Agreed - Super League deserves its own thread! Can't wait to get on the trainer tomorrow to watch the finals.

Not sure exactly how to reconcile whatever Macca is accused of doing on the Big Island with his involvement with this fun to watch program. I guess my focus will be on celebrating the athletes and the format rather than celebrating Macca.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I really enjoyed watching the semis today but the only way I could figure out how to watch the races (after the live airing) was on Facebook. I am actively looking to get OFF of Facebook but it seems like between watching Ironmans and SLT I'm stuck with it.

I do totally agree the production quality was great! Unless all these triathletes are really good actors, it seems like they truly enjoy Super League too. I love that there's no weird formalities like in ITU, commentators are knowledgable and know the athletes, there's community involvement, and it's just fun. Looking forward to the final tomorrow!

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KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

It took me a while to figure out how to best view it also. I ended up using the feed in Triathlon Live if you have a subscription to that (super cheap / great value if you don’t). Barring that, you can also watch the live feed through YouTube, but you have to go through the link above and register first. I initially went through the link to get to YouTube and casted to my Apple TV, but then saw that Triathlon Live also had it, so ended up using the Triathlon Live native Apple TV app which worked great

TriathlonLive was actually my first stop, but they can be so slow to air the 'rebroadcast' that I gave up.

I also registered on the Super League site but totally missed that it was through YouTube - duh. I'll watch there tomorrow!! Thanks. Don't know why it was so difficult for me today.

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KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

Unless all these triathletes are really good actors, it seems like they truly enjoy Super League too.

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That's what happens when you pay for all the athletes to race + their travel + their local PR campaigns at each stop. There's a reason why tons of pros try and qualify for this series. They pretty much get paid contracts to race, even to finish DFL.

SL invests in the athletes, and what do you know the athletes go out and plug SL with 50+ IG posts the week leading into the race, etc etc.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

The question is, how long is their runway. He's talked about how it's more attractive to broadcasters...but it's still being streamed and the ITU is on an NBC channel.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Imo it's basically as long as the rich billionaire wants to keep footing the bill. 2 things happen when you have a large bank roll.....you either get a longer than normal leash to make it work, or like Island House, your rich billionaire takes his ball and goes home....leaving all the athletes to cry about how good they had it.


Now the good thing is that SL imo is atleast trying to make it an "series". It's past this fantasy all star weekend approach, which to me was all Island House ever was. Atleast SL has series events. It's getting some corporate sponsors, it's atleast building up it's brand/series and not just making it an "weekend holiday to resort island and oh btw you have do do a quick triathlon"...SL is built on the athletes, it's supporting them, it's branding them to make the SL brand that badass brand.

As I said to monty in the ITU thread, I think SL is *only* an online brand. I don't think they have any network ins just yet. (I dont know if SL is only broadcast on ITU online channel or that means it'll also make network broadcasts like ITU does).

Is it sustainable? Hell if I know, but atleast the PTB's are putting in the best effort to grow/support it. Events like this work, will only increase money/people coming into the sport.



I also hate the comparisons to IM from the OP. SL doesn't imo put the IM broadcast to shame (I mean by default it does, but it's a terrible comparison really). SL is simply an tri event on steriods....it SHOULD put any other broadcasts to shame. It's built for success, it has what a 2mi radius of broadcasting and that's it....it has fast paced racing, it has the best athletes at the front, it has characters getting lapped on the 1st lap, so even the DFL guys/gals are still "supported".

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

They're already into race promotion for age group events. Seems to be going off the same model of the ITU as it has qualifier events. So there is a business to it. But the comment I made when I he was on the Brick Session podcast is why are you even touching the amateur side of the spectrum? If you really think this will stand on it's own you won't need to subsidize the pro event with an amateur race.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Are you suggesting they have the financial plan and/or $$$ backing to not go that route?


ETA: I think your undervaluing just how much of a kick ass format this is and how many people actually want to do this type of short fun racing. Now of course SL is built on being at exotic locations, so really it's only "wealthy" people who are likely showing up to support as fans and racing to begin with. Maybe Jersey isn't all that expensive of an Euro destination, but Malta and the island was it in Aussie the 1st year.....that screamed exotic rich destination.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

It the intent is actual private professionalization of the sport, then it needs to be paid for by broadcast rights and sponsorships. Not subsidized off the back of the amateur.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Right but it has to get to that point, so what do young businesses do a lot of the time........anything it can to get in front of people.

