's cheaper, easier and nicer to spend £50 on a satellite set and watch the free-to-air Eurosport Deutsch on your TV (while listening to the BBC radio commentary if you do not understand German).

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Leviathan | 10 years ago
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Why does Sean Kelly keep saying 'Pela-tone' is he plugging some kind of printer cartridges?

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Super Domestique | 10 years ago
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Glad I'm not the only one then!

My 2 main irritations are saying so called expert 'bike stuff' (for eg gear selection) but then the comments indicating he doesn't ride much, if at all.

But that takes second place to asking Sean a question but answering it before he has a chance too!

Come back David Harmon!

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Yeah that Quigley guy is doing my box in big time, I've taken to muting it and doing my own comms

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Super Domestique | 10 years ago
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Seeing as this thread is back I just thought I'd add that I
enjoy ES coverage usually, although Declan is making the Giro hard going for me!

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daddyELVIS | 11 years ago
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You can't beat a bit of Carlton Kirby on Eurosport - although you don't often hear him getting this excited:

http://youtu.be/sBduHpsyXcA

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The Rumpo Kid | 11 years ago
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You can get Eurosport with commentary in German for free with a LIDL satellite dish or similar. I only have "Restaurant German", and still prefer this to Phil and Paul the Ostrich Brothers.

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WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
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I agree with DrHeaton and Littlesox. I love to watch Eurosport and I appreciate their live coverage but Harmon and Kirby are very Smashie and Nicey and ITV 4 is where I go first if not able to watch it live - and if both have live I tend to switch back and forth.

Am I imagining or has anyone else ever noticed that Eurosport seems to retweak it's commentary for the evening repeat. Often the commentators 'predictions' during the evening showing seem to come true more often than not. 'It's a flat stage today in the Vuelta and I have a funny feeling Contador might spring a surprise eh Sean...' 'Indeedhemightasheislookingasifheisthinkingofmekingsumkibdofmovetobesure...zzzzzz".

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vinnn | 11 years ago
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Whilst Eurosport does good coverage of the grand tours and various other races the compulsory pay-for model of Eurosport lets it down for me and as ITV has been expanding their cycling coverage Ive been gladly watching that instead whatever the commentary.

Thing is if Eurosport expects viewers to pay to view, why so many bloody adverts? Theres far too many ad breaks and arguably if your paying to watch a channel there shouldn't be any ads at all.

Then there's the inaccessability of Eurosport. I can easily watch ITV live on my TV (Freeview), PS3 (PlayTV/Freeview), my XBMC media centre (TVCatchup addon) and when I'm not at home my Android phone and tablet (TVCatchup app) and my laptop (ITV.com & TVCatchup.com). If I miss a race I can watch it on demand on ITV player also on any of the above devices. Same goes for anything on BBC with the inclusion of the iPlayer service which is also available on all my above devices.

With Eurosport you need a £30 a month Sky subscription (which I'm never going to waste my money on) or a Eurosport Player subscription to stream online. I subscribed to the Eurosport Player for a couple of years and it is a painful experience.
They insist on distributing the stream via Microsoft Silverlight which is only intended for PCs running MS Windows operating systems (which I dont use) and even when running on Windows the player is unreliable and will just randomly freeze or stop working, the illegal Eurosport streams often available on the various sports streaming sites are more reliable.
On top of this if you want to take the Eurosport Player mobile your only choice is to have a crApple iOS device for which Eurosport want you to purchase a SECOND, SEPARATE Eurosport Player subscription.
Then if I want to watch a race on demand on Eurosport Player there's no commentary with the on demand feeds so you kind of have to guess who/what you're looking at half the time.

That's why Eurosport will always be the last choice for me as long as something better is available.

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big mick | 11 years ago
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 1 Just be thankful we get to see cycling on tv.It's only been that way since Eurosport.Before that if you did'nt like football cricket or such crap 1930's sport's? i think thats what they are known as though 22 men running after a ball is'nt sport to me.And cricket what's that about nothing seems to happen.I think in the war year's it was a way of killing time for free but a sport?Sorry for my rant but like i say be thankful.

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Rouleur90 | 11 years ago
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Thank you in taking part in this survey.

We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the survey for taking the time to respond. The customer survey is an essential part of our planning and strategy work, and enables us to improve your experience of TF1 Group channel's and gain your insight into how we can improve our services. We’ll publish the survey results later this year.

Kind regards.

Mr Sean Caldow
Market Research
TL Group

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giff77 replied to Rouleur90 | 11 years ago
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Rouleur90 wrote:

Thank you in taking part in this survey.

We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the survey for taking the time to respond. The customer survey is an essential part of our planning and strategy work, and enables us to improve your experience of TF1 Group channel's and gain your insight into how we can improve our services. We’ll publish the survey results later this year.

Kind regards.

