Pool on TV??

flash5153

none
Silver Member
I have 100 channels. Am I missing something? I have not seen any pool on TV in a long time.
Have they quit it all together??
 
I have 100 channels. Am I missing something? I have not seen any pool on TV in a long time.
Have they quit it all together??

Its 'the' summer "when 'real' sports are on TV". Thus the channels that can fill otherwise idle time with <ahem> billiards, don't have any idle time to fill.

I hate it as much as the next guy.
 
They could atleast play something on ESPN classic once and a while. They have countless
hours of footage but still they play college football from the 80' s
 
Currently the only tours with an ESPN deal are the WPBA and Billiards International (Challenge of Champions, Trick Shots & Speed Pool). Billiards International typically gets their events aired between September and January (for first run). As far as I know, the WPBA only has one more event this year. From the schedule I've received, the WPBA US Open will receive 8 hours of broadcasting which will be spread out over a number of Sundays.

Also, keep in mind that ESPN typically likes to use billiards events as counter programming against the NFL, hence the typically Sunday afternoon time slots for billiards events.

As for reruns, ESPN has really cut down on their rebroadcasts of pool events on ESPN Classic. I'm assuming that part of the reason behind this is that billiards is one of the lowest rated programs that ESPN runs (my rep was nice enough to share the ratings breakdowns with me for ESPN programming).

Hope this helps!
 
Currently the only tours with an ESPN deal are the WPBA and Billiards International (Challenge of Champions, Trick Shots & Speed Pool). Billiards International typically gets their events aired between September and January (for first run). As far as I know, the WPBA only has one more event this year. From the schedule I've received, the WPBA US Open will receive 8 hours of broadcasting which will be spread out over a number of Sundays.

Also, keep in mind that ESPN typically likes to use billiards events as counter programming against the NFL, hence the typically Sunday afternoon time slots for billiards events.

As for reruns, ESPN has really cut down on their rebroadcasts of pool events on ESPN Classic. I'm assuming that part of the reason behind this is that billiards is one of the lowest rated programs that ESPN runs (my rep was nice enough to share the ratings breakdowns with me for ESPN programming).

Hope this helps!

Thats just brilliant. Counter programing against the most popular American sport. Who thought that gem up?
 
Next showing for pool is:



August 7th

ESPN 2 @ 1pm EST
WPBA 2011 US Open Semi-Final #1



August 7th

ESPN 2 @ 2pm EST
WPBA 2011 US Open Semi-Final #2



Im pretty sure they will cut out most of the great action and show only 30 minutes of pool in the 2 hours its on :rolleyes:
 
Thats just brilliant. Counter programing against the most popular American sport. Who thought that gem up?

In my opinion, there are a couple reasons for this.

1) Pool will draw the same audience regardless of what it is up against, as the hardcore fans will always tune in.

2) From a ratings perspective, pool is one of the weakest programs for ESPN, so the company uses it as filler against what is one of the strongest programs it faces on Sundays. Essentially, ESPN would rather put their weakest pitcher on the bump against Roy Halliday than try to compete with their strongest, effectively waving the white flag against the NFL.

Just my opinion of course. Here's the schedule for the WPBA US Open:

Women's Billiards US Open - Semi Final #1 ESPN Sun. Aug. 8, 2011 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Semi Final #2 ESPN Sun. Aug. 8, 2011 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Championship ESPN Sat. Aug. 13, 2011 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Quarterfinal #1 ESPN Sun. Oct. 16, 2011 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Quarterfinal #2 ESPN Sun. Oct. 16, 2011 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Quarterfinal #3 ESPN Sun. Nov. 6, 2011 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST
Women's Billiards US Open - Quarterfinal #4 ESPN Sun. Oct. 16, 2011 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
 
Snooker doesn't exist on network TV in North America but I don't feel deprived.

With the internet and connecting the computer to the TV, I can watch tournaments around the world live. Watched the Australian Goldfields Open last week. Afternoon play started at 11 p.m. EDT. Evening play started at 5 a.m. All I had to give up was sleep. :D

I don't go looking for pool competitions, but I have seen carom competitions listed here.

http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=other
 
What happened to those giant satellite dishes, the ones you had to manually aim with a remote? I remember years ago getting snooker, thai kickboxing, bullfighting, jai alai...all sorts of foreign programming. Almost always with no subtitles and in foreign languages, but that wouldn't matter to snooker. Can you still grab foreign signals with the little minidishes (dish network, for example)?


Also, keep in mind that ESPN typically likes to use billiards events as counter programming against the NFL, hence the typically Sunday afternoon time slots for billiards events.

Confirming this! HATE HATE HATE it though!
 
Pool will get low numbers of viewers as long as the networks continue to pre-empt it with arm wrestling, darts and gluttony contests, and air the semis and finals of events BEFORE the quarterfinals! They would also do well to find people who do a better job sportscasting than Allen Hopkins. Besides his butchering the english language, his predictions of shot selection are awful, and most 7-year-olds would do a better job with the Telestrator. Also, ESPN and others ignore pool players when it comes to comparing all-time greats and their records. Has anyone ever dominated their sport like Allison Fisher did for well over a decade? Yet, she seems to be unknown to ESPN sportscasters!
 
Back
Top