I would agree with this if it weren't for the fact that people watch poker. On TV. Apparently every night. Because every night I channel surf and every night five dudes in hoodies and sunglasses are on my TV staring.
Article on "What's holding pool back"
- Thread starter Keith Jawahir
- Start date
I would agree with this if it weren't for the fact that people watch poker. On TV. Apparently every night. Because every night I channel surf and every night five dudes in hoodies and sunglasses are on my TV staring.
This is one of the reasons why poker is exciting to watch... Don't skip through, it's only about 2 minutes. Check out the percentages, Gill is 93% predicted to win vs 7% for Paredes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUCK7cYE_VM
This kind of thing happens a lot and it's exciting to watch; it's suspenseful.
I have to agree with the point about PPV. I understand it may be a necessity to cover the costs of transportation, the equipment and so forth however it also puts pool behind a pay wall. I was bored one evening and tallied up the potential cost of watching every event I would have been interested in last year, it came to roughly $900 CAD.
There are of course plenty of archived matches to watch on YouTube, but I expect it's primarily the existing hardcore fans that consume those matches.
The primary benefit of a ESPN broadcast (even if it's a filler) is the ability for a person to happen across a match by accident and the viewer doesn't necessarily know that match was recorded 1-4 years ago.
There are of course plenty of archived matches to watch on YouTube, but I expect it's primarily the existing hardcore fans that consume those matches.
The primary benefit of a ESPN broadcast (even if it's a filler) is the ability for a person to happen across a match by accident and the viewer doesn't necessarily know that match was recorded 1-4 years ago.
To me the amount of tournaments can negatively effect the viewing numbers. Take curling like someone said or the other number of Olympic sports u watch because they're only on once every four years generate interest because world class competition is seldom therefore sought after to the fullest by competitiors which naturally creates an unbelievable amount of competition which is easy to watch regardless of the avlctivity. For example I don't love watching many sports but when the Stanley cup playoffs are on I'll watch or the mlb playoffs because u get to see them under huge pressure and the outcome will effect them directly especially if they lose because their season is over n they have to start all over next year and practice to get back. Also idk any individual competitors I. The olympics but I can route for US being from America.
With pool there's a different tournament each week and the level of pressure doesn't change and stakes are directly tied to money there's no playoffs and there's multiple world championships or titles. I believe that all waters down viewing numbers. I'd like to see an Olympic type tournament or league that finishes with the proven winners of each state then region then country playing to be the undisputed champion of the world. Sometimes the game itself isn't what people are watching it's the way the athlete will react to the situation.
I'm not saying I don't like watching ppv matches on weekends I'm free because I absolutely do. However, I'm a pool junky and the majority of people enjoy pool way less than me. I do believe pool,or anything, has the ability to reach viewers not involved directly if there's an atmosphere of world class competition and high stakes pressure at the same time and an ability to route for someone which goes back to a playoff or series of tournaments that end with one major world event with representatives from each country.
With pool there's a different tournament each week and the level of pressure doesn't change and stakes are directly tied to money there's no playoffs and there's multiple world championships or titles. I believe that all waters down viewing numbers. I'd like to see an Olympic type tournament or league that finishes with the proven winners of each state then region then country playing to be the undisputed champion of the world. Sometimes the game itself isn't what people are watching it's the way the athlete will react to the situation.
I'm not saying I don't like watching ppv matches on weekends I'm free because I absolutely do. However, I'm a pool junky and the majority of people enjoy pool way less than me. I do believe pool,or anything, has the ability to reach viewers not involved directly if there's an atmosphere of world class competition and high stakes pressure at the same time and an ability to route for someone which goes back to a playoff or series of tournaments that end with one major world event with representatives from each country.
The WPA championships sort of provide this. (The World 9-ball Championships will be in Doha at the end of July.) Of course the US doesn't have that kind of lower-level organization, but many countries participate.
I surely do not have the answers, but I do have a few observations. Where to start? How about poker?. Yes even though I love playing poker, it can be extremely boring to watch. Why DO people watch it - it's the huge sums of money that they are playing for and gives folks something to dream about for a short bit. Hockey? I can't stand it personally but the possibility of watching a fight is intriguing. Nascar? Well I do love me some racing but even I can admit watching cars drive in a circle for hours on end can get mind-numbingly boring. But a huge 20 car pile up at 200 MPH then you got something. Football, boxing, MMA well they are self explanatory. Curling, well I'm not really sure who or why anyone watches that lol.
So now pool : I have a few opinions on watching it. All of us hard core pool people can certainly appreciate watching a skillful, brilliant, almost impossible run out but how far does that go? Not that far especially for the average viewer. How to make it more interesting ? Well for one if they were to be playing for huge amounts of money like in televised poker - average person could dream and think, man that could be me - I play that same game down at my local watering hole. Also, if the players were to have some personalities like Earl ( without the nastiness and not to that extreme maybe ) then that would be much more fun to watch. Think of the flair all of the other sports personalities we see from the players in Football with the touchdown dance, the dropping of the bat with a homerun, the drama of sinking a last second 3 point game winning basket, you get the point. How bout if Vince or our own " Grady Seasons " were real people and that could be captured on camera?
