Why no pool

Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
.
Why isn't pool played on ESPN? I've seen cornhole tournaments.
Tonight I'm watching a Canadian axe throwing league on ESPN2.

.
 
IMHO pool started dying on ESPN before live steams caught on but Live streams finished TV pool. I watch way more pool now than ever before, nearly every night of the week. No commercials, not always great quality but still good! Many times with players I know or have played.

Watching live pool has never been easier, whether it is free or PPV.
 
More viewers prefer watch Canadian axe throwing than pool, this is the reason why ESPN is showing instead of pool. If pool streaming was thriving, then there should easily be ten thousand viewers. Almost every single one I've seen in the last couple of years are in the hundreds, and lucky to break 2/3 thousand, and that's being generous.


Ralph Kramden said:
.
Why isn't pool played on ESPN? I've seen cornhole tournaments.
Tonight I'm watching a Canadian axe throwing league on ESPN2.

.
Click to expand...
 
At least highlights during Sportscenter. It's supposed to be sports "news".

Everyone on AzB should send a letter petitioning them to air the Mosconi Cup this fall. Or at least highlights for starters. TV is dying a slow death and they need to expand viewership so maybe they're ready to revisit the idea, who knows.
 
Do a little research here and elsewhere to find more on this. Its a long story. From Earl acting like a 2yr. when he lost to the Buddy-LeBron Vegas fiasco to low ratings and sponsor interest there are a number of reasons ESPN is not a big fan of men's pro pool. Since its become basically a sjw/blm mouthpiece i rarely if ever watch ESPN anymore. Pool's future is going to be on-line, either free or ppv. Don't expect networks to get involved UNLESS Barry Hearn/Matchroom is involved. He has the connections and track-record to at least tempt a major ntwrk. to dip its toes in the waters.
 
Cuebuddy said:
IMHO pool started dying on ESPN before live steams caught on but Live streams finished TV pool. I watch way more pool now than ever before, nearly every night of the week. No commercials, not always great quality but still good! Many times with players I know or have played.

Watching live pool has never been easier, whether it is free or PPV.
Click to expand...

Denver Supercross April 13th what city are you in I'll stop by for a day we can play some pool .
 
With all the safety play,pro pool is just boring.Non players are not interested at all.
 
simco said:
With all the safety play,pro pool is just boring.Non players are not interested at all.
Click to expand...
That is a very good point. The casual sports fan doesn't understand or care about the fine details of the game. A couple of safeties and they're changin' channels. Can't really blame them.
 
garczar said:
Do a little research here and elsewhere to find more on this. Its a long story. From Earl acting like a 2yr. when he lost to the Buddy-LeBron Vegas fiasco to low ratings and sponsor interest there are a number of reasons ESPN is not a big fan of men's pro pool. Since its become basically a sjw/blm mouthpiece i rarely if ever watch ESPN anymore. Pool's future is going to be on-line, either free or ppv. Don't expect networks to get involved UNLESS Barry Hearn/Matchroom is involved. He has the connections and track-record to at least tempt a major ntwrk. to dip its toes in the waters.
Click to expand...

If being childish or or gambling controversies kept things off ESPN, they would have nothing but infomercials 24-7....
Low ratings I'll give you, but from what I've seen on sports center and all the other talking head shows, the best way to get non-stop coverage is to have a huge ego, a big mouth, and being a poor sport.
How many times has Dennis Rodman been replayed kicking that camera man in the baby maker...lol Or OBJ hitting and kicking inanimate objects on the side lines....or Brady and his coach arguing...or.... baseball players and coaches kicking dirt on umps and arguing...or golfers bending/breaking clubs and throwing putters.
And there have been special ESPN produced shows that endlessly cover Pete Rose and his history with gambling on his sports betting.
Just saying....
 
Jerry R said:
If being childish or or gambling controversies kept things off ESPN, they would have nothing but infomercials 24-7....
Low ratings I'll give you, but from what I've seen on sports center and all the other talking head shows, the best way to get non-stop coverage is to have a huge ego, a big mouth, and being a poor sport.
How many times has Dennis Rodman been replayed kicking that camera man in the baby maker...lol Or OBJ hitting and kicking inanimate objects on the side lines....or Brady and his coach arguing...or.... baseball players and coaches kicking dirt on umps and arguing...or golfers bending/breaking clubs and throwing putters.
And there have been special ESPN produced shows that endlessly cover Pete Rose and his history with gambling on his sports betting.
Just saying....
Click to expand...
When ESPN got wind of the Buddy-LeBron deal that soured a lot of execs. I know a guy that was a local reporter that went to work there and this is what he told me. The women and that ignorant trick shot stuff actually drew some fans. The only men's pool that did any good for them was the CofC at Mohegan Sun. It had a fast, easy to follow format that actually drew non-pool viewers. Bottom line is always KING and virtually zero companies have any interest in buying advert. time during a pool broadcast.
 
garczar said:
When ESPN got wind of the Buddy-LeBron deal that soured a lot of execs. I know a guy that was a local reporter that went to work there and this is what he told me. The women and that ignorant trick shot stuff actually drew some fans. The only men's pool that did any good for them was the CofC at Mohegan Sun. It had a fast, easy to follow format that actually drew non-pool viewers. Bottom line is always KING and virtually zero companies have any interest in buying advert. time during a pool broadcast.
Click to expand...

