The Herlings vs Tomac @ Ironman video has already been mentioned on here before, but I just came across it again and couldn't help but notice the view count: 1.3 million views in a month.
Then I started reading the comments and there were so many all saying the same thing:
"I’m not even a motorcross fan, but you put together such a great mini documentary. I was hooked from the start!"
"...the video is phenomenal; engaging, interesting, very well edited. Great job. I understood everything from start to finish, even though I have no experience with the sport."
"I've never watched a single video about motorcross, nor have I ever watched the sport or even ridden a motorbike. Yet for some bizarre reason, Youtube recommended this to me. And I am glad it did."
"I'm 5 min into this out of nowhere and I am enthralled!! This was so well put together! I've never watched Motorcross but this was gripping! Edit: Just finished it. I need the sequel! That was so so good! Subbed."
Feld, MXSports, SuperMotocross...I don't know who needs to hear this, but creating compelling stories like THIS is what can draw in new fans. And this guy did it by splicing together a bunch of clips on his own. Just think what he might be able to produce with a budget and more access to footage.
What if you're wrong?
What if it's this guy?
😂😂😂
So insta bangers don’t grow the sport??? 😞😞
The video may be well made, but it’s extremely biased and cringeworthy. The American fans were pumped to have him here. I was there and nobody was upset about Herlings “smoking the Americans” that I saw. All those quotes are probably from Europeans with disdain for the USA or it’s MX scene who thoroughly enjoyed the ridiculous storyline.
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I'll reiterate that I'm bringing this up again to point out the impact that captivating storytelling can have on those outside the sport, as is clearly illustrated by the many YouTube comments.
Most of the shows we get (I'm looking at you, Supercross Preview Show on NBC) are just the same ol' cookie cutter shows that are honestly somewhat boring.
This sport chewed him up and spit him out quick
4th to last word in your sentence. Change the p to h and we're good.
Unpopular opinion, I think "grow the sport" is a dumb phrase. What does that even mean? Does it mean increase the audience, the participants, the motorcycle sales? And don't say all the above. It's too ambigious of a term.
TM
I can't stand some of the sports that ESPN televised. It'd be nice to see sx/mx as a regular on the mainstream TV networks. That's how I see growth of the sport.
If "grow the sport" means anything like NASCAR, NFL, MLB, NBA etc etc........thanks but no thanks. Keep it niche...
MX/SX was on ESPN, CBS, Fox, Fox Sports, ABC, etc for years and years and years and it's still where it's always been.
It does seem as if those major networks have diminished motorsports coverage compared to years past. I believe it's planned.
I got into moto overseas and when I came to the States, I didn't realize how little respect the general public has for this sport in the US. Most people I know think it represents some kind of mental illness. It has a horrible, redneck image and it always will. You occasionally meet people who know a little bit about it, but everybody focuses on the "crazy" aspect. A lot of it is how the sport has been promoted historically and focusing on the crashes.
Still cracks me up when non moto think the bike does all the work. no clue of the skill and fitness levels It takes to even do one lap on a Supercross track or a pro motocross track. let alone races.
A lot of my non-moto buddies also tell me they get bored to tears while watching SX. Perhaps it’s lack of appreciation of having ridden a MX bike before, so they don’t understand the skill level it takes to go fast & smooth on a SX track.
A lot of it has to do with the amount of down time and the schedule. Your average fan or someone who hasn’t ridden before isn’t going to sit there and watch the entire program. If SX was an hour long program featuring only the main events on a weekday evening I feel like it would gain a little popularity. It’s kinda shitty staying up til 1-2 am living on the east coast during some of the west coast rounds. And MX… well shit, not many people are willing to sit and watch moto for 3+ hours on a Saturday, during the afternoon, in beautiful summertime weather.
I think the unpopular reality (and the one thing that is truly preventing the sport from growing) is that supercross is boring to watch, for almost anyone not already involved in the sport…and even for some of us that have been involved…I’ve been riding for over 30 years, and I often find myself bored during the, way to long, broadcast…The past few years I haven’t even watched most of the races (just checked results), and when I have watched, I usually end up fast forwarding the heats, LCQ’s, and even most of the 250 main and some of the 450 main….the broadcast is just too long…the live broadcast should just be the two main events.
If supercross was exciting to watch, all the tv coverage the past decade or so, it would be on prime time…but we’ve lost network coverage and now have to pay for a streaming service…going backwards…
Like others have mentioned, it just doesn't translate well on TV...
