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BBC Drops World Open

Postby Roland

In an attempt to keep World Snooker's BBC contract at four events a year, Hearn also converted the Grand Prix into a World Open last month but it is understood that the broadcaster will next season cover only the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship.

However, China, where snooker continues to go from strength to strength, has indicated its interest in staging the World Open, which through sheer financial clout may one day supersede the annual 17 days at the Crucible as the game's premier event. Zhang Xiaoning, the chairman of the China B&SA, was this month co-opted to the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the professional game's regulatory body. Thailand's Sindhu Pulsirivong, who is negotiating for a World Cup for two-man teams to be staged in his country, has meanwhile been appointed WPBSA president in recognition of his long service to the game.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/oc ... arry-hearn


Their loss. Hearn has created a great product with the World Open and hopefully it will go truely global and play in a different city each year. Stupid BBC :idea:

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Monique

Yes stupid but very bad news also. Not unexpected though.
Lets hope that another broadcaster steps forward. As you say Sonny it proved to be a great product.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

The BBC = :bird:

We changed it from The Grand Prix, which had finally found a niche and it's own identity, to a shitty best of five tournament just to please the BBC and they dropped it anyway. :wild2:

You can't help but feel this is another bolt in the coffin of this great sport of ours. :-(

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Roland

No, it's the left wing agenda of the BBC. Sod them, there's plenty of other sports channels. The BBC seem to think things like the Commonwealth Games are more important when in reality no one gives a rubbish about them. The main thing has always been keeping the big 3 going and keeping the formats of the big 3 going. That has to be the main focus.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:The BBC = :bird:

We changed it from The Grand Prix, which had finally found a niche and it's own identity, to a shitty best of five tournament just to please the BBC and they dropped it anyway. :wild2:

You can't help but feel this is another bolt in the coffin of this great sport of ours. :-(

I Disagree its the Start of a Brand new Era for Snooker.

there was a reason Barry Made it "World Open" by looking to the future i dont think this tournament should be a British Tournament i think it should go Round The World.

The BBC is not the Be all and End all of Snooker Broadcasting and i think its about time they find that out.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby gallantrabbit

This is Hearn's first real reverse. No doubt all the raggy papers will get hold of it and announce the death of our game <laugh>
It's a shame that the BBC can't see further than their nose, especially with a new product, but then stuffed shirts rule..

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

I take it I am the only one who thought that the World Open was less interesting then the Grand Prix was last year? <laugh>

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Roland

Yep. I love the World Open. The Grand Prix was :zzz:

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

Sonny wrote:Yep. I love the World Open. The Grand Prix was :zzz:


The matches were too short, in my eyes. Towards the end of the week, I'd stopped caring who'd win... I watched Stephen Hendry vs Ronnie O'Sullivan. Over a proper format, I'd have been psyched for that. I ended up half watching in the pub. The inclusion of amateurs was good for the grass roots of the game, but added nothing to the enjoyment of the event because none of them did anything.

I liked the Grand Prix by and large, though it didn't have it's own identity for many years. I thought the group phase thing was :zzz: But the random draw they invented was brilliant I thought. I think they should've had it right from the beginning. As soon as they'd got something interesting, they spoil it by making matches shorter.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Casey

This was always going to happen imo. I think Hearn knew this and set it up as the World Open to attract other broadcasters. ITV4 will be in the bidding I reckon <ok>

I hope so because I think the Welsh Open is in trouble meaning we could end up with only 3 events in the UK :?

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Wildey

The Grand Prix lost it way back in the day at the Hexagon it was fantastic and exciting Dennis Taylor the First Winner.

First Ranking Title for Hendry,Higgins and Ebdon once they started Switching around with the Tournament going from Venue to Venue then Format changes every year it seemed to try and give it the Wow Factor.

it had to change and i dont think the World Open playing every year in the same venue or Country would be Enough of a Change for it so im not at all disappointed in the BBC Cutting Back lets face it the whole country going through Cut Backs so what better time to Axe it and we can point at Government Cuts for it and Not a reflection of the Sport.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

wildJONESEYE wrote:The Grand Prix lost it way back in the day at the Hexagon it was fantastic and exciting Dennis Taylor the First Winner.

