# OLN explains Vuelta Coverage



## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

Just found this on velonews.com In it, the OLN president explains why they are not covering the Vuelta this year. I really enjoy the Vuelta, shorter, harder stages lots of action. I am disappointed all we'll get is a one hour recap, but can totally understand OLN's predicament on this one.....



Like many of you who wrote in to our Web letters page, I was dismayed to find out that Outdoor Life Network will not be airing live daily coverage of this year's Vuelta a España. It's been a great race the past few years, often decided on the penultimate day's time trial. Who could forget Roberto Heras coming from 1:55 down last year to topple Isidro Noval on the Alto de Abantos uphill time trial? Or Aitor Gonzalez's betrayal of Kelme teammate Oscar Sevilla on the slopes of the steep l'Angrilu in 2002? 

It may seem that OLN has forgotten, as the network decided to drop its live daily coverage in favor of a recap show to be aired October 27, one month after the race has ended. But as it turns out, the powers-that-be over at OLN truly are concerned with what our readers think, and contacted me for a one-on-one conversation with network president Gavin Harvey to explain why the decision was made, and what the network hopes to do with cycling in the future. Basically, it was a question of profitability, and it sounds as though cutting back to a one-hour recap wasn't an easy decision for Harvey to make. 

"As I sit here thinking about getting on my bike this weekend," Harvey said, "it's a very disappointing scenario. Cycling is more than just another bit of programming; it's a passion for us. A lot of folks at OLN spent six weeks in France, working 20 hours a day. But the Vuelta is one of the worst performing franchises that we have. That is the cold, hard reality. We can't afford to have it perform as it has in years past. We just don't have the resources at our network right now." 

I said I thought that the momentum following the network's highest-ever rated Tour would feed nicely into the Tour of Spain, where U.S. Postal will once again be racing, admittedly without Lance Armstrong. But Harvey said the ratings drop-off for cycling coverage "is very steep once the Tour is over." 

"The cycling community is passionate, and we're glad they are vocal," he said. "If we could have done something to make it work, we would have. I wish the cycling community counted as more rating points than it does. But for three weeks, devoting the hours and coverage and manpower, predicting the return we would get.... We realize this event is a crown jewel for the cycling community, but in all the years it's severely underperformed in its time period. Frankly, so does the Giro, and everything else other than the Tour." 

I asked how much cost is involved with setting up Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen in one of OLN's Connecticut studios to do voiceover on top of Spanish TV's live feed. Sadly, it turns out the return is better when the network airs an "American Shooter" rerun. 

"Even the live coverage, for three weeks every morning, is a huge investment," Harvey said. "There are many more costs than simply putting Phil and Paul in the studio. The fact is the Vuelta does not really hit the [ratings] radar. This is our challenge - to find some really focused way to shake this thing up. It just wasn't working to take the feed and put a couple of guys in the studio, and devote that much airtime." 

Harvey did say that it's conceivable that Vuelta coverage could return in 2005 or beyond, in some form. "We're hopeful and optimistic. There are ideas from other places we're looking into, ways to try and extend the OLN brand - using newer technology such as video on demand, broadband, high-definition TV. We're trying to see how can we be more than a linear channel. Maybe there is opportunity there. We cover certain sports that we know we can never grow beyond a small community, but we would still like to figure out ways to target them as well. With this particular event we're at a wall that we can't get over, but we're still climbing." 

Harvey added that OLN's long-term plan with cycling programming is to build up the spring classics and the Giro d'Italia, both of which serve in its build-up to the Tour de France, and focus more on domestic events. 

"People want to make domestic events happen in a big way," Harvey said. "What it's going to take for the sport to really pop is to tap into the passion people have in Georgia, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and to figure out how we turn that into a great TV event. It's going to take a massive effort to get people to understand there is cycling beyond Lance and the Tour."


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## Djudd (Jan 29, 2004)

*The good news is...*

The cutting of the Vuelta doesn't bode ill for the Classics and the Giro. If they are planning to build up those two, that makes the dogging of the Vuelta a little more palatable. In my cycling heaven coverage of the sport would be less "tour"centric and lean equally toward the Belgian classics were the racing is harder and, in my opinion, more honest.


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## crankee (Aug 2, 2003)

*2000 Vuelta*

I understand that there is a fall off in cycling programming viewership after the Tour, especially if Lance isn't participating in the Vuelta. But to do a one-hour recap one MONTH after the event? Talk about a ratings fall off.

Did OLN consider this option: I think it was OLN's first Vuelta (2000?). They didn't provide daily coverage. I think they had a weekly recap show. Paul and Bobke provided the commentary. I thought what OLN provided for that Vuelta was fine. It was similar to what you get in a WCP 3-week tour video - a blurb about the flat stages along with more coverage on the mountain stages.

Anyway, Go Posties - it's their last Grand Tour as USPS.


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## moving up (Feb 18, 2003)

*Webcast?*

Will there be a webcast, perhaps on some Spanish site?


