2024 MTB World Series Racing Was A Big Success

the stats don't lie

<instantly imagines Jimmy Hill image>

<imagines double facepalm gif>

Let's see those stats for WB/Discovery viewers vs. Red Bull TV viewers then please?

Or at least put quote marks on was "a big success" in the headline.

Good to see viewership has increased (although, source?) goes against all the commenters who claim they and everyone else are never going to watch it on a paid-for site and its the death of the sport etc.

I'm a little sad to see the reduction in teams, potentially shutting new riders out. Seems if you can't get yourself results on the WC circuit as a junior - which in turn means being noticed as a youth on the national circuit by a team to get you there - then you might be out of luck.

Still, looking forward to 2025, with more rounds; and selfishly hoping that Gwin remains on the mike, rather than on his bike as he added a lot to commentary.

Or at least put quote marks on was “a big success” in the headline.

I think you'd maybe have to put quote marks around the entire story. It's a media release? I think? From WBD Sports presumably.

I doubt Red Bull would ever publish figures or WB put the truthful figures out there. So big success is a baseless claim.

There's so much corporate bull* in that thing it's embarrassing.

The only truthful thing in there is that the racing (DH at least as that's all I watch) has been spectacular. Not that they can take any credit for it, that's all down to the riders and they're being *ed over in all this.

They've *ed it, we all know they've *ed it and now they're lying about it. Quel surprise.

All it really says is "we did better than last year" (ie their first year), which I guess is technically record-breaking. Isn't it great being able to specify your own records 😉

I am curious though if their promotion to a wider audience is better than RB's. Redbull is known for action sports, its audience is people who like watching this kind of thing. People will only go to RB if they a) like these sports in general or b) like a specific thing (eg mtb) and want to watch it. Whereas WB is huge and covers many forms of media - they're able to push it to a wider variety of people and perhaps bring in viewers who had no previous interest but see it and think "that's looks fun, let's give it a watch" and then perhaps get hooked.

This is all assumption, no idea how (or even if) they do promote it, but it makes me wonder if they have the potential to be better than RB in this regard.

Personally I've pretty much stopped watching DH since RB left, which is sad. Must start again... even if it means a subscription I guess. We'll see next year. Maybe the highlights of this year are on YouTube...

ossify

I am curious though if their promotion to a wider audience is better than RB’s. Redbull is known for action sports, its audience is people who like watching this kind of thing. People will only go to RB if they a) like these sports in general or b) like a specific thing (eg mtb) and want to watch it. Whereas WB is huge and covers many forms of media – they’re able to push it to a wider variety of people and perhaps bring in viewers who had no previous interest but see it and think “that’s looks fun, let’s give it a watch” and then perhaps get hooked.

This is all assumption, no idea how (or even if) they do promote it, but it makes me wonder if they have the potential to be better than RB in this regard.

I don't doubt it has the potential to be bigger and better than before but it was well served to it's core audience on a free to air platform.  It's now bundled up with a load of other **** that I for one, don't want to watch or pay that much for.  I get the impression that's the general consensus of most of the previous audience.

Not only have we lost out but the sport is losing it's soul.

On the up side this could be a new dawn where the not quite top riders can start earning some decent money for once..

Reports coming in that Chris Ball's nose has just reached Innerleithen

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I have to say that, despite all the negativity, I’ve really enjoyed the Enduro racing this year more than most other years. To be honest, I watched the highlights each month on YouTube for free, and I didn’t pay for any of it. But I was entranced, following the leadership challenge throughout the season. I also really enjoyed the XC stuff, although XC racing is miles away from my riding in reality. The DH stuff really stopped appealing to me a few years ago, and I don’t think that’s down to the coverage.

It must be true Chris ball says so

2024 MTB World Series Racing Was A Big Success

Was it? I'll have to take your word for it, because it was behind a pay wall.

<Shrugs>

I read a post by some balloon ranting about how Keely Hodgkinson had won SPOTY ahead of Joe Root. As it was on ****ter, it was definitely more a gender/sex thing that was being hinted at. But a thought struck me - all very well bleating about it, but if you put your sport behind a pay wall and pocket the cash, you can't complain about loss of profile.

<Shrugs>

Sometimes I wonder whether you lot 'get' me. Disappointed that no one clocked the Jamie reference tbh. Might flounce.

I'd be more interested in hearing about tiz-cycling's viewing figures over the last couple of years.

Well, if true, expect big sponsorship deals with outside industry companies. I mean, that's why they went with WB/Discovery, as that's where the other cycling disciplines are. So it must work, mustn't it?

Has the coverage from the non MTB media improved? You know, places like Cycling News???   No, it hasn't, nothing has changed at all.

Sorry, but I've seem similar with the WRC, and how good the figures are, etc  Yet we still only have 2.5 manufacturers. It's all bollocks.

It's gaslighting, pure and simple.

It’s gaslighting, pure and simple.

I think Chris Ball has 'Gaslighting on Behalf of Warner Bros / Discovery' in his contract.

I genuinely think he has - I reckon a good chunk of his payout was contingent on him staying on and bigging up the whole thing.

Good to see viewership has increased (although, source?) goes against all the commenters who claim they and everyone else are never going to watch it on a paid-for site and its the death of the sport etc.

Agreed. I suspect many still watch it and with it now being on a mass broadcaster (yes Discovery / Eurosport have millions of subscribers already) rather than a niche streaming service then I wouldn't be surprised to see viewership is up

Sometimes I wonder whether you lot ‘get’ me. Disappointed that no one clocked the Jamie reference tbh. Might flounce.

Well if you refuse to use the sarcasm font what do you expect?

The press release is awful. But it is a particularly curious place to slip in a few retirement announcements:

"The coverage also featured expert insights from former riders, including Aaron Gwin, Myriam Nicole, Reece Wilson, or Oli Beckinsale"

For what it's worth I thought the coverage last season was for the most part pretty good . Ric has improved a lot and the riders on co comms were all excellent , night and day from Cedric the year before . The racing was excellent, you saw more of the course than the red bull days and Kate Mason is a proper professional broadcaster . The only drawback was paying for it but in NZ it was pretty good value through the stay live app .

I don't know if the changes this year are for the better or not and I have a lot of sympathy for teams and riders who have had to pull out of world cup racing but from what I've heard no one really denied that numbers needed to be reduced somehow. Some of the criticism of WB is warranted, from listening to podcasts their communication with team managers and riders has been awful and if I was an Enduro rider and I would be pretty angry at how they have treated the format , but the actual viewing product of the DH and XC is probably better than it's ever been .