Speaking during the first panel discussion on sport and entertainment at the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester, former chief executive of the English Football Association and head of television sport at BBC Brian Barwick argued that reality TV had learnt from, but not superseded, sport on TV.
“TV channels have found their form in creating their own [reality TV] brands,” he said. “Entertainment is now brave enough to be live and reality TV shows also have that connection with the audience because they vote. It’s cheaper than sport and fills the first few pages of the tabloids, but sport still has primacy.”
Adding to the debate, John Skipper, executive VP at sports broadcaster ESPN, said the advent of digital recording technology meant that reality TV shows in the US are, in fact, frequently watched as a non-live experience.
“Sport is the only thing that aggregates this live audience,” he affirmed. “Sport is in the ascendant in the USA. We [ESPN] buy hits... Sunday Night Baseball is a hit but [for new reality TV formats] one in five is a fantastic record.”
Skipper added he was surprised that European football did not show live action at prime-time on Saturdays – reality TV’s favoured scheduling time – to take advantage of the “pent-up demand” created by the millions of fans who attend live matches in the afternoon.
Soccer, however, could work with reality TV stars to make matchday more entertaining and bring in a new football audience, according to Philip Beard, non-executive director of AEG Europe, owners of London’s O2 venue. Beard said that there was an opportunity to present half-time appearances by X-Factor stars at their local clubs, which would help to broaden the appeal of the matchday experience.