It's been said many times on here and unfortunately it's true, the pool players we get to see nowadays are almost always complete " robots ". We all can appreciate the skill but how much fun is that after awhile and more importantly to the general public? I think the OP has it pretty much completely right with everything he wrote. It's nothing new, nothing we all didn't already know but he put it all together in a clear and concise manner.
So now pool : I have a few opinions on watching it. All of us hard core pool people can certainly appreciate watching a skillful, brilliant, almost impossible run out but how far does that go? Not that far especially for the average viewer. How to make it more interesting ? Well for one if they were to be playing for huge amounts of money like in televised poker - average person could dream and think, man that could be me - I play that same game down at my local watering hole. Also, if the players were to have some personalities like Earl ( without the nastiness and not to that extreme maybe ) then that would be much more fun to watch. Think of the flair all of the other sports personalities we see from the players in Football with the touchdown dance, the dropping of the bat with a homerun, the drama of sinking a last second 3 point game winning basket, you get the point. How bout if Vince or our own " Grady Seasons " were real people and that could be captured on camera?
It's been said many times on here and unfortunately it's true, the pool players we get to see nowadays are almost always complete " robots ". We all can appreciate the skill but how much fun is that after awhile and more importantly to the general public? I think the OP has it pretty much completely right with everything he wrote. It's nothing new, nothing we all didn't already know but he put it all together in a clear and concise manner.
But both the top men and the top women in curling win over $100,000 per year: http://www.worldcurl.com/index.php?task=Money&et=21&eventyear=2016
Either that's a sign of the apocalypse or it means there's hope for pool.
But we have an example of pool on TV that is successful -- the Matchroom events. People do like to watch it if it's presented well.
I agree IF it's presented well. But once again, with Match room events there is that component of excitement that most all other pool events lack and that is probably why it is successful. Far as the " Curling - I don't know brother lol! The most positive thing i can say about it is I find it very amusing watching the person with the " brush " just a " scrubbing his heart out trying to either make the puck go or stop - not even sure which he is trying to do but I'd find it funny either way!
They tried the casino gambling and that didn't work too well
At the World 9 Ball Championships in Cardiff (which I saw in 2000 and 2002), there was betting right at the Cardiff Arena. You could bet on individual matches. The top sponsors of snooker now are betting sites -- used to be tobacco. You can bet on which color is the first one pocketed in a match.
Sorry, I started to doze off after the first 20 seconds.
That's because you forgot to take your pills grandpa. Come on, it's time for your nap. :thumbup:
Self Promotion is the key to Pool
I haven't read the entire thread but I'm convinced that self promotion and coming with a product of pool to a customer base is key to the popularity of pool. I think it happens in places that have a goodly amount of people that come into a place normally. So why would it not happen if you find a way to create your own pool culture.
In that way the owner becomes the promoter and he finds the key to his crowd.
I haven't read the entire thread but I'm convinced that self promotion and coming with a product of pool to a customer base is key to the popularity of pool. I think it happens in places that have a goodly amount of people that come into a place normally. So why would it not happen if you find a way to create your own pool culture.
In that way the owner becomes the promoter and he finds the key to his crowd.
You can also bet on who will foul first in a match. (I suppose it is also possible to bet on no foul in the whole match.) A player was just suspended for 15 months for arranging to be the first one to foul in his match. See
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=5600779&postcount=82
NETFLIX!!!!!
Barry Hearn needs to put the Mosconi Cups on Netflix. They have great production and commentary. Not boring. I think it would expose many new people to pool and the top players.
I do tattoos for a living, people of all walks of life and ages come through my shop. People watch anything that Netflix puts up there. If one customer mentions some documentary on there the rest chime in, then you have their independently produced series, huge viewership.
Barry Hearn needs to put the Mosconi Cups on Netflix. They have great production and commentary. Not boring. I think it would expose many new people to pool and the top players.
I do tattoos for a living, people of all walks of life and ages come through my shop. People watch anything that Netflix puts up there. If one customer mentions some documentary on there the rest chime in, then you have their independently produced series, huge viewership.
this sure as hell isn't a bad idea ill tell ya that much!:thumbup:
Hope for Pool
I think there is hope for pool.
Ive been involved with a room since December and every push to go after a demographic has had problems except for one.
Kids.
The minute that someone started talking about a Junior League we had 20 people sign up for it.
Thats five teams of 4 or 4 teams of five but its a great sign and it was almost zero effort.
I think things may travel in cycles and perhaps the indoor cycle of gaming, social media and the likes finally had people wanting to associate and play with other people.
One could hope.
I think there is hope for pool.
Ive been involved with a room since December and every push to go after a demographic has had problems except for one.
Kids.
The minute that someone started talking about a Junior League we had 20 people sign up for it.
Thats five teams of 4 or 4 teams of five but its a great sign and it was almost zero effort.
I think things may travel in cycles and perhaps the indoor cycle of gaming, social media and the likes finally had people wanting to associate and play with other people.
One could hope.