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## Coot72 (Nov 11, 2002)

*Media Problems and Marketing Problems*

Seems like many of the problems or fake problems we have in the US is because of the media. In the US only the Tour makes it on to ESPN. There is no other mention of races whatsoever. The main networks don't show cycling. They have the big 3 sports, golf, auto racing, tennis, and the x-games. It's all about making money and teenagers are more into BMX and the x-games than traditional road cycling.

September is also football season and the build up to the baseball postseason. Schools are also underway. There may be a confluence of events that make the Vuelta a challenge.

Here are some ideas: The team strategies behind racing is usually not made evident to the viewer. The broadcasts just show what's happening rather than showing the planning, tactics and strategies that go into a race and a winning move. I think cycling coverage should take advantage of the strategic nature of the race. The pre-race/early race coverage should go over who the favorites are, and how each favorite will use his team. Team strategy can then be used to help fans identify what is going on in the race. Otherwise many viewers just think they will be watching wheels turning for 2 hours and then someone wins. where's the conceptual understanding? where's the story behind each race or stage? where's the overall strategy or style of racing on the flat stages, which eventually killed off the little climbers? where is the science in the sport? the training and the sacrifice? The calories needed to survive a Tour? The equivalent number of twinkies a cyclist eats? The number of hours of tennis an average person would have to play to burn the same calories as a cyclist on a mountain stage?

One thing that might make things more interesting is to have speed and gear charts of riders during the race. One could also make comparisons to driving in LA traffic or NY traffic (the TTT--how many of us would like to cover 40 miles in about 1 hr 15 min sometimes?), or comparisons to riding up a certain hill in the US.

Baseball is similar. It just looks like someone going up there hitting a ball. Big deal. But the layers beneath the obvious are what make the game compelling. 

Marketing: Get the spring classics and the grand tours into the x-games programming/marketing hype. Paris Roubaix certainly a crazy race, and if marketed correctly with the cobbles, weather and race strategy, then it might stick as an event similar to the x-games. The US has other one-day races--these are interesting, but the racing coverage should try to be compelling from a tactical and technical level that goes beneath the superficial. What if in baseball at the announcers and reporters talked about were the balls and strikes?

Coot


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## ranger (Jul 23, 2004)

*Right on the mark*

I loved Coots response! I am not the biggest baseball fan but enjoy the game because they have all the backround layers! Monday night football was almost a flop and nearly canceled until thye developed layers to tie the viewer into the sport. Think about it most sporting events are hours of mundane activity dotted with highlights. But as the annoucers explain what is taking place it pulls the veiwer in.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

perhaps if they hadn't blown their wad carting al trautwig, hans rey, the cutters and the gummer all over france doing travelogues and wine-tastings, they might have had something in the budget for the vuelta.


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## svend (Jul 18, 2003)

*Here Here*



rufus said:


> perhaps if they hadn't blown their wad carting al trautwig, hans rey, the cutters and the gummer all over france doing travelogues and wine-tastings, they might have had something in the budget for the vuelta.


Right on the money! They blew their wad on the TdF cyclism BS. Hopefully, they hold true to their word on next years classics and Giro. It could be worse but jeez, they could have at least done a weekly recap....


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## mtnwing (Aug 30, 2004)

svend said:


> Right on the money! They blew their wad on the TdF cyclism BS. Hopefully, they hold true to their word on next years classics and Giro. It could be worse but jeez, they could have at least done a weekly recap....


And he's also complaining it's too expensive to set up Paul and Phil in CT. OK so how about getting a "single" personality that is cheaper to do it. I bet you I could find a hungry american pro/USA circuit rider that speaks spanish past or present that could do a pretty good job for a lot less bucks. Those guys work a hole season in racing/cycling in the USA for pennies . . . you can make more money at the video store as a manager . . . . you don't think you could find a few talented one's that can speak coherently on camera and translate spanish?

You can blame poor ratings on the fans, or you can say, hey this is a big event and maybe we need to figure out a better "marketing" mouse trap to grow it. A few years back extreme sports were nothing for ratings. A little bit of marketing genius and good promotion and now we have both the Gravity Games and the X Games battling it out. 

Has OLN ever thought about sponsoring a US cycling team to help drive interest? OK you have to be neutral, how about working with Mavic? How about partnering with marketing genious like RedBull or Nike or someone like that to grow viewership? Not saying these are the right ideas but there are ways to grow viewers and I think a lot of TV stations aren't so good at marketing and growing things. TV works on the notion of "build it (or shoot it) and they will come (to watch)", not the concept of "grow it to something special (and a lot more will watch loyally)". It's the corporate mentality vs the entreprenerial mentality. 

Here's another interesting fact . . . spanish speaking population in America is one of the largest and fastest growing minorities. Hmmm? Yeah perhaps they're not all from spain but some of that trend has got to have an angle somewhere? 

Also if there is such a big drop off from the tour, perhaps it's because there isn't a regular schedule of cycling programming year round to entertain loyal viewers. How about a show every week for the year? OK you can't afford to broadcast it. How about an internet edition or partnership with JumpTV until viewership grows to a certain level? There are lots of ways to skin the cat, but there are also a lot of lazy execs out there . . . quick hit and on to the next drug . . . 

