Potential for cubing to be on TV?

[RyanReese09]

Unsure of where to really place this thread, so I chose here. Annyywayy...

Has anyone really bothered to try and contact ESPN to get full coverage of big events such as Nationals, or even Worlds? I know that many competitions contact local news stations, and they'll do a small segment on it.

PS:

Spoiler

I like the message when you create a new thread, asking if the person has searched. Very nice

 

[DaKrazedKyubizt]

Not a bad idea, but I hope they don't try commentating on it. That'll epically fail. They would need cubers for commentators. Otherwise it'd be like watching table tennis.

What do I mean when I say that? Well, I'm a very frequent watcher of table tennis. It's a surprisingly complicated and fast game. There's this one British commentator that commentates on all the big events. He's a horrible commentator. It's more like listening to some really random annoying guy in the stands who has to make uneducated comments on every point. An ACTUAL random annoying guy in the stands could do the commentating better than that guy. The Chinese commentators do a much better job of commentating. I don't understand Chinese too well (only took three years of it), but I can tell the Chinese commentators actually know about the sport and know what they're talking about.

Also... yeah, I don't think that would work out too well. People would definitely watch it because many people have never seen a real Rubik's Cube competition. But I still don't think it would go down too well with ESPN, of all channels. I could be wrong though. Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. I support the idea, because if you ask 'em and they say no, you can't say you didn't try!

 

[Jorghi]

That would be cool. But they should only show fast people or else it would get really boring. And some people might not want to be on TV. The fast people would though.

But they should get some cool guy to comment with a cool voice saying "Yu Nakajima!" instead of boring cuber that ruins the fun for non cubers o-o

 

[AustinReed]

That would be cool. But they should only show fast people or else it would get really boring. And some people might not want to be on TV. The fast people would though.

I found that very redundant.
OT: I think this could be a good idea, but I don't see it going very far.

 

[RyanReese09]

But they should get some cool guy to comment with a cool voice saying "Yu Nakajima!" i

xD I know of a coolguy xD, so I could ask him xD if he would want to do that xD.

 

[SpacePanda15]

Not a bad idea, but I hope they don't try commentating on it. That'll epically fail. They would need cubers for commentators. Otherwise it'd be like watching table tennis.

No, no, no. Let them commentate! It'll be hilarious!

 

[TheMachanga]

They have the spelling bee on espn, why not Worlds?

 

[RNewms27]

They have the spelling bee on espn, why not Worlds?

Agreed completely.

They could probably find a time in their schedule to put in a big event such as the US Nationals. Cubing can't be as dull as spelling.

 

[Erdos]

^This. I was initially going to say that it would be pretty boring past 30 seconds for anyone who doesn't know anything about Rubik's cubes (the majority of the world), but then again, worse things have been on cable television (and national). Still, I wouldn't imagine a big enough demographic beyond maybe 1000 people to watch full coverage of a Rubik's cube tournament. At least for spelling bees, the general populace could try to spell the words. It's not like they would go,"why'd he do an A-perm when he should've done ..."

 

[RNewms27]

^ I was initially going to say that not many people would watch, then i remembered that most cubers would watch + others that might take interest. Big audience in my opinion... and more people might get into cubing this way.

 

[Tall5001]

^^ I would watch it haha. If this could happen for nationals that would be awesome!

 

[James Cavanauh]

I hope you guys mean 2012. I mean espn is probs/ totes booked by now and also, think
about it, would people really be willing to watch people (in a non cuber mindset) play with old toys for hours on end? Maybe, just maybe would someone stay for like an hour on that channel to watch someone play with a toy. It's like putting up a knitting competition on espn. What may be FRIGGIN AWESOME for the knitting crowd wouldn't appeal to most people. I just think the audience Is much to limited for this.

 

[Mike Hughey]

I know that a couple of years ago, Tyson had said something about looking into something like this. But I haven't heard anything since then, so I suspect it never materialized.

