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Maybe I’m an idiot but I find Chapman the most entertaining thing about racing coverage in this country, find the rest of them boring and mundane, giving us useless info that we all already knew and boring us to death, Chapman makes it lively, brings a bit of passion to affairs (it’s like watching Alan Hansen or Alan Shearer on match of the day with the others, just droning on with lifeless vibes).
I like Chapman too, he is a prat and over enthusiastic at times but he gives it his all.
then again I like McCririck, Gary Wiltshire and Barry Dennis all big Characters
McCoy and Fitzgerald were good in the saddle, McCoy up there in the hall of fame in fact but if he smiled his face would crack, possibly not the caee but he looks like he just turns up for the money. Fitz just talks utter gibberish imoGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Viewing figures 2018:
Tuesday 766k (12.2%)
Wednesday 837k (13.0%)
Thursday 772k (11.8%)
Friday 969k (14.7%)2017:
Tuesday 795k (12.2%)
Wednesday- 734k (12.9%)
16/3/17- 799k (12.0%)
17/3/17- 1.15m (15.1%)2016 (Channel 4)
Tuesday 730k (10.2%)
Wednesday 606k (8.5%)
Thursday 571k (9.4%)
Friday 895k (11.4%As I have always said Chapman is like Marmite and for me I like him as his passion comes over and he engages with members of the public, just like Big Mac used to back in the day – the fashion thing should only be included at Royal Ascot as I don’t see the people being interested in it sitting through everything else just for a couple of minutes of fashion.
The major thing that ticks me off is this over reliance on the close up tracking shot during a race to the extent that you only get to see a few of the horses up front and the hurdle or fence a couple of strides before they jump so you get no real perspective – I liked the drone cam because they didn’t over use it (it would be best used in the after race analysis) but they need to show the horse more (walking round the paddock etc).
Like most of racing coverage (paid or free to air) it is not perfect but overall the good far outweight the bad and you can always use the mute button when they are doing something you don’t like or something you have little to no interest in.
The viewing figures are interesting Steve but can you tell us how they compare with ITV’s normal midweek fare?
I thought there were pluses and minuses with the Cheltenham coverage. Far too much banter between Harvey, McCoy and Fitzy and Alice Plunkett constantly telling everyone how great they are does my head in. And some of the behind the scenes features should have been on the opening show instead of ten minutes before the next race was due off. However I like Chamberlain’s enthusiasm and I thought ITV did a good job of conveying the drama and magnitude of the occasion.
I have to say though that the RUK team were excellent. I could listen to Neesom and Mellish all day and the comprehensive reviews of each race moments after they had finished were brilliant.
Monday 12 March this was itv’s ratings:
12:30: Loose Women – 1.06m (16.2%)
13:30: ITV Lunchtime News – 990k (15.0%)
14:00: Judge Rinder – 833k (13.7%)
15:00: Tenable – 986k (14.6%)
16:00: Tipping Point – 2.35m (25.1%)
17:00: The Chase – 3.64m (27.8%)I can’t believe 2.35m people watch Tipping Point drivel but that’s off topic you can see itv generally sits around 1m upto 2pm then drops probably because of Doctors & following show on BBC1 then picks up again at 4pm.
So I suppose you could say Cheltenham actually loses itv viewers but probably picks up higher ad revenue from gambling related sponsors.
Also interesting to note of course itv do not show the last two races as RMG won’t let them which is probably a blessed relief to itv bosses when the 4pm and 5pm shows are getting a 25% share.
By the way if anyone is curious this is what the BBC normally get in an afternoon:
13:00: BBC News at One – 3.01m (44.6%)
13:30: BBC Regional News – 2.80m (41.8%)
13:45: Doctors – 1.60m (24.8%)
14:15: Escape to the Country – 975k (16.5%)
14:45: A Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day – 943k (13.8%)
16:15: Flog It! – 1.59m (15.5%)
17:15: Pointless – 2.71m (19.7%)Interesting stats SteveH, thanks
In my opinion our little Black Hole that thinks it’s a Red Supergiant should be well-pleased with the viewing figures for Cheltenham; they hold up well compared to the usual afternoon fare
16:15: Flog It! – 1.59m (15.5%)
What a lot of peasants the other 84.5% are: terrific programme
On a forum somewhere in the parallel universe, people will be calling for more fashion, fewer horse shots, more Oli, more Francesca, more Matt (well, maybe not, admittedly), and “why don’t they just show the end of the race instead of all the time they waste on the horses just going round and round”?
