Cycling Channel or Network
 

I would think there to be enough interest here and abroad for such a channel. If there is one already, I haven't see it.

I mean, the amount of races there are on any given weekend in The States alone is staggering.

There is a tennis network, golf, car racing. Do you guys think such a channel for cycling would work?

In so. cal, Versus is the cycling channel. They carried the Tour as well as other cycling events.

However, it's an extra cost item in my channel lineup (Dish Network).

Sherwood

Yes, I know about Versus. What I'm talking about is an exclusive cycling channel. No bull riding, cage fighting or IRL racing. Just cycling and cycling related issues.

Yes the Versus channel in SoCal.

Will it work? On it's own no but if combined with other linked sports like triathlon then maybe. Sadly the general American public has no interest/respect for cycling and can't be bothered to learn it's strategy. I had to explain that not every TdF racer was trying to win the yellow jersey to 4-5 co workers who even cared enough to ask.

Isn't there even a TV network for fishing? Now that is really sad.

Remember that when Greg Lemond won the SI 1989 Sportsman of the Year award there were lots of sports writers scratching their heads and saying stupid stuff like "Even I can ride a bike up a hill..."

+1, Dave -- on both posts.

You know, I've been mulling this over and wanted to ask here as opposed to a cycling forum for the very reason that there are triathletes here and runners.

If the network were broken down into thirds, it could work.
1) Cycling
2) Triathlons
3) Running

Between the three, sponsorship would be a breeze. I mean there's more events going on than we know of: for instance, the Tour of Ireland is coming up. Versus will cover it, and that's because Lance and Alberto will be there.

But you're correct about Americans and their ignorance toward pro-cycling. It's not ball-through-hoop simplicity or ball-whacked-with-bat stuff, so they tune it out or don't care or ridicule it.

I remember when Jack Kemp called soccer "...a commie sport." :rolleyes:

I think it'd work - god knows there's way stupider/more boring junk out there that gets coverage.

The biggest problem I see with cycling is it's a pretty seasonal sport. Most of the real activity happens spring-fall. It'd be tough to fill the winter slots.

do you have UNIVERSAL SPORTS channel?

they show a lot of cycling swimming olympics lots of endurance sports stuff.

i doubt there is enough programs avaliable to have a dedicated Cycling cannel with out TONS of reruns. remember everything is 24/7 these days.

Infomercials would come on around midnight.

see not enough money in it yet....they have to sell the airtime to someone.

Before Paul Page was picked by ESPN to announce the NHRA drag races (lucky for him, unlucky for the viewers) he was announcing EATING contests.

On ESPN.

If ESPN can't fill up their airtime, what chance does a channel devoted to cycling? Unfortunately for us fans, cycling is a fringe sport. (hell, IndyCar racing is a fringe sport in the US, fercrissakes)

Wow, really, just cycling? Bowling, golf, tennis and cycling should not have their own channels. The problem with the channels that already exist is that many don't have enough programming for a weeks worth of shows, so some items get repeated 5-10 times a week, and that doesn't count the 6-8 hours a day of infomercials.

I guess there are worse things than all cycling all the time.