It's kindof like getting a loan when you have no credit...but you can't get a credit rating without the loan...
No sponsors because of no fans....good luck getting fans when it's not on TV.

If I remember correctly. The Women were paying ESPN to air their stuff...
The NHRA used to do the same thing, they had to pay ESPN to show their races. And then they would get bumped to show some high school basketball game. :mad:
 
Ralph Kramden said:
.
Why isn't pool played on ESPN? I've seen cornhole tournaments.
Tonight I'm watching a Canadian axe throwing league on ESPN2.

.
Click to expand...

Where would the content come from? You have to have tournaments, people to film them in the quality to sell to tv. Someone to put up the seed money. As well as some stats to show anyone would even watch.
 
This is not news...most of the fringe stuff that you see on ESPN is paid for and/or sponsored by the fringe organizations. So if pool wants to be on ESPN again, it can happen tomorrow. You just need to get the sponsors lined up to pay for it.

That's how the womens pool tour was on most recently. They paid for it.
 
garczar said:
When ESPN got wind of the Buddy-LeBron deal that soured a lot of execs. I know a guy that was a local reporter that went to work there and this is what he told me.
Click to expand...

That was 1991 though, I remember watching it.

The showed the U.S. Open for several years afterwards, and then the God-awful Sudden Death 7-ball. I think if enough people had been watching they would have continued airing pool matches no matter what happened at the Challenge of Champions.
 
tbh, regular linear tv and radio is dying anyway. on-demand streaming and ppv is taking over. so i don't know if it's something to strive for really. i'm gonna miss the random aspects of linear sports tv though, when i was home sick earlier this year i realized i like watching biathlon.. lol
 
MisterBanker said:
That was 1991 though, I remember watching it.

The showed the U.S. Open for several years afterwards, and then the God-awful Sudden Death 7-ball. I think if enough people had been watching they would have continued airing pool matches no matter what happened at the Challenge of Champions.
Click to expand...
I know. But that event did not please ESPN execs and even though they kept it on a few more years they were never BIG on the game. When the Color of Money-inspired boom stated to fade ad dollars faded as well. They had a lot of airtime to sell back then(tractor pulls, etc) but once they got BIG prices skyrocketed so its been major sports mostly. I have ZERO explanation for cornhole, btw. Somebody at cornhole hq must have a picture of some ESPN exec. with a sheep or something. ;)
 
It's my understanding the WPBA paid for the production cost to make professional quality videos given to ESPN to broadcast. Unlike infomercials, they didn't buy airtime.

justadub said:
This is not news...most of the fringe stuff that you see on ESPN is paid for and/or sponsored by the fringe organizations. So if pool wants to be on ESPN again, it can happen tomorrow. You just need to get the sponsors lined up to pay for it.

That's how the womens pool tour was on most recently. They paid for it.
Click to expand...
 
Until lots of money is part of the game, there will be NO TV showing Pool N Billiards on TV.

If a Tournament winner is getting $100,000... UP & the tournaments are filled with spectators... plus a dress code. Several of these kinds of tournaments might garner some interest, especially if ESPN is getting a million letters a week, from fans, wanting to see this on scheduled TV. This has to happen nationally with the aid of the BCAPL, APA, TAP, NAPA & others league players.

Two-Shot Rollout gets a lot of fliers & action shots. Maybe folks want to see the action, plus get rid of ball-in-hand for TV. You shoot it where it stops. Scratches & Fouls generate ball in hand, behind the line.

Just a few ideas, for thought. But MONEY tops the list....
 
Getting pool on TV is easy, it's that the people who produce pool aren't approaching TV executives about it.

ESPN is not the only sports channel on television folks. I bet if the Accu-Stats team took footage of the US International Open to FoxSports1 or FlowSports they would give it a shot. That event was as top notch of a production as there has been in the last few years regarding pool.

If Tony Robles and the predator group enforced a dress code, had two or three more camera angles and got commentators they could easily sell the Empire State Championship pro side to a place like MSG, SNY or YES Network to run during weekends. It may not be the best air times, but it would be on there.

Again, it's easy, it's just that no one wants to bother doing it.
 
Years back when single, young lady I was dating was watching a tournament on TV with me. As a great shooter in the stands watching, I was pretty much able to call the shots, as to where the cue would go for the next shot....I ran almost every rack. She looks up at me, "well what's the fun in watching if you know what is going to happened every time?"......good point, I guess. Maybe to the non player, it is just boring when you know the out come. Of course, saying and doing are two different things, is the part they don't understand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top