Matchroom Strikes Again – UK Open a Smash Hit !

[skogstokig]

Lest we forget, Matchroom did snooker long before it did pool. I suspect the need to say things like "the blue two" on Matchroom telecasts/streams derives from the fact that the blue is associated with five in snooker. To get snooker fans to tune in, these clarifications may be well-judged. Commentary must cater to the run of the mill viewer more than pool diehards like you and me.

Accu-stats do a great job, but they are not trying to reel in snooker fans, who are not especially numerous in America. As you suggest, they cater to a different kind of viewer.

i'm not sure about it being directed at snooker fans as much as at casual viewers of sky sports / viasat. the first time viewer problem is inherent in the game of 9-ball (a good experiment is to watch a game with a non-pool player). the ball row in the bottom of the screen is an attempt to mitigate it but it's counteracted by the younger audience consuming their sports on handheld devices.

i've had a suggestion for years that the lowest numbered ball should be digitally illuminated for every shot. could just be for half a second, the two ball flashes blue etc. i may be underestimating the attention span of people, but it does seem awfully short to me..

 

[vjmehra]

i'm not sure about it being directed at snooker fans as much as at casual viewers of sky sports / viasat. the first time viewer problem is inherent in the game of 9-ball (a good experiment is to watch a game with a non-pool player). the ball row in the bottom of the screen is an attempt to mitigate it but it's counteracted by the younger audience consuming their sports on handheld devices.

i've had a suggestion for years that the lowest numbered ball should be digitally illuminated for every shot. could just be for half a second, the two ball flashes blue etc. i may be underestimating the attention span of people, but it does seem awfully short to me..

Also...with the colour of the balls changing so frequently having an on screen guide is quite useful!!!!

 

[Island Drive]

i'm not sure about it being directed at snooker fans as much as at casual viewers of sky sports / viasat. the first time viewer problem is inherent in the game of 9-ball (a good experiment is to watch a game with a non-pool player). the ball row in the bottom of the screen is an attempt to mitigate it but it's counteracted by the younger audience consuming their sports on handheld devices.

i've had a suggestion for years that the lowest numbered ball should be digitally illuminated for every shot. could just be for half a second, the two ball flashes blue etc. i may be underestimating the attention span of people, but it does seem awfully short to me..

Another perspective on illumination.
If I'm watching any sport that I really Want to watch a big screen is preferred.
I know what you're saying sounds good, but along the lines of what you're saying, I'd much rather have on the elastrator an educated announcer put an area on the table where the player Has to get to 3 or four shots down the road to run-out/otherwise they Have to change course. .
I find this information good stuff, very interesting.
They don't do it enough or at all
Like the PGA announcers do, they most Always say stuff like this, "he's gotta get over here, in this area", to approach the green from the proper angle, because of the slope of the green, directing the roll back towards the hole.

 

[sjm]

i'm not sure about it being directed at snooker fans as much as at casual viewers of sky sports / viasat. the first time viewer problem is inherent in the game of 9-ball (a good experiment is to watch a game with a non-pool player). the ball row in the bottom of the screen is an attempt to mitigate it but it's counteracted by the younger audience consuming their sports on handheld devices.

i've had a suggestion for years that the lowest numbered ball should be digitally illuminated for every shot. could just be for half a second, the two ball flashes blue etc. i may be underestimating the attention span of people, but it does seem awfully short to me..

Yeah, I'll defer to your opinion, which frames the matter in broader terms, but I think we agree that Matchroom is courting a different type of fan than Accu-stats and that there's no reason to expect them to take exactly the same approach in developing their televised/streamed products.

 

[sjm]

Also...with the colour of the balls changing so frequently having an on screen guide is quite useful!!!!

I think the current colors have been in use ever since the Matchroom Tour was launched in January of 2022.

 

[vjmehra]

I think the current colors have been in use ever since the Matchroom Tour was launched in January of 2022.

Don't take my comment too literally

But joking aside, when you're used to a specific pattern and don't see the new colours regularly having the guide is handy, I still automatically think in the old colours before remembering!

