Pool is streaming more than when it was on cable

justnum

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
When pool was on cable it was highly edited.

Now that pool is streaming, more matches are streaming, more billiard halls are streaming, and more names from the competitive billiards community is known.

If you are measuring pools growth based on old metrics it seems to be on the demise, especially in print and cable.

The pool community is easier than ever to access.

Now that the pool on media is decentralized, there are lots of sources more than ever before.

Pool has been on the rise. Its has a mainstream presence, not a large one, but it is there.
 
skip100

skip100

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"more names from the competitive billiards community is known"

You make some good points about the availability of pool content but this is obviously wrong. Professional pool players not named the Black Widow or the Striking Viking have zero visibility or name recognition if you move beyond hardcore pool fans.
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
skip100 said:
"more names from the competitive billiards community is known"

You make some good points about the availability of pool content but this is obviously wrong. Professional pool players not named the Black Widow or the Striking Viking have zero visibility or name recognition if you move beyond hardcore pool fans.
Click to expand...

This is very true.

Shane Van Boening has won the US Open 5 times, and has won so many other major Championships, but the average Joe on the street would not know who he is. They would not recognize him if he passed them on the street, not would they who who you are talking about, if you mentioned his name.

The average Joe in the Philippines will know who Efren Reyes is though.
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
justnum said:
When pool was on cable it was highly edited.

Now that pool is streaming, more matches are streaming, more billiard halls are streaming, and more names from the competitive billiards community is known.

If you are measuring pools growth based on old metrics it seems to be on the demise, especially in print and cable.

The pool community is easier than ever to access.

Now that the pool on media is decentralized, there are lots of sources more than ever before.

Pool has been on the rise. Its has a mainstream presence, not a large one, but it is there.
Click to expand...

I bet that only fans of pool tune into ESPN on rare occasions that they are showing a match.

I remember back in the 90's, as a kid, I loved watching the Pro's on TV. It always was a treat, because even then, it seemed to be so rare for me to catch ESPN showing a pro pool match.
 
S

SokMonkee

Registered
I've been watching random tournaments on youtube since all my local pool rooms are still closed. Ive learned lots of new names. Your right I didn't follow pool back in the day and I still knew names like the Black Widow or the Striking Viking. Those are like stage names though! I wonder if we need more of that players like The Undertaker, The Bushwaker Lol.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tv and internet streaming are very different propositions.

Tv is highly produced and needs station/ network support, while streaming needs neither.

The product that makes it to air on tv is way more polished than what is streamed.

It is a simple matter of technology trickle down.
 
Scratch85

Scratch85

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Nothing new

skip100 said:
"more names from the competitive billiards community is known"

You make some good points about the availability of pool content but this is obviously wrong. Professional pool players not named the Black Widow or the Striking Viking have zero visibility or name recognition if you move beyond hardcore pool fans.
Click to expand...

Professional pool players not being known, outside of the hardcore pool fans, is nothing new. Willie and Fats both made appearances on "What's my line?" and I think Willie was on "To tell the truth". Arguably the two most recognized names in pool ever and mainstream media didn't know who the were.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top