Greavsie
Striker
Well them twats will measure success on ££££££££££
If it increases young uns playing cricket, then thats great for me
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The Hundred - Your Prediction
- Thread starter NorthCountryBoy
- Start date
Well them twats will measure success on ££££££££££
If it increases young uns playing cricket, then thats great for me
Aye, glad we’re on the same page there.
The wider point though is that they can do things to improve grass roots cricket without killing county cricket.
Bri
Striker
I'm not sure if the "free to air" thing is quite the panacea we assume.
Times change. The BBC was a great and 'the' broadcaster and cricket had a wide audience even when the games only had a few cameras (I can remember when ther was only a camera at one end and another at square leg)
These days the BBC/ITV are far less popular and less watched. I pretty much never watch the BBC or ITV, instead I watch YouTube, Netflix and so on.
Even in the recent past I never knew cricket highlight used to be on Channel 5, it's a channel I never considered watching.
In short the TV market is far more fragmented than it was.
If (for example) the TV strategy was simply to broadcast on youtube rather than the BBC the games would potentially be able to be seen by just as many people. The big question would be how to promote and advertise the games were there, the same question exists if they're shown on the BBC.
Times change. The BBC was a great and 'the' broadcaster and cricket had a wide audience even when the games only had a few cameras (I can remember when ther was only a camera at one end and another at square leg)
These days the BBC/ITV are far less popular and less watched. I pretty much never watch the BBC or ITV, instead I watch YouTube, Netflix and so on.
Even in the recent past I never knew cricket highlight used to be on Channel 5, it's a channel I never considered watching.
In short the TV market is far more fragmented than it was.
If (for example) the TV strategy was simply to broadcast on youtube rather than the BBC the games would potentially be able to be seen by just as many people. The big question would be how to promote and advertise the games were there, the same question exists if they're shown on the BBC.
ITV Sport bought 5 years of EFL TV Rights
Voice of fair play
Striker
People are so missing the bigger picture!
Of course we all hate the American football names and all the bullshit that goes with it.
But something needs to change to get people back into the games, it amazes me that the people on here who clearly love cricket can see without change, the game is going backwards.
If they honestly think putting 4 day championship games as a selling point for new fans is going to work they living in cloud cuckoo land!
Bri
Striker
As has been pointed out numerous times … The Blast is succeeding and at a lot of Counties tremendously so. Attendances are even improving at Counties other than Surrey and Somerset. At Essex I understand it can be difficult to get a ticket.
Clearly competitions take time to establish themselves and to grow a wide fan base. The Blast is getting there, or was.
The curse of cricket is the constant change from the top. We'll never now know how big the Blast could be.
The Hundred had better succeed because the ECB have blown their wad on it.
Voice of fair play
Striker
So the blast is succeeding, interesting that considering traditional fans disliking it at the beginning and calling it not proper cricket and hit and giggle for years!
If there was no change from the top, there would not even be a blast!!
Surprising what a new more exciting format of the game can achieve?
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Ok, well I've put on this thread that junior participation and awareness of players will be higher 5 years from now.
You don't think so.
We'll see.
Where did I say I don’t think so?
With regards to we’ll see, I’d argue that an upturn in participation will have far more to do with the All Stars cricket initiative than any Hundred related boost.
Struts
Winger
The demise of local clubs will continue when the ECB burn £100,000,000 on their vanity project that could've been used for them.
Bri
Striker
Didn't say I liked it but I do recognise that it is succeeding in it's own terms … and from an administrators point of view it's bringing in cash, what's not to like with that.
But my point is … it's taken years to get where it is, growing bigger as time passes, but the urge to change demands the old is swept away for the new. No doubt the new will take years to get settled in and maybe it too will be swept away before long.
I think the The Hundred will diminish the The Blast. Worst case scenario: The Blast and County Cricket diminishes because The Hundred takes attention away from them …. and The Hundred also fails!