First Ranking Title for Hendry,Higgins and Ebdon once they started Switching around with the Tournament going from Venue to Venue then Format changes every year it seemed to try and give it the Wow Factor.

it had to change and i dont think the World Open playing every year in the same venue or Country would be Enough of a Change for it so im not at all disappointed in the BBC Cutting Back lets face it the whole country going through Cut Backs so what better time to Axe it and we can point at Government Cuts for it and Not a reflection of the Sport.


Well, that's good news. I expect they'll be dropping football coverage from our screens any time soon. :john:

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

case_master wrote:This was always going to happen imo. I think Hearn knew this and set it up as the World Open to attract other broadcasters. ITV4 will be in the bidding I reckon <ok>

I hope so because I think the Welsh Open is in trouble meaning we could end up with only 3 events in the UK :?


That's a shame. I've had a whole new appreciation for the Welsh Open since visiting it a couple of seasons back. Newport is a dump, and I think that having lived in Croydon. But I really enjoyed my time in the Newport Centre. More so then I did in Wembley in fact, and I was alone when I went to Newport.

The roll on roll off, best of nine format works so well. You can watch whatever matches you want, without worrying about finishing sessions the next day's viewing. I'd the Welsh Open I visited was my second favourite tournament that year, after The Crucible.

I'd hate to see it go. :-(

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:The Grand Prix lost it way back in the day at the Hexagon it was fantastic and exciting Dennis Taylor the First Winner.

First Ranking Title for Hendry,Higgins and Ebdon once they started Switching around with the Tournament going from Venue to Venue then Format changes every year it seemed to try and give it the Wow Factor.

it had to change and i dont think the World Open playing every year in the same venue or Country would be Enough of a Change for it so im not at all disappointed in the BBC Cutting Back lets face it the whole country going through Cut Backs so what better time to Axe it and we can point at Government Cuts for it and Not a reflection of the Sport.


Well, that's good news. I expect they'll be dropping football coverage from our screens any time soon. :john:

they Have

When was the last Live Match the BBC Showed that wasent at the World Cup ?

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

wildJONESEYE wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:The Grand Prix lost it way back in the day at the Hexagon it was fantastic and exciting Dennis Taylor the First Winner.

First Ranking Title for Hendry,Higgins and Ebdon once they started Switching around with the Tournament going from Venue to Venue then Format changes every year it seemed to try and give it the Wow Factor.

it had to change and i dont think the World Open playing every year in the same venue or Country would be Enough of a Change for it so im not at all disappointed in the BBC Cutting Back lets face it the whole country going through Cut Backs so what better time to Axe it and we can point at Government Cuts for it and Not a reflection of the Sport.


Well, that's good news. I expect they'll be dropping football coverage from our screens any time soon. :john:

they Have

When was the last Live Match the BBC Showed that wasent at the World Cup ?


They've managed to skank some of the Championship games off of Sky. My team West Brom played Newcastles, Bristol City and Middlesborough live on BBC last season. Now we're in the Premier League though, we belong to Sky or ESPN.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Alex0paul

wildJONESEYE wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:The Grand Prix lost it way back in the day at the Hexagon it was fantastic and exciting Dennis Taylor the First Winner.

First Ranking Title for Hendry,Higgins and Ebdon once they started Switching around with the Tournament going from Venue to Venue then Format changes every year it seemed to try and give it the Wow Factor.

it had to change and i dont think the World Open playing every year in the same venue or Country would be Enough of a Change for it so im not at all disappointed in the BBC Cutting Back lets face it the whole country going through Cut Backs so what better time to Axe it and we can point at Government Cuts for it and Not a reflection of the Sport.


Well, that's good news. I expect they'll be dropping football coverage from our screens any time soon. :john:

they Have

When was the last Live Match the BBC Showed that wasent at the World Cup ?


They are showing one tomorrow

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

Alex0paul WC wrote:They are showing one tomorrow


He said when was the last time, not the next time. <laugh>

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

The decision was probably made ages ago and I'm certain that Hearn knew it. He was smart enough to use it's final year to create a new format and be able to show it off so that other broadcasters can see what it would be like. This tournament has the potential to be huge in China in a way it wouldn't be in the UK which already has major tournaments.

