The Sport Thread

Sport Rights News

After Dave had their recent forays into Darts and Boxing they have secured rights to the 2016 Caribbean Twenty 20 Premier League Cricket. The tournament starts on June 29th and runs until August 7th. With most games taking place overnight, the channel has decided to full delayed coverage of the majority of matches from 1.00pm the following day, but five games will be broadcast live including the final.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3650935/Cricket-free-air-television-Dave-follows-tie-David-Haye-securing-Caribbean-Premier-League-rights.html

We sent Susan from HQ to buy a new printer. She came back with the CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE CRICKET! Nice one Susan. pic.twitter.com/3H2TrGNyaY

— Dave (@davechannel) June 20, 2016

I miss the days digital channels could pick up the odd UEFA Cup game or international qualifier.

Well Premier picked up a load of international friendly football just this summer.

As for Dave - kudos, but with their Freeview hours ending at 3:00am, they won't be able to show *much* overnight - unless you watch it delayed an hour later on Ja Vu.

The article says they're only showing 5 matches live with the rest shown later.

BBC have lost their pictures from Eastbourne tennis which they were showing on Red Button + / online.

Pictures back at 18:50 having missed almost five games.

They put the match on the extra red button feeds on Sky and Cable, but not on the extra streams on Freeview despite the streams being in place for Glastonbury this weekend.

That's right. Seems to be fairly restricted in what they can show of Eastbourne. They don't go on air until 1PM and then finish early online; the last two days there has been another match to play after they've gone off air.

BBC must be hoping that the Referendum Politics doesn't spill till Monday, BBC ONE has Euro 2016 whilst BBC TWO will be carrying Wimbledon. Will be very unpopular with linear viewers to have to move either off to Red Button(s) of whatever flavour, to accomodate political discussions on ONE or TWO and a Six News, rather than a delayed bulletin as currently planned.

ITV Sport have announced their plans for the 2016 Tour De France as usual Gary Imlach presents with Chris Boardman but this year for the first time the commentators are Ned Boulting & David Millar with Daniel Friebe reporting meaning an end for UK TV at least for the partnership of Phil Liggett & Paul Sherwen, when asked on twitter Phil Liggett confirmed it was ITV choice and he would still be commentating on the race.

You will find us on most English-speaking networks - NBCSN, SBS, Super sport, etc, but ITV have own plans.

— Phil Liggett (@PhilLiggett) June 23, 2016

Did ITV previously take the world feed commentary then or did Liggett & Sherwen commentate for ITV?

Originally they were the C4 commentary team which the US network covering the race at the time would take for recorded highlights (weeekends only I'd guess). I think over time other English language networks began to take their commentary - so it sort to became the world feed by default.

As the US began daily live during the Lance Armstrong years their commentary became increasingly focused around the US networks needs. (Originally on OLN, that became Verses, that became NBCSN.) For at least the past 10 - 15 years Phil Ligget will stop commentating for the world feed to talk the US in and out of ad breaks, read promotions / sponsorships etc. Meenwhile Paul Sherwen carries on for the world feed- during those times you could often hear Phil in the background.

The first hour or so of their commentary each day is exclusive to the US (they chat to the hosts etc) so other english language networks had to fill with their own presenters / commentators.

It would happen to ITV if they were doing longer than their usual couple of hours of live coverage- Gary Imlach and Chris Boardman would have to fill over the pictures until they could join Ligget and Sherwen. I'm not sure if it's that or some other reason that has lead ITV to go their own way. Phil Ligget was dismissive of the case against Lance Armstrong until just before the Oprah confession and even this year was making comments about his role into building him into a 'great' cyclist.

Ned Boulting has been an excellent reporter (after a shakey start he acknowledges in his very good book) so he'll be missed in that role. I've a lot of time for David Miller so hope he succeeds in the co-commentator role.

It's going to be very strange though for me as a viewer - I've watched le tour through good and (far too much) bad since 1993- every year (bar 2001 when there was no daily terrestrial coverage) with Phil and Paul commentating. May have to seek out some highlights of their commentary elsewhere, it won't seem like le tour without them.