I remember I asked him about it after watching him announce for the finals at a US Nationals. It wasn't last year's - it was a few years ago, although I thought last year's finals were well done too. When they're announced properly, with background about each cuber as they come up and good comments, it can be quite enthralling to watch, I think. Both of those times, I felt like the finals would have made good TV.

would people really be willing to watch people (in a non cuber mindset) play with old toys for hours on end? I just think the audience Is much to limited for this.

You definitely wouldn't want a show that lasts for hours on end. You'd want to show just 3x3x3 finals, edited down so there's no wasted time, with perhaps a montage thrown in of some of the better solves from other events. Certainly no more than an hour, and perhaps even a half hour. I think the audience for something like this could be quite large, actually.

 

[Erdos]

^ I was initially going to say that not many people would watch, then i remembered that most cubers would watch + others that might take interest. Big audience in my opinion... and more people might get into cubing this way.

I really don't think there's enough cubers out in the world to make an impact on the ratings. In other words, even though "most cubers would [probably] watch", it's a very small percentage of people. To make it successful, we'd certainly need a large appeal to the general lay person. And in order to do this, we'd probably have to dumb down the commentating, explain the basics of the Rubik's cube every half-hour or something, etc. (whatever interests audience). <-- This is assuming a full coverage.

You definitely wouldn't want a show that lasts for hours on end. You'd want to show just 3x3x3 finals, edited down so there's no wasted time, with perhaps a montage thrown in of some of the better solves from other events. Certainly no more than an hour, and perhaps even a half hour. I think the audience for something like this could be quite large, actually.

I'd agree on this. I don't think a full coverage would really tie in a lot of viewers. However, an edited version of the "best stuff" that happens in Nationals (3x3 finals, etc.) maybe no more than an hour could tie in a good chunk of viewers/non-cubers.

 

[James Cavanauh]

TA RA HA! Oops sorry. When you guys made the ref. To the bee I thought you mean constant coverage of nats like the bee was. But when you put it on terms of a half an hour program or maybe even a
15-20 minute featurette it makes lots more sense. Still, it is to short notice for 2011 my guess is and no matter what, I don't think this is going to be a program people are marking thier calendars and schedules for. But, I'm going to hopefully get my brother to drive me to the local news station and convince them to do a segment on it. Just a sidenote, wouldn't it be awesome if we did have like constant rolling footage of nationals online like the Chilean miner rescue type for all the curious non cubers and the cubers that unfortunatly couldn't make it. We could just have a cam on a tripod in every room and like 3 diff choices with a schedule on the side or something....

 

[TheMachanga]

I agree with Mike. I would be happy if they film the finals and make a little montage or something.


I'm not sure if they're using the same final round method as they did in Nationals '10 (one by one), but if they do, it would be much cooler and organized.

*Rowe walking in with his song of choice and a cloud of smoke* Broadcasters "Here's Rowe, the US champion, blah blah"
Then they'll have their names on the bottom of the screen, and show all their full solves. "That gives him a blank average, putting him at 3rd"

This sounds similar the the world strongman competition. However, the broadcasters will have to know what their talking about...

 

[aronpm]

However, the broadcasters will have to know what their talking about...

There are plenty of cubers who could provide interesting, insightful and entertaining commentary.

 

[AustinReed]

There are plenty of cubers who could provide interesting, insightful and entertaining commentary.

*Cough* Andrew and Thom *Cough*
That is, if Thom could make it to the U.S.

 

[collinbxyz]

As James keeps saying, and nobody's listening to it, it is most likely too late tobputbitbon espn, since I may have things planned already. I think they should do it for World Championship since there will ne even more fast people, different cultures and some different languages being spoken. I can totally see someone like Stefan commemtating this!

 

[aronpm]

As James keeps saying, and nobody's listening to it, it is most likely too late tobputbitbon espn, since I may have things planned already. I think they should do it for World Championship since there will ne even more fast people, different cultures and some different languages being spoken. I can totally see someone like Stefan commemtating this!

I don't think anyone has suggested Nationals 2011. It's like 2-3 weeks away.