#business101

It has to show sustainability imo before it's going to network TV. So if by getting AG'ers to join the fun let's them have a year 4, then you deal with it.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Having AG'ers race is going to have zero affect on whether it gets picked up by broadcast networks. ZERO impact, so I'm not sure what the big deal actually is.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

This isn't to say I'm not into the product. I like the product quite a lot. And I wouldn't mind racing in the format. Yet when it comes to professionalism, I don't know of a single triathlon that sells tickets to spectators when you remove the VIP hospitality tent from Ironman.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

But the in person experience isn't what SL is going to be sold on. It's the short course balls to the wall racing that will make it to network broadcasts if and only if sponsors want to jump on board.

There's huge potential for sponsorships with this type of format and broadcast. Corporate logo around the entire course like they do at soccer matches. Naming rights of the "transition" or the bike course etc.

(I just dont think the viewership numbers are there yet, thus you gotta do what you gotta do to make it to the next season).

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Hours of entertainment here on the Super League YouTube channel.I have said for years that a huge portion of the triathlon world (especially in the USA and Canada) are not actually fans of the sport of triathlon but are just fans of selected M-Dot events and a handful of Ironman athletes. It is why I am not surprised that the Super League YouTube channel has so few subscribers


https://www.youtube.com/...os?disable_polymer=1



I was in Penticton in Canada when the first of the F1 Triathlon events (then called the Tooheys Blue Triathlon Series) was telecast live nationally in Oz in '94 and when I got back for the second season I could not believe that for the first time in my memory those races were being played on the tv in pubs and regular people sitting there drinking knew all about the events and some of the triathletes became well known athletes across the country.Suddenly people who didn't give a shit about my triathlon training wanted to know all about it.The hype has died for that type of broadcasting (as it has with Surf Lifesaving Ironman events) but the sport is still booming across the nation.

..and to add the first Super League which was held event on Hamilton Island in Oz with Mrs Frodo on commentary.I wish they would take the race back to Hamilton Island but that first year they dodged a bullet because the week after it was hit by a major cyclone..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84yxcWOYgB8

SL is a celebration of the sport of triathlon.
This is what any sport needs.

If you only sell a sport as an olympic sport you will never build a fan base.
Why, because you are saying that the sport only has value because of the olympics, not because it is a great sport.
And then of course you are just selling one event every 4th year.
That is just stupid.

What triathlon needs are good events in cities that have fans showing up.

I am a big fan of SL.
It is fun to see the best athletes having fun and battle it out.

+1 I've watched each one, and they are great.

It's tough for triathlon, I'm not sure why. England had a real boost from the London Olympics and the Brownlees are celeb status there.

But here in Germany, where there is a huge Tri community, most of the people I know who race triathlon pay very little attention to the ITU, Super League or IM. It seems more of a participation sport than an audience sport.

Super League could change that, but no one knows about it. They need to market it more. Much more.

I think a lot of sports and countries can learn from what Germany have done with biathlon.
Great events with a lot of spectators.

Triathlon has to do the same.

You can make the competition into a big show and party.

I take your point and of course don’t disagree, but two things. I did acknowledge SLT’s built-in advantage right? And second, c’mon now. Even the 70.3 WC Nice broadcast which was far and away WTC’s best production effort yet pales in comparison. Lovato and Dede didn’t even know who Gustav Iden was until he practically had the victory secured (called him Iden Gustav for most of the bike leg), Matt Lieto on a grainy Skype feed for the “sideline reporting” versus a very easy on the eyes and polished Jo (no idea how to spell her name) doing her thing, and just little things like on-screen start list, timing graphics, etc. Ironman has PUBLIC funding (yes I know the balance sheet is in a shitty place but still) and honestly the product it puts out on the broadcast is subpar. The contrast with SLT only puts it into greater relief - inherent difference in format notwithstanding

Not online only in Australia, it’s shown on fox sports.

It is live on the largest channel here in Norway.

Maybe you have a USA bias in your view.

Malta is cheap as chips... my running club has been out there the last 2 years, and will be back next year, for their annual running festival 'Gozo Marathon'. Last year we paid £250 each for flights and 5 nights stay a huge high quality AirBnB accomodation, food and drinks are cheap, pubic transport is super cheap and well done, and the locals are great out there for helping you out. The race costs like 10 euro and include cracking race packs and t-shirts etc... really puts the UK event organisers to shame with what they charge us and what we get for it. Pretty, exotic looking locations doesn't always mean expensive... depending how far you live from them in the first place.

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@the.lazy.triathlete

https://www.strava.com/athletes/18691068

You can also watch it live or on catchup on BBC Sports / BBC iplayer if you are in the UK.. goes live in 2 hours iirc.

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@the.lazy.triathlete

https://www.strava.com/athletes/18691068

Just checked prices from Norway to Malt. They are cheap.

My office once went there for meetings. It was cheaper than going to a hotel in Norway.

Really nice island.