After endless hours of weightlifting, darts and lumbergames it will finally happen. Eurosport will show badminton. I think the schedulle is as follows: WEN, 3. 12: 15.15 - 18.30 (live) THU, 4. 12: 15.30 - 18.00 (live) FRI, 5. 12: 8.30 - 9.30; 13.45 - 15.00 (live); 16.30 - 17.45 (live) SUN, 7. 12: 16.45 - 17.45 (live)
That's roughly about 11 hours of badminton for European viewers! A milestone, I'd say! OK, having looked at the lineup it's not going to be top class stuff... Yet, from a European perspective it should be well worth watching. A pity that none of the best Danes are competing! It's indeed an odd choice of tournament to broadcast, but I guess it's too expensive to cover an IBF tournament. On the other hand, Eurosport could well decide to scrap it at the last minute and air something more important, like ladie's weight lifting qualifications or a boot throwing contest or similar...
Yes, I can't figure it out why they didn't choose a better tournament. It probably has to do something with sponsors I guess. Where did you find out about the linup? I can't find it anywhere on the web page www.bitburger-open.de . Nice thing for ppl outside the Europe is that there will be live video stream. BTW, I don't have anything against weightlifting, but I think it doesn't have a big value for TV viewers. It's not a sport for TV.
best thing to do is to email them and ask them about their choice of tournament chances are there wont be many people watching it, and eurosport might just decide that its a dead sport
That would sound too negative on behalf of the consumer. Why that tournament? well sir it's the only one that fits into our schedule! As soon as the question has been looked at we seem ungratefull and there will be no more badminton except some majors on Sky sports.
I just think that we should email them and thank them anyways, no matter what star the tournment is, atleast they took the initiative! That way, i am sure they will provide us with some good level tournments in the future...
If I remember correctly, the TV rights to many of the Opens were sold to a company. So perhaps this is the only European tournment that doesn't come under those exclusive rights??
Yes, that's what I think too. They're prepared to broadcast badminton, but they're not prepared to pay much for it! Isn't it NBC, by the way, that sells the broadcasting rights for IBF tournaments? (And they charge copiously too!) I remember a discussion about this a couple of years ago, how weird it is that a US company sits on viewing rights for a sport that nobody in the US is interested in.
i think that was only the Olympics. i remember NBC was chasing after web-broadcasters from other countries stopping them from broadcasting any Olympics clips as they own the copyright. but at least they are doing good stuff now.
In any case, I've just sent an email to comheadoffice@eurosport.co.uk just to let them know that somebody out there actually cares that they're finally viewing SOMETHING worth watching! I urge all of you to do the same.
