MotoGP: BT Sport helps to give motorcycling's golden generation a British boom
With Cal Crutchlow ending Britain's 35-year wait for a MotoGP race winner in front of increasing viewer numbers, is motorcycling enjoying a platform never seen before?
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Your support makes all the difference.Is MotoGP in the middle of a golden generation? It’s hard to argue otherwise. If names like Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo weren’t enough to spoil fans, the premier class can currently boast eight different winners in as many races, and there aren’t many championships that can boast that in world motor racing.
One of those winners was Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, the straight-speaking LCR Honda rider who triumphed for the first time in his five-and-a-half year MotoGP career at the Czech Grand Prix last month. The 30-year-old Isle of Man resident followed the maiden victory up with second place at the British Grand Prix to the delight of the home fans at Silverstone, and Crutchlow’s success – along with fellow Britons Scott Redding, Eugene Laverty, Bradley Smith and Alex Lowes (standing in for an injured Smith) – is helping to boost the sport onto a platform it has not experienced for some time, especially on these shores.
One of those reasons that the sport is on the up is due to the coverage on BT Sport. Race weekends are broadcast in full from first practice to the grand prix itself and an hour of analysis afterwards, coming from former riders Neil Hodgson and James Toseland as well as an experienced line-up of presenters, commentators and experts. Viewing numbers from 2015 revealed a 50 per cent increase on 2014's coverage despite its removal from live terrestrial broadcast the year before.
A leading figure of the team is Suzi Perry, the trailblazing ex-Formula 1 presenter who grew into one of the leading names among the MotoGP paddock in what remains a male-dominated sport. Perry may well be known by many from her time in F1, but she cut her teeth in the MotoGP paddock and, when BT Sport announced her return this year, the over-riding feeling was that she had come “home”.
Asked about the decision to join BT Sport’s MotoGP line-up, Perry told The Independent: “[It’s] Amazing. I hate that word but is actually is, that’s the word to describe it. It’s been such fun to be working with guys I’ve known for 20 years and my whole career and to be back in a paddock where it’s like my second home is really fun.
“It’s a bit weird, like the first year I did with BT Sport is the first ad I’ve ever thrown to and it’s a slightly different way of broadcasting, but we have a lot of laughs on screen and it’s just like watching the race from home but being with yours mates and actually sharing the stories with everybody. I’m having a great time.”
“Everyone’s really enjoying it. Obviously the serious stuff happens as well, but because we know each other so well, I think we can all [joke] like a big family.”
A big family it is indeed. Beyond the likes of Perry, Hodgson and Toseland, it takes a huge effort to ensure the seven hour show goes out without any issues. From receiving the world feed coverage generated by MotoGP, an 11-person production team goes to work to produce the coverage that allows the big name stars to shine. For last weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, MotoGP provided 23 cameras stationed around the track along with an incredible 68 different on-board cameras from the top class. Adding in Moto2 and Moto3, that figure surges beyond 100.
The team unsure that the coverage is seamless, graphics appear when prompted, the right VT plays when discussed and the sound remains at optimum levels for viewers back home. Once the broadcast begins, the foot soldiers take over.
Perry, Hodgson and Toseland open the show with typical light-hearted dialogue and a quick catch-up on what’s happened since the weekend got underway, while reporter Gavin Emmett holds court in the pit lane as the news breaks. Yet no one quite captures the excitement of MotoGP quite more than commentators Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder. Huewen draws on his own experiences to call the shots, while stat guru Ryder provides the data to back it up along with the information that his journalistic nous discovers over the course of the weekend.
Ever since BT Sport have come into MotoGP, honestly, for me it's got a lot more support than what it was before, and I really, really truly believe that
While Huewen delivers the excitement through his voice, Ryder lives it as if he’s on the bike, leaping out of his seat at near-misses and prompting Huewen to admit “Jules has just high-sided in here!”
The pair were at Brno to call the shots when Crutchlow clinched his maiden victory, and the LCR Honda rider believes that the widespread coverage offered both on BT Sport and through their social media platforms helps to spread the word about MotoGP.
“I love that people like motorbike racing,” Crutchlow says. “I said on the stage at Silverstone 'I don't care if you're wearing a Scott Redding hat, a Valentino [Rossi] hat, a [Jorge] Lorenzo t-shirt, whatever, I'm glad that you're here enjoying yourselves and hopefully we can always put on a great show'.
“I like that I'm able to bring fans into MotoGP, through BT Sport, through being able to connect on that basis. We did a thing in Silverstone where we did the video in hospitality, it's something completely different, and access that a lot of other people can't get into the MotoGP paddock. They're never going to be able to come to hospitality and walk around but that gives them the availability to be able to do it. I know they're not here but it goes to a massive audience and ever since BT Sport have come into MotoGP, honestly, for me it's got a lot more support than what it was before, and I really, really truly believe that.
“The coverage, the way things are done. Sure, we don't always agree with Julian and Keith, but [they don't agree with each other] exactly! But it adds to it, that's what adds to racing, that's what adds to the fun of it.
“BT Sport have a great panel of people that are able to know their stuff and do a good job for the viewers at home.”
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