New Link: http://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2017/03/19/bwf-launches-new-event-structure BWF Launches New Event Structure The Badminton World Federation has unveiled a new tournament structure, with million-dollar prize money in its top four events. Featuring six levels, the series which starts next year and runs until 2021 will boast one event in Level 1 – the signature, season finale with US$1.5 million up for grabs. Level 2 will have three, million-dollar events to be held in China, England and Indonesia. Details of this exciting wind of change in badminton were announced following a BWF Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today at which tournaments were selected for Levels 2 to 5. Five events have been chosen in Level 3 (US$700,000 prize money); seven for Level 4 (US$350,000); and 11 for level 5 (US$150,000). Prize money will increase across the board for the last two years of the new cycle. BWF will separately be seeking a host for the prestigious end-of-season finale. China, Denmark, France, Japan and Malaysia will host Level 3 tournaments while Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will stage Level 4 events. Australia, Chinese Taipei, Germany, India, Korea, Macau, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and USA have been awarded Level 5 events. “Our tournaments have grown in stature and appeal significantly in recent years and, with each cycle, we evaluate progress and assess how we can improve our events,” said BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer. “We have determined the time is right for badminton to soar even higher and our key goals are to showcase our sport at a high level of presentation and competitiveness, to increase television coverage for the sport and to increase the star quality and popularity of the top players globally through increased television coverage.” The more-unified structure will strengthen brand awareness, thus helping to increase exposure and commercial revenues. This will make it possible to increase the quality of the events, provide more revenue to hosts and increase prize money for players. The tour will involve an estimated 37 events, including Level 6 which will be an open category, where BWF member associations can apply for sanction. While each level will be part of the new structure, all six will have distinct names to ensure differentiation among them; highlighting the top events, while maintaining a connection among all levels under the new structure’s umbrella brand, reflecting the success of the current BWF World Superseries,” added Høyer.
Hmmm, Since the prize money is higher, I would like to see more balanced prize money. Currently winner is 7.5% right and runners up 3.75%. I would rather see Winners earning 6%. Well, so that it more evens out for 32 Contestants per category.
In fact I have always thought that participants, ones who get into the first round, should get no money. It should be only for the podium finishers.
anyone out there want to create/propose a new prize money distribution table? it's something i thought about doing for a long time. if you want to try start with $1,000,000 and apply it to a draw of 64 ms & 32 in all other events, assuming you want qualifiers to get $ze.ro... you'll see quickly how far is does not go, heh heh. then apply the same table to gp gold & gp ($150,000 & $65,000). i think you'll end up asking yourself "who would want to work sooo hard for sooo little $...?" very few people, my son. very few people.
Murray is of the opinion that prize money is not enough distributed among tournament participants, and that the concentration of the money for the finalists kills tennis: only top 20 can live comfortably.
Should be the opposite of that I think. Here are Murray's statement: It will give the opportunity for player to exit early as a they get enough money.
What about this one: Andy Murray: rising prize money should trickle down to lower ranked players https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-money-futures-marcus-willis-wimbledon-tennis There Murray says that all the money is concentrated in the upper rank tournaments, which is detrimental to lower-level players who cannot get there easily. If you apply this reasoning to Badminton, where there are not so many tournaments, it means giving more found to lower tier tournaments, but also to early rounds of bigger ones. Players like the number ones of European teams, except Denmark and CM, cannot live on badminton, even if they rank in the top 50. In another interview, Murray was saying that out of the top 50, it is quite difficult for tennis players as well, if you consider travelling expense and the professionnalisation of tennis (all the staff is privately hired).
Tennis is in a different situation than Badminton. If we try to trickle down the prize money, there's a danger that becoming a top-tier player is no longer attractive. We already have so few "rich" players because there isn't enough money in the sport yet.
Badminton cant be compared to Tennis. Firstly, badminton is indoor tennis is outdoor. My opine is outdoor sports will always garner more money, Tennis Golf Football,etc even if i feel, playing badminton is just as tired as tennis or even more. Tennis has minutes break in between 2 game. But badminton is badminton. The increase of prize money is a step toward a better direction and its still an olympic sport. Players still get money from the sposorshis and they are paid salaries from their national associations (asia anyway). One of the reasons is because badminton is divided by 5 sectors. Where tennis is mostly only 2 sectors prized ( Doubles are not so involved in prize money)
For me, winner price spread should stay the same for now. What is needed is to increase the popularity such that lower tier tournaments get more exposure, such that the number of lower level tournament becomes large enough to support the income of many lower level player. I think bwf is heading to the right direction with the pyramid format for next year: 1 - 3 - 5 - 11 for SS final - SS (Elite, whatever name they will give) - SS - GPG, and also 10 GP. The price amount of each tourney shall keep increasing and the GP number should also increase (up to 15 maybe). Only from this 5 level pyramid (along with increase number of price and increase of private sponsor), at least player up till ranking 50 should live well with the price money and sponsorship. Then the number of international challenge and international series must be even higher than that, which is not happening now, but should be the goal to help spreading income for players.
Sorry, should be 1-3-5-7-11 for SS final, SS Elite (arbitraty name), SS Premier, SS, and GPG, with number of GP is 10
It had been already prepared for 11 hosts: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Germany, India, Korea, Macau, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and USA have been awarded Level 5 events.
at the 2018 u.s. open, $50.4 million will be awarded in total, making it the richest tournament in history. each singles champion will earn a record $3.7 million check. the runner-up will earn about half that amount: $1.83 million. the other men's and women's singles competitors will earn at next year's open: semifinal losers: $920,000 quarterfinal losers: $470,000 round of 16 losers: $253,625 round of 32 losers: $144,000 round of 64 losers: $86,000 round of 128 losers: $50,000 [this is tenniscentral dot com, right?]
That BWF revamp its tournament structure with prizes of all sort is good, but what about broadcasting? I think BWF should put its effort there. The tv is far from being good. The camera angles, the coverage, the meeting with press, everything is under par, amateur-like.
Partially agree. The 'fans service' is still very limited. Very small possibility of interactions between fans/players, not much posted news for international fans (only once per week or so) and looks more like news for badminton business-persion instead of for fans, and worst thing is inability for fans to watch great games from early matches (1st round) at SS level if there is interesting match-up. I can understand they are lack of commentator. Hope they really solve this issue soon. Second issue is also on budget for hawk-eye and recording set up. Just hope with the increase of sponsor level, budgeting will become less of an issue and more cameras and hawk-eye will be available at each SS for minimum of 2 courts (all QF games played with the presence of hawk eye)
It's good that Japan Open and Korea Open have enough break (6 weeks) after World Champions USA and Canada tournament just before MAS Level 2 Tournament It's seem all tournaments completely included now. Then we still need another decision regarding ranking points and the final name of those tournament. I hope BWF will announce it just in time.