The Blast could probably do exactly what the ECB wants of a cricket tournament (attract fans and generate cash) and it also supports County Cricket in a way that The Hundred won't.
How many people turn on the BBC of a night and watch whatever is on.
How many people have a smart TV even with a £30 ROKU or NowTV stick? (in which case YouTube free to air is available)
TV habits have changed and won't change back but The Hundred has been designed to keep the BBC happy.
GordonMuchallNo1Fan
Striker
Ha ha. It's absolutely hideous and funny this.
Voice of fair play
Striker
The point been cricket needs to evolve to attract a newer audience before participation deceases even further.
The blast would not have even been in place if some traditional fans had their way and now as you correctly say it is now very popular.
The hundred may not be a success but trying something new and putting on the BBC is certainly worth a go.
I myself am not a fan of this new concept, but it amazes me how many people want it to fail before even a ball is bowled!
It’s ironic as of all of sudden those criticising T20 for number of years and now singing the praises of it.
Maybe some people just don’t like change, it’s not long ago people on here were twisting that the blast was taking up too much peak summer time away from the county championship.
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Bri
Striker
re a) True, but it is in place and that is now the status quo. It's getting the fans through the door, not me perhaps, or not often anyway but many. And the Blast could go 'free to air', just not on traditional BBC.
re: b) is it worth a go? There are examples of sports Government bodies seeing prestige tournaments whither because they didn't look after them. In cricket the one day competition. In football, the FA Cup and The League Cup are nearly invisible while all the action has moved to the European League/Cup thingie and the competition in the Premier League is in reality limited to the same old same old 'glamour' clubs. All because the Governing bodies chase money at the expense of the sport. If The Hundred fails the ECB itself may well need a bail out even while Graves and Harrison have moved onto better things.
c) Well yea, I do resist naturally change especially when it's something I like that's changing. On the other hand, my initial argument was that broadcast TV itself has changed. People naturally think back to Richie Benaud on the BBC and also how the 2005 Ashes were such a big thing, partly because of the BBC. As it happens 2005 was the year when YouTube was launched. Netflix launched in 2012. The Hundred may fail because the model is harking back to a past that cannot be recreated. And the ECB have gone all in on it.
I am in two minds about whether I want it to fail or not. If it succeeds will it damage County Cricket, don't know but it's possible. If it fails will it damage County Cricket, don't know but it's possible. Either way the ECB have made a big bet.
A well considered argument. The thing I'd debate is the BBC aspect; do you think last year's football WC would have got anywhere near the same momentum had it been on Sky? It wouldn't have even got it had it been on a less visible freeview channel like ITV4.
I'd also say that the Blast crowds aren't fantastic at the lower level. E.g. Durham and Derby.
Voice of fair play
Striker
Although I very much see your points and you have put them all across well imo.
Why are we making assumptions and looking at what happens if it fails, why don’t we look at the positives and what happens if it is a success!
Why are we not keeping a open mind and actually waiting to see how it takes off rather than people immediately criticising it before it’s even started.
Bri
Striker
The choice of broadcaster isn't BBC or Sky though. The BBC are promoted because they are the traditional broadcaster and we all have great memories of their work (in the past) and because it's deemed free and access to it is widespread. YouTube can do 2 of those 3 without changing the game and arguably in the process making it more complicated.
You're right, crowds at Durham and Derby etc. aren't great but after many years of work they are increasing as I understand it. Under The Hundred, of course, crowds with go down to zero because there will be no partipation.
Just pointing out it's a gamble and in taking that gamble the ECB are not just wagering it's cash stockpile but also the health of existing competitions. *gulp* hope it works!
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Bri
Striker
I really don't know, apart from 1. it will be hailed a success … and.... 2. it will take several years before it actually is a success.
Try as I might I can't see it improving on The Blast especially if it had been given the same promotional effort they would give The Hundred.
Could be very wrong.