Mr Sean Caldow
Market Research
TL Group

Maybe the TL Group will pay everyones subscriptions to SKY etc or at the least place Eurosport on freeview  19

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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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what an utterly pointless thread

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Well watch Eurosport then, not point in preaching here in repetitive posts  19

But Eurosport have waffle, many adverts that are repeated every single ad break. I know how to cook up sidi shoes.....  4

ITV interact just as much as Eurosport. But i'm saying no more as you are just bringing up things that have been brought up a number of times over the last two season's.

People watching and getting involved in cycling is all that matters. If ITV were to take on some woman's cycling, then everyone would be raving about them no matter on the content of their programs, but just for the sake of woman's cycling. Someone needs to take it on.

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Rouleur90 | 11 years ago
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Got to them up, I mean Eurosport there is less waffle, less adverts, the commentary is more entertaining, their's viewer interaction on twitter and not to mention Harmon knowledge of the sport and France.

ITV is repetitive, reserved, the commentators have limited knowledge, are over rated and constantly read chapters out of a French tourist book.

The commentators personality makes all the difference.

Liggett and Sherwen are good if you are a complete beginner, like having everything explained to you, then repeated continuously until you can recite after them.
it's regrettable the way they have dumbed down their commentary over the years. I can't help think that everything on their commentary is geared towards someone in the USA who maybe watching for the very first time.

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Al__S | 11 years ago
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I've never had Eurosport- as I've never had cable or sattelite. ITV4 being freely available on the most common TV reception platform in the UK (and all others as well) and having a website with free "catch up" service is really rather hard to beat for me.

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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So you start your life on the forum with ITV is killing Eurosport, then the only thing you have to say is they need to be known better and ITV are crap at coverage......

You might want to consider your title's a bit better.

Because all I see here is another ITV are crap posting and that people should watch Eurosport. Which I think you'll find here, most people do or via online stream's. Anything to avoid ITV.

But there are a few who like Phil and Paul.

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Littlesox replied to Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Quote:

But there are a few who like Phil and Paul.

Sorry, I must be the one.

I have watched every single stage of every TDF since Lemond beat Fignion by an 8 second margin accompanied by Phil Ligget's comentary and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's a bit like Peter O'Sullivan and the gee gees.

The voice is synonmous with the sport

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Rouleur90 | 11 years ago
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It's the like of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen that make ITV's coverage a labour. Sean Kelly and David Harmon are superior commentators in all aspects. People should fork out that little extra for far higher quality programme. ITV is a FTA channel and it shows it with lacklustre pundits.  7

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Gkam84 replied to Rouleur90 | 11 years ago
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Rouleur90 wrote:

People should fork out that little extra for far higher quality programme.

But its not a little extra if you are on freeview for instance. You then have to pay monthly to get Sky or Virgin just to have a TV full of repeats and shite apart from a few channels.

Whats the minimum for a Sky subscription with the package Eurosport is in? Around £30 a month?

Yes you can just pay for an online subscription, but that means you have to be at your device and connected to the internet when you want to watch it, not an option for some throughout the tour's.

This is where ITV comes into its own. Its aimed at those who cannot sit and watch during the day and are not going to pay out for something they may never use apart from a few times a year. ITV have it perfect with their highlights program for people, which is also available online for free if you miss it on the TV.

Their live coverage is shocking though

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big mick replied to Rouleur90 | 10 years ago
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Rouleur90 wrote:

It's the like of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen that make ITV's coverage a labour. Sean Kelly and David Harmon are superior commentators in all aspects. People should fork out that little extra for far higher quality programme. ITV is a FTA channel and it shows it with lacklustre pundits.  7

I agree

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a.jumper replied to big mick | 10 years ago
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andyp wrote:

Not if you don't want a satellite set it isn't. Why on earth would I want a satellite dish on my house?

It doesn't have to be on the house - it can go hide in the garden or on the garage roof if you prefer - and it opens up a continent of broadcasting to you. Much better than Eurosport Player, which is fairly expensive and apparently has been withdrawn from Google's App Store at the moment.

big mick wrote:
Rouleur90 wrote:

It's the like of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen that make ITV's coverage a labour. Sean Kelly and David Harmon are superior commentators in all aspects. People should fork out that little extra for far higher quality programme. ITV is a FTA channel and it shows it with lacklustre pundits.  7

I agree

I think you're both crazy. Gary Imlach, Ned Boulting and Matt Rendell are living gods... and Rob Hayles is fast approaching that status. Eurosport's Kirby, Kelly and Quigley bug the hell out of me. Even Harmon has his dark patches, but I wonder if he's just being dragged down by the company.

OK, ITV's commentators (Sherwen and Keenan especially) are a bit repetitive and blooper-prone, but the pundits more than make up for it.

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klrsa05 | 11 years ago
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Me thinks if Eurosport want to be the home of cycling they need to stop shifting the times they will show events from just because something else over runs, it's the biggest annoyance I have with them. You tune in to watch something then get half hour of tennis instead. At the very least have a red button channel so we can view the cycling while the tennis overruns or if they really are the home of cycling, Kick the tennis on to the red button channel and show our glorious sport in HD as it should be.

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