 

[sjm]

Don't take my comment too literally

But joking aside, when you're used to a specific pattern and don't see the new colours regularly having the guide is handy, I still automatically think in the old colours before remembering!

Sorry, it seems I misinterpreted you.

 

[mista335]

Also...with the colour of the balls changing so frequently having an on screen guide is quite useful!!!!

It's hard to keep up with the colours being changed every quarter of a century

 

[mista335]

I think the current colors have been in use ever since the Matchroom Tour was launched in January of 2022.

The Aramith Black set was first used in the 2020 Mosconi Cup - about 2 and a half years ago

 

[skogstokig]

Another perspective on illumination.
If I'm watching any sport that I really Want to watch a big screen is preferred.
I know what you're saying sound good, but along the lines of what you're saying, I'd much rather have on the elastrator an educated announcer put an area on the table where the player Has to get to 3 or four shots down the road to run-out/otherwise they Have to change course. .
I find this information good stuff, very interesting.
They don't do it enough or at all
Like the PGA announcers do, they most Always say stuff like this, "he's gotta get over here, in this area", to approach the green from the proper angle, because of the slope of the green, directing the roll back towards the hole.

good point, the position play is another aspect that average joe tv zapper may not appreciate unless it's explained with graphics. all these things in moderation of course, so it doesn't become too cluttered

 

[straightline]

If you've ever played 9 ball in bars, forget colors. You had to read the numbers - and this was $00.25 a rack...

 

[sjm]

good point, the position play is another aspect that average joe tv zapper may not appreciate unless it's explained with graphics. all these things in moderation of course, so it doesn't become too cluttered

This might be overkill. On occasion, maybe this level of insight can be offered, but awfully few casual fans will ever care beyond this ball and the next.

 

[buckshotshoey]

Not everyone. As someone who tries to keep track of how many balls were made, which ones, how, and where, I find the break replays highly useful. I wish more events did it.

I agree. The balls are moving too fast to see the inaction between them. On the other hand, when viewing on YouTube, the vid can be slowed down.

 

[vjmehra]

The Aramith Black set was first used in the 2020 Mosconi Cup - about 2 and a half years ago

Yep and as a pool fan you probably pay attention and perhaps even have your own set, however...Matchroom are targeting those that aren't necessarily existing or hardcore pool fans. They want to attract people that perhaps like to play socially and hope they can get them to watch a bit, or maybe those that watch snooker and get some to watch pool too, or some that have watched existing Matchroom events (e.g. WCOP, Mosconi Cup etc).

Now, whilst the dedicated pool fan base are likely to know which ball is next, the more casual fan is far more likely to be acquainted with either the traditional colours, or the original TV colours (pink 4), therefore I would argue having the graphic is helpful for the more casual fan that Matchroom is looking to attract.

Also, colours aside, for those new to the game, the graphic is helpful as in simplistic terms it outlines what the player has to do to win the rack.

 

[sjm]

An interesting tidbit is that in a period of about six weeks, Marcel Eckardt refereed two matches in which the reigning world champion was eliminated from a major event.

At the World Snooker Championship, Marcel was the referee when Brecel eliminated O'Sullivan and at the UK Open 9-ball, he was the referee when Woodward eliminated Sanchez-Ruiz.

Coincidence or the beginning of a trend? Whatever one feels on this matter, Marcel is a very capable referee.

 

[Mich]

This might be overkill. On occasion, maybe this level of insight can be offered, but awfully few casual fans will ever care beyond this ball and the next.

I think you're right, but Billy I was excellent at this. He wouldn't bore you to death with position play on every shot, but after the break he would immediately point out the problem balls and how to play shape if the player expected to get out.

 

[sjm]

I think you're right, but Billy I was excellent at this. He wouldn't bore you to death with position play on every shot, but after the break he would immediately point out the problem balls and how to play shape if the player expected to get out.

Right on! Billy was my favorite commentator of the past generation.

 

[sjm]

The Aramith Black set was first used in the 2020 Mosconi Cup - about 2 and a half years ago

Gotcha. I didn't realize that.