ESPN has announced their TV coverage plans for the Amgen Tour of California. It looks like they plan to carry 1-hr coverage of the event daily - but at 1AM EST. Also, since it is on ESPN2, the rumors of HD coverage look to be un-true.
I thought Amgen signed on as a sponsor expecting a PRIME TIME slot, and as a fan that is what I was expecting as well. I’m afraid this may be our first glimpse of cycling coverage post-Lance Armstrong. As the broad attention he brought to the sport diminishes, so does the economic justification for mainstream coverage.
Note: Somehow, someway, this post is now the #1 search result on Yahoo. This is a Telecom equipment/component/carrier investment blog. I will be in CA Fri and Sat and plan to blog the event. if you are interested, come back then.
Please, you’ve got to be kidding! What sort of coverage did cycling get during the Armstrong era? If it wasn’t for OLN, we’d have just had a 1 hour network wrap up after the final stage of the Tour. Even OLN dropper their Giro and Vuelta coverage, during His era. I think the ESPN coverage of the Tour of California is a huge step. I guess I’m just happy I’m on the west coast…….no need to set the alarm clock.
Agree that OLN does a great job and I am thankful for what they do and not bitter for what they don’t.
However, Amgen wouldn’t sign on for a five year commitment without a commit for TV coverage. I would have expected them to get a better time slot up front.
Anyway, 200k people at the prologue is a good start. best thing about this isthe fact that Americans will now know other riders besides his-Lanceness.
Jesus!!!! Where did Espn get these camera guys for the Amgen tour of California amatuers.com? God there camera work was making me sick…. ESPN2 is this the best you can do for Cyclings first ever! tour in California?? Thank you Thank you for the coverage but my gosh takes some lessons from OLN on the camrea work….. now I have to go settle my stomach, good night.
Note - the camera guys (and the motorcycle drivers) for the Tour de France are not OLN. Euro cycling has a small cadre of folks who specialize in this sort of thing. Someone needs to buy them plane tickets and send them to CA. The French channel (I think it is ‘2′ or ‘4′) provides pool coverage, Ligget and Sherwen simply narate off the feed they see.
I have yet to see the ESPN coverage. Do the have Ligget and Sherwen?
Yes, Paul Sherwen and Bob Roll. No Phil, though. I think this is a huge step for cycling and cycling coverage in the U.S., and hopefully it will gain momentum year after year.