TV viewership WAAAAY down

JRMDC said:

Today's New York Times reports a 77% decline in the live TV audience for the Ronde, the Tour of Flanders. This according to IFM, a "sports research company in Germany."

It was Easter.
What they say about Paris - Roubaix, LBL...?

Andrija said:

It was Easter.
What they say about Paris - Roubaix, LBL...?

It was one sentence in an article about doping in cycling and baseball.

JRMDC said:

It was one sentence in an article about doping in cycling and baseball.

Well, if they explained this decline with OP and doping, not considering it was Easter afternoon, they should close that research company.
That's why I asked about PR and LBL, these two races are of the same caliber as De Ronde, so they could be used as controlling variables for the upper conclusion, based only on one race and afternoon which, obviously, could systematically change the result of research.
And to repeat again, if they explained decline just with OP and doping they're amateurs (if they only registered decline and didn't explain it, it's not so bad, but if they find something, then publish that, they should explain it - that's the point of every scientific research).
Didn't expect this from Germans.

JRMDC said:

Today's New York Times reports a 77% decline in the live TV audience for the Ronde, the Tour of Flanders. This according to IFM, a "sports research company in Germany."

I read the IFM report. It's pretty shocking and I can confirm it.

cyclingheroes said:

I read the IFM report. It's pretty shocking and I can confirm it.

I don't question result of De Ronde research, just general conclusion.
Is it based only on De Ronde live coverage, or did they include other classics too. They had to include other classics, or at least monuments, if they wanted to present valid results.

cyclingheroes said:

I read the IFM report. It's pretty shocking and I can confirm it.

Wow. A twenty to thirty percent drop would be a disaster. The value of TV contracts would be dramaticly reduced and the value of sponsorship would also be lessened. But drops of 50 - 70% are almost unthinkable. This means huge economic changes are coming to the sport.

Bro Deal said:

Wow. A twenty to thirty percent drop would be a disaster. The value of TV contracts would be dramaticly reduced and the value of sponsorship would also be lessened. But drops of 50 - 70% are almost unthinkable. This means huge economic changes are coming to the sport.

The report included the 2006 TDF & other 2007 classics as well. The drop was already over 30% at last years TDF. The other classics have drops of over 50% as well (LBL, Fleche,PR).

There are big problems!

cyclingheroes said:

The report included the 2006 TDF & other 2007 classics as well. The drop was already over 30% at last years TDF. The other classics have drops of over 50% as well (LBL, Fleche,PR).

There are big problems!

Yes, now I've found the article iht.comcycle.phpOpen ↗
Some quotes from it gave me answer on my question.
It is a problem, but just to publish 77% drop on De Ronde is sensationalism.
Drop is evident and cycling is in crisis, but not 77% crisis. It would be interesting to compare 1998 results and current results. Also, results before Armstrong and current. Armstrong and his story rose interest of sponsors for cycling (American as well as non American), so the drop was expected from that point of view. Still, I think this research is superficial.

Andrija said:

Yes, now I've found the article iht.comcycle.phpOpen ↗
Some quotes from it gave me answer on my question.
It is a problem, but just to publish 77% drop on De Ronde is sensationalism.
Drop is evident and cycling is in crisis, but not 77% crisis. It would be interesting to compare 1998 results and current results. Also, results before Armstrong and current. Armstrong and his story rose interest of sponsors for cycling (American as well as non American), so the drop was expected from that point of view. Still, I think this research is superficial.

No it is not only about LA.....

And there is more material as in the Herald article. Especially in Germany there were massive drops.

cyclingheroes said:

No it is not only about LA.....

And there is more material as in the Herald article. Especially in Germany there were massive drops.

Off course.
But it's not only about OP too.

Andrija said:

Yes, now I've found the article iht.comcycle.phpOpen ↗

Just to wrap up a loose end that probably nobody cares about 🙂, the IHT article is not the one that appeared in the NYT. Although it seems familiar and I think it also appeared in the NYT, a few days earlier and in the sports section instead of Week in Review. Or the WaPost? I know I had seen it somewhere.

I am surprised that the figure is not closer to 100%. The antics of cycling's governing bodies have alienated so many viewers that I can't imagine anyone other than the hard core types like you guys tuning in. Get ready for the good old days of once-a-week Tour updates on late night ESPN. At least you will have the Internet for updates I suppose.

KL

Andrija said:

Yes, now I've found the article iht.comcycle.phpOpen ↗
Some quotes from it gave me answer on my question.
It is a problem, but just to publish 77% drop on De Ronde is sensationalism.
Drop is evident and cycling is in crisis, but not 77% crisis. It would be interesting to compare 1998 results and current results. Also, results before Armstrong and current. Armstrong and his story rose interest of sponsors for cycling (American as well as non American), so the drop was expected from that point of view. Still, I think this research is superficial.