With ITV losing the rights to 'The Premiership', where do people think ITV should look to secure sports right in the future?
As of May, ITV will hold the rights to Nationwide League football highlights, the UEFA Champions League, Formula 1, and the World Rally Championship.
Personally, I'd like to see ITV resurrect 'The Big Fight- Live' on Saturday nights, which regularly used to get 10 million + viewers in the 1990s, and would be attractive to ABC1 advertisers. ITV tried a boxing comeback in the late 1990s which amounted to a couple of Shea Neary fights but it never really gained momentum.
Well I dont think its THAT a big deal that ITV1 have lost The Premiership highlights program!
All it means to the viewer is that ITV1 will not be showing 90 mins of footie from22:30 on a Saturday night and a 60 minute repeat on Sunday morning from 9:25. There might also be a 60 minute program missing from the Monday night schedule aswell!
Therefore ITV Sport as a whole will lose two programs a week totally 150 mins a week whilst the footie is played! This isnt the devastation some people will like you to think it is! More could easily be made of the Nationwide rights ITV own and it may even be possible for HORSE RACING to change to ITV if C4 and BBC are being awkward about rights and payments!
PS i quite like the idea of Bravo (i think) showing Fash FC's football matches live when they are played - maybe ITV should be promoting grass roots level football - should be cheap to make but still gives the viewer some footie if they want to watch it!?
I am glad ITV are not showing the Premiership from next season, as it takes up at least one third of ITV's budget and so little airtime and that means that some programmes suffer. So this should hopefully mean that more money is freed up for exsisting programmes and new ones too, as ITV was decent before they got Premiership highlights but then they started to go down the pan slightly and this could mean that they are starting to come back. Though I don't mind them showing the Champions League as their coverage is very good and it does pull in a good audience for the channel. Though they should get some new sport, like the WRC.
I am glad ITV are not showing the Premiership from next season, as it takes up at least one third of ITV's budget and so little airtime and that means that some programmes suffer.
If you read Nick Higham's media comment article this week, the figure is actually 10% of ITV's budget. He was saying how ITV would be looking forward to it finishing because although it's 10% of the budget, it only accounted for 1% of their audience!
I think ITV will be glad to have rid of it as it will put a bit more flexibility back into the Saturday night schedule, especially in view of the expense in securing the rights and the low return in viewing figures.
Whilst I appreciate that many have better things to do than watch telly on a Saturday night, ITV used to put out some decent movies on a Saturday. With the weekday schedule fairly regimented now with the 10.30 bulletin there are few other places for uninterrupted movies. They could do worse than put out some movie premieres in this slot.
As part of the ITVplc launch last week didn't Charles Allen say that ITV would be going for the 8 live premiership matches next season as part of the deal forced upon the premiership by European Parliament. If they succeed rhen their will still be top class national football on ITV. Hopefully with the gorfeous Gabby Logan
I've just enjoyed a great day's 6 Nations Rugby and I'm wondering whether ITV will put in a serious bid for major rugby competitions as and when rights become avaliable, as currently they're not due to show any rugby until 2007. Remember rugby is very attractive to ABC1 advertisers.
Have the rights for next year's Lions tour been awarded yet?