Waterskiing on ESPN

[Dylan_wick]

So I'm a big sports fan and spend quite a bit of time watching TV on ESPN, Fox Sports, and really any channel. I've seen a variety of lame sports like corn hole, dodgeball, and even axe throwing and I believe that waterskiing would be a much better alternative to those. ESPN used to cover waterskiing and it was even in the XGames in 2015 when Freddy Krueger jumped 312 feet for ski fly but I'm curious as to why they don't give this sport any coverage any more. I believe people would truly enjoy watching a three event tournament such as the Malibu open or even Worlds as opposed to the above mentioned sports.

[The_MS]

Hot Summer Nights every Tuesday all summer.

 

[MNshortliner]

Sad to say but people would rather watch corn hole or poker than a water ski tourney.

[vtmecheng]

The only reason I can come up with as to why people prefer corn hole and poker is that they do these activities and can relate to them. In contrast, a much lower percentage of the ESPN viewers have tried one of the three events. Just a thought.

[ScottScott]

Why the h*!! is poker on a sports channel anyway. Does anyone really consider that a sport? Kinda like MTV, that used to play music videos.

[vtmecheng]

Don't even get me started on what is considered a "sport" these days.

[balsamcutter]

when espn first started in the 1980s I can recall watching skiing a lot. From watching I became a fan of Mike Hazelwood.

[Nando]

Back in the heyday of the pro tour, ESPN did a pretty good job of packaging skiing into a format that was watchable for the average viewer, but without a title sponsor and committed local sponsors, it will be gone forever. Also, that was when we'd get 150 entries in local tournaments... It seems like a big pro tournament like the Malibu Open could be packaged for TV, but what network would pick up a one-off? I wonder what the ratings were for Hot Summer Nights...

[klindy]

Broadcasters like ESPN are looking for "broadcast ready" programming which means it's edited down to be the proper length (with any commercials), it has compelling and interesting announcers, any interviews, etc. And of course the content needs to be interesting.

 

What ESPN doesn't want is a list and a map to the nearest 'big tournament' so that they can sort it all out. So some production enterprise needs to literally produce the show and "sell it" to ESPN (or any other sports channel).

[RAWSki]

So @Shell and I are having an early afternoon beverage at a local bar and they have on ESPN8. "The Ocho" is showing marble rolling and lawn mower racing from a fair in Ohio. I got to believe we could take some of the excellent webcasts of Pro Tournaments and package them into viable programming. The mowers aren't even in HD!?! WTH.

[igkya]

@TonyLightfoot is this something you could help with? Your broadcasts are already great, why not package them for ESPN?

 

@ESPNSkier any insight on what it takes for something like this to happen?

[Nando]

As I type this, ESPN is airing lawn mower racing...

[ScottScott]

I was just having dinner and one of the ESPN networks had TETRIS competitions!!!! Yeah, REALLY!!!

[Keith_Menard]

Look, I don't want to sound sexist...but we have athletes in bikinis and they have...this...

 

 

How can we not be on ESPN again? Not that it matters really...I think the webcasts are the future.

[Drago]

These productions pay for air time, kinda like the infomercials very late night. Notice the advertising in corn hole comps (bbq stuff) I think waterskiing is simply out of philanthropists.

[Zman]

I cannot even imagine sitting around watching poker on ESPN.

Sadly, it must sell. Maybe it is the extreme athleticism the players display?

[Jordan]

There is another problem with broadcasting waterskiing. Nowadays the premium for sports is live coverage as everybody can get results instantly.

Live events are difficult, you just can't cover 5 or hours of skiing.

If you edit it down into an hour, that is great but it certainly won't be live.

Remember way back in the day there were shows like Wide World of Sports? They used to show obscure events from around the world, all if which had happened weeks or months before. Those types of shows don't exist any more....

 

[2Valve]

Helena Kjellander got serious watch time on my TV as a kid. :) ABC Wide World of Sports on Saturday afternoon's I believe.

[DW]

The business model has actually flipped, many of the sports are simply a 'new' way of commercialism, the people that fund the sport/show simply feel they will draw people in to spend money with them, as noted on the BBQ example. How many people will pick up the poker habit and lose a ton of $ playing at 'their' facility. It is no longer about putting something on that people want to watch, it is the new Ronco / chia pet model.

[foxriverat]

Exactly as @vtmecheng said. Most people have access to these so called sports and can relate. How many have access to slalom skiing let alone a course. I live 2 miles from the river and each year I get closer to throwing in the towel on this sport I love. With all the traffic, constant maintenance from boats running course over or using it as an obstacle course its starting to get more aggravation then fun. If I had a private site I could join with in driving distance I would just sell my boat and join. I know of one but they dont want any new members. I find around here at least most people like to keep there spot`s with a course a secret.