ITV was bound to get more viewers for racing than C4 because it’s a ‘main’ channel, however, rather than interest in the sport growing amongst the wider populace it’s fallen due to the appalling nature of how ITV has chosen to pitch its coverage.
It’s an absolute disgrace for racings sake, that all of the races are not shown on terrestrial TV. It’s Cheltenham, it’s the festival! A once a year occasion, racing is shooting itself in the foot by allowing RUK to have exclusive coverage, of some eight festival races.
Making someone money, but not great for the sport.
We need the public to see it, the fact that it’s the later races in the day, when the majority are getting out of work is even worse. Pure stupidity.
On that basis, Nausered, would like to see the Festival switched to run from Thurs-Sun?
ITV would not be interested in showing the last 2 races (except perhaps on ITV4) because the quiz shows on from 4.30 attract huge viewing figures.
Nausered – Racing UK are owned by RMG who own Cheltenham racecourse and they choose to not allow other channels to show the last two races basically it is their decision.
If you want this changing then you need to go down the AIR/HRA route and let all the courses be brought under the control of the authorities like football has to with the tv rights.
Racecourses say they should be able to decide what they do with their courses tv rights.
Should we have the tv rights decided by the racing authorities or let the racecourses choose?
As the last poster says if you look at my previous post the 4pm and 5pm slots get a lot more viewers than racing gives them therefore I should think itv bosses are quite happy to let RUK have the last two.
Quite a comedown for poor old Simon Holt, reduced to commentating at lowly Taunton on the first day of the Grand National meeting, after his years of partnering Graham Goode for the Aintree commentaries, not to mention his Channel 4 years.
Richard Hoiles, who used to do the middle section behind Simon Holt, leads the ITV team, joined by Mark Johnson and Ian Bartlett.
Australian caller Matt Hill has landed the main role for BBC Radio Five Live, with John Hunt wisely choosing the sunshine of Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
Hill has been part of the radio team before and is joined by the versatile Gary O’Brien, best known as an At The Races presenter, great survivor Darren Owen, one of the best and most fluent Aintree commentators, and Mogadon Man himself Martin Harris, best known for being one of the most colourless and charisma-free commentators you could not wish to hear.
The course commentary seems to be in good hands, based on today’s race over the Grand National fences, with Alan Howes, David Fitzgerald and the ever-present Stewart Machin.
You couldn’t better the old BBC TV team of Peter O’Sullevan, John Hanmer and Julian Wilson in my book, with horses like The Pilgarlic popping up regularly. Those were the days …. “as we rejoin John Hanmer”.
Why have they been limited to showing only some of the races from Aintree this week?
I think I shall go out and watch it on my recording, I don’t think I can cope with it live with all the silly “banter” and interviews. I was screaming at their paddock coverage yesterday. Being a woman myself I am reluctant to call for the removal of women presenters but the two “clothes horses” accompanying the runners before the race didn’t work at all, you couldn’t see the horses properly, the old BBC method of a voice over and looking at all the runners was so much better. I can tell that they will be be showing the food, interviewing racegoers with the best Scouse accents and women with the most orange tans and exposed flesh, minor TV personalities, Chapman being at his most vocal and wearing as much foundation as many of the women and showing none of the runners till the first two or three in the parade.
Crusty Patch. Nostalgia. Watch any old National, or any old jumps race from the 70s and 80s, and POS and Wilson were awful at identifying fallers, pulled ups and unseats. They just told you who was the first three at any time. Today’s commentators are miles better.
The worst aspects of ITV’s Aintree coverage this year, so far, are…
1. the noisy helicopter drowns out the commentary
2. Cumani. Her inclusion tells all young girls watching that you have to be as posh as **** to get on the telly, no matter how poor you are at the job. I cannot bear her plummy voice, which reminds me that horses are a posh person’s thing. Not very modern day at all.
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