I think people are too harsh on the BBC. No matter what they do they will be critised by someone. Three tournaments is still plenty. It's time to start looking at ITV like Hearn did with Darts.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Wildey

apart from wimbledon snooker will still have more terestrial coverage next season than any other sport that was the point i was leading up to.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Wildey

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:The decision was probably made ages ago and I'm certain that Hearn knew it. He was smart enough to use it's final year to create a new format and be able to show it off so that other broadcasters can see what it would be like. This tournament has the potential to be huge in China in a way it wouldn't be in the UK which already has major tournaments.

I think people are too harsh on the BBC. No matter what they do they will be critised by someone. Three tournaments is still plenty. It's time to start looking at ITV like Hearn did with Darts.

spot on <ok>

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby sundaygirl

I agree with case and Krazee the changes made to the Grand Prix including the name change have made it much more commercial. The one table set up will appeal to smaller broadcasters.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

Seriously, am I really the only one who didn't think that the World Open was as exciting as they made it was? I can't believe we're talking about it's amazing brand identity, when all they did was shorten the matches.

It was like they lengthened the World Series for a week. It was alright for a few days, but then the interest fizzled out a bit. I can't be the only one who feels like that? :huh:

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

sundaygirl wrote:I agree with case and Krazee the changes made to the Grand Prix including the name change have made it much more commercial. The one table set up will appeal to smaller broadcasters.


I must confess that's the redeeming feature. A lot of broadcasters wouldn't like the idea of having to cover two, three or four matches at one time. When you only have one, it's an easier sell.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Smart

SnookerFan wrote:I take it I am the only one who thought that the World Open was less interesting then the Grand Prix was last year? <laugh>


BREAKING NEWS:

I'm with you S/fan - WO was not an improvement/enhancement - it did not AMELIORATE the snooker scene. The music was tacky, the matches were too short, the venue was woeful, the idea was rubbish. Lets leave it there, BBC do need to concentrate on proper snooker, not spin off cack. <ok>

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

StalinESQ wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:I take it I am the only one who thought that the World Open was less interesting then the Grand Prix was last year? <laugh>


BREAKING NEWS:

I'm with you S/fan - WO was not an improvement/enhancement - it did not AMELIORATE the snooker scene. The music was tacky, the matches were too short, the venue was woeful, the idea was rubbish. Lets leave it there, BBC do need to concentrate on proper snooker, not spin off cack. <ok>


Good man. It's good to hear somebody talking some sense.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby Caledonian Craig

I wouldn't be too harsh on the BBC. After all they do offer us the most snooker coverage of any other channel. If you want to berate a channel why not try ITV/Channel 4 or Channel 5 or Sky as they show nowhere near as much coverage as the BBC.

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby randam05

Well like ive said about 100million times before the tournament, A NEW PRODUCT DOESNT GAIN ANY NEW CUSTOMERS WITHOUT PROMOTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was there any promotion NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

randam05 wrote:Well like ive said about 100million times before the tournament, A NEW PRODUCT DOESNT GAIN ANY NEW CUSTOMERS WITHOUT PROMOTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was there any promotion NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


I've said that a million times myself. It was even more frustrating on break-off. You'd say 'promotion needs to be done on the product' and people would be like :no: "We need more shot clock snooker." <doh>

Re: BBC Drops World Open

Postby SnookerFan

randam05 wrote:Well like ive said about 100million times before the tournament, A NEW PRODUCT DOESNT GAIN ANY NEW CUSTOMERS WITHOUT PROMOTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was there any promotion NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


To be fair though, there seemed to be more for this tournament then previously. They implemented some pricing policies on the tickets, and drove the World Open lorry around Glasgow.

It was a good start, but the BBC needed to promote it better as well. Outside of Glasgow, there was bugger all promotion. Getting people through the doors is important, but so is getting people to watch it on TV. Who is going to sponsor a snooker event if there are only 6 people tuned into the channel when the snooker is on?
Last edited by SnookerFan on 05 Jan 2011, edited 1 time in total.


   

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