-mtnwing


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## jm3 (Mar 22, 2003)

*Check out the USPS jerseys*

you'll see that they're a sponsor of the team. I agree with a lot of points here, but OLN has tried many different angles to up the viewership of their cycling broadcasts over the years. I remember four or five years ago when they covered virtually every minute of the MTB CX Worlds and had cameras covering the entire course. It was great, but I can only imagine the logistical nightmare the producers of the race faced. Must have been a loss, because I haven't seen anything like it since.

I appreciate the fact that I no longer have to wait weeks to get news/results of any cycling race, but I also understand that they're running a business. If re-runs of people hunting ducks get more viewership, that's what they should run from a business standpoint. OLN doesn't exist to provide me coverage of what is a very small sport worlwide. And, even though we like to think cycling is THE sport (besides soccor/football) in Europe, I'm not too sure that's the case anymore. Basketball, volleyball, and car & motorcycle racing all get a lot of play over there, and American football is growing quick, too. We're a small sport, and probably, due mostly to the Armstrong phenomena, we already get a disproportional amount of tv airtime. That will probably end in '06 or '07. I, for one, am thankful, and I make sure I tell OLN that I appreciate their cycling coverage. It may not be perfect, but it's paradise compared to what we used to have. I suspect, with the exception of the Tour, that most cycling coverage will disappear again in a few years. Thank god for the internet.


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## mtnwing (Aug 30, 2004)

jm3 said:


> you'll see that they're a sponsor of the team. . . I suspect, with the exception of the Tour, that most cycling coverage will disappear again in a few years. Thank god for the internet.


Yes good point on the jersey's. Forgot about this. Probably right on the coverage too in a few years . . . 

it's a small sport from a viewership perspective but don't forget how many folks own a bike worldwide! What is small is the success capturing people's eyeballs to watch the professional part of the sport. Your right that the coverage has been paradise . . . OLN does an amazing job with the TDF (minus the cutters . . .). It's just a shame it's been a downward slide on the rest of the cycling coverage. There's got to be a better mouse trap here somewhere . . . 

-mtnwing


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## crank boy (Aug 10, 2004)

mtnwing said:


> Yes good point on the jersey's. Forgot about this. Probably right on the coverage too in a few years . . .
> 
> it's a small sport from a viewership perspective but don't forget how many folks own a bike worldwide! What is small is the success capturing people's eyeballs to watch the professional part of the sport. Your right that the coverage has been paradise . . . OLN does an amazing job with the TDF (minus the cutters . . .). It's just a shame it's been a downward slide on the rest of the cycling coverage. There's got to be a better mouse trap here somewhere . . .
> 
> -mtnwing



who are the cutters? is that a "breaking away" reference? i didn't catch it in the TdF coverage.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*yes*

OLN tour coverage featured "Cutters' (based on Breaking Away) was just a bunch of Fred's that were supposed to add more Human Interest to the evening coverage. I think they lasted a week.
Too bad as w / Floyd in front (again an OLN sponsored American) they could have used it as further marketing to America. Add another race to the viewing calendar and another face (and possibly the next big US hope) to the US Market. They should already being figuring a LAL (Life After Lance) strategy and I think they've missed it (as did the Networks lack of a big Tyler HI Story to accompany his Olympic Gold. They've had 2 opp's to further their and cycling's long term success in this country and IMHO squandered them both. and I don't wanna hear OLN's excuses, buy the Spanish or Euro feed have Phil and Paul narrate, run it at 6 AM, I mean how many people are watching the umpteenth re-run of PBR?


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## crank boy (Aug 10, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> OLN tour coverage featured "Cutters' (based on Breaking Away) was just a bunch of Fred's that were supposed to add more Human Interest to the evening coverage. I think they lasted a week.
> Too bad as w / Floyd in front (again an OLN sponsored American) they could have used it as further marketing to America. Add another race to the viewing calendar and another face (and possibly the next big US hope) to the US Market. They should already being figuring a LAL (Life After Lance) strategy and I think they've missed it (as did the Networks lack of a big Tyler HI Story to accompany his Olympic Gold. They've had 2 opp's to further their and cycling's long term success in this country and IMHO squandered them both. and I don't wanna hear OLN's excuses, buy the Spanish or Euro feed have Phil and Paul narrate, run it at 6 AM, I mean how many people are watching the umpteenth re-run of PBR?



thanks atp i missed a lot of the first week and now i am sorry. that would have a been a hoot. i am an IU alum and my wife and i would have laughed our asses off at that crap.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

With Floyd leading the race right now, and a postie winning yesterdays stage, I bet OLN is wishing they had jumped on the Vuelta now!


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*cutters*

someone makes and sells a "Cutters" cycling jersey. go little 500!


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## crank boy (Aug 10, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> someone makes and sells a "Cutters" cycling jersey. go little 500!



go little five is right!!! oh the parties. boy do i have stories from those days. he he he


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