Pit Row
There’s only been one media production that ever grew the sport and it’s about 50 years old. And another On Any Sunday type of movie won’t do what the first one did because we are saturated with media today.
The truth is, I liked the sport better in the 80s and early 90s. We had more races, more places to ride and a lot less drama..
Feels like I gotta chase the kids off my lawn about now
Ha I watched it lastnight. I hv a soft spot for Dutch riders probably because my mom is from there and I like sand riding. But the vid was pretty stupid and insulting to Americans. Like he knows what we think ? If you don’t live here you don’t hv a clue. How many laps did they race each other 3 maybe. Eli line on the left had him land in the soft where no one rode. His front end stuck and washed. Besides ELi was in a championship battle not a good race for measuring speed. I went threw the race track area mon the weather was decent no snow on the ground.
JGR couldn't bring in new sponsorship and eyes...nothing/noone will.
Most motorsport is boring for the most part if you strip it back to the core components of the actual race. Exciting races ≠ large viewership either. Excitiement comes from perceived value. F1 does well because the perceived value of the racing. For some reason it 'means' something, it's transcended beyond car culture as well. This can be attributed somewhat, and counter-intuitively, due to the relatively large separation of performance with the cars. This hybridisation of drivers vs vehicle works well to build ever lasting narratives. It also benefits from being the defacto #1 motorsport in the world.
I am not sure more exciting races will make any difference. What you need is more people to care about the riders and teams. One of the problems you have, again, and this is counter-intuitive, is the riders matters almost too much. With motorsport you need a bit of both. You need riders clearly on inferior gear and that kind of thing. Ken on the Suzuki is a good thing, but you really have to be educated to notice. Having said there there's a false assumption SX isn't popular. It is. I am not sure you've got much more room to grow. SX destroys most other motorsports in viewership and fanbase.
SX used to be on ESPN back in the 90s and early 2000s. What ever happened with that?
One of the reasons I like the sport is the fact it’s not “grown”. It’s more exclusive that way and most fans either ride themselves or used to which makes for a higher appreciation of the athletes and what they can do. Nascar “grew” and in my opinion completely alienated their core fan base.
In Australia our SX Masters used to be on free to air tv and the Mr Motocross series results and footage would be in the nightly news too. Nearly every person outside of moto still knew the name of at least one star rider. Now if you asked them, they have no idea. But back then the sport was relatable to the average Joe with a chook chaser in the back shed, now not so much.
Even if say AMA SX grew exponentially, it’s that Feld product growing, not the sport.
Grass roots is where a sport grows from.
I was at Ironman that day and it was awesome to be able to see herlings ride but this piece is pretty dramatic and click baiting.
I really enjoyed “inside the outdoors” it was done very well and showed the personal side to the struggle of being an Mx pro. It’s almost like whoever makes the F1 series on Netflix copied the format. I’ve watched all the that F1 show and don’t watch or follow F1 at all. Seems like that type of series could help gain fans and some respect for MX/SX.
DTS is/was lightning in a bottle. Can't be emulated. Many have tried, many have failed. It's also pretty dated now and has to change itself. The 2021 World Championship boycotted it that year because he didn't like the way it portrayed drivers. In 2022, with more control, he allowed the cameras back in. Also DTS didn't take F1 from nowehre. F1 was already hugely popular and had a massive latent demand for this kind of show because F1 has historically been very secretive. There isn't a latent demand for this kind of thing in MX/SX.
Dirtbikes were doing DTS stuff way before DTS too. So I don't fully understand why people call for this type of thing. As a sport SX/MX has always embraced new media ideas. There are/were tons of films/documentaries showing riders behind the scenes and stuff. A DTS style thing in SX/MX won't be revealing stuff we haven't seen before.
I think the lack of respect is rooted, at least in part, in the fact that it doesn’t seem unattainable. People can’t go buy an F1 car, drive two hours and race it- same with NASCAR. I think most of the public believes they could buy a clapped out, used dirt bike and do the things they see SX/MX riders do.. so it’s not as impressive.
And how many new fans will actually watch the races when they are behind a pay wall? How do you know if you like watching if you have to pay to watch and if you not in the US you have to pay for the full package or buy VPN
Definitely not where it's always been , this sport was way more popular in the 70s 80s and 90s with each passing decade it becoming less popular. Dirt bike sales are only a fraction of what it used to be mainly because kids don't play outside as much and the drastically declining birth rate.
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