Bodybuilding on TV

[dldurham]

From about 1983 til the mid '90's ESPN used to broadcast bb competitions on tv. The USAs, Nationals and Ms O was shown regularly, granted it was about 3 months after the actual date of the competition but anybody with cable could get to see these beautiful FBBs. I'm not sure why these broadcast came to an end ( I heard some rumor that ESPN did not want to televise events in which the athletes used drugs) :wtf: . Whatever the reason, I for one, really miss those competitions and was wondering if there is anything we the fans and supporters of FBB can do collectively to bring them back? Anybody got any ideas on this?

[Ann Dana-Caliri]

Even as recent as 2002-2003 Fox Sports was showing a few in the national arena, even the Jr. levels. They would show the introductions of the top 5 but the posing routines of just the top 3. It was still good to see and made you feel like you had done something appreciable.

There may have been some broadcast later than that, but those were the last years I saw. They seemed to always wind up airing at 2 or 3 in the morning here on the east coast.

Gee, it would be such a mystery if they weren't drawing many viewers... LOL! :headscrat

[kiM]

I remember watching Fitness competitions not too long ago. Seems like it was an international event. That was exciting!! It has been a while since I've seen women's bodybuilding on TV, though.

I've seen fashions come and go, just to come back again.... lets hope that our physique sports will come back too!!
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disclaimer: in no way am I admitting that I am old.... just because the kids that I teach are dressing the same way that I did when I was a teenager by all means does not imply that it's been 25 or 30 years.... does it??? :headscrat

[bouncin pecs]

If they took the Bodybuilding contests off cuz of drugs, then i guess they should take ALL the sports off the channel...LOL...i'm sure that is the reason, but they fail to realize that ALL sports have drugs in them....but what really pisses me off more than anything about omitting BB from that station is that now us Bodybuilders are being replaced by FREAKIN "PING PONG" AND "SPELLING BEES" :wtf: what a crock of sh_t !!!!!!!!!!!!! theres no tellling why we aren't being aired any more....sorry just had to vent because this has been a sore subject with me for a long time now......being replaced by ping pong pppppppppppppfffffffffffffffftttttttttttt

[Tre]

...I for one, really miss those competitions and was wondering if there is anything we the fans and supporters of FBB can do collectively to bring them back?

Yes!

There are 2 simple solutions:

1) You can either buy the airtime and broadcast what you'd like during that time slot.

or

2) You can start your own network and broadcast whatever you'd like any time of the day or night.

Good luck in this endeavor. I'll gladly tune in to watch.

[bobt]

Tre, you would think that a T.V. network could make a successful program out of one or two hour shows on female fitness or female bodybuilding, with tips on how to get in shape, dieting and of course posing! Gotta have lots of that. I would think that it would be pretty successful if it were done right. It could be done in such a way that it would be helpful and inspirational to female viewers while not seem threatening to them. Naturally you would have a built in male audience wanting to watch it. It would beat the living hell out of watching Golf and Bowling. Those two boring low-level activity sports seem to make it why couldn't fitness and fbb? Bob

[jasons805]

Even as recent as 2002-2003 Fox Sports was showing a few in the national arena, even the Jr. levels. They would show the introductions of the top 5 but the posing routines of just the top 3. It was still good to see and made you feel like you had done something appreciable.

There may have been some broadcast later than that, but those were the last years I saw. They seemed to always wind up airing at 2 or 3 in the morning here on the east coast.

Gee, it would be such a mystery if they weren't drawing many viewers... LOL! :headscrat
I first saw you on fox sports, you came in 5th. I forgot the show, but thought you looked very good.

[Tre]

Tre, you would think that a T.V. network could make a successful program out of one or two hour shows on female fitness or female bodybuilding, with tips on how to get in shape, dieting and of course posing! Gotta have lots of that. I would think that it would be pretty successful if it were done right. It could be done in such a way that it would be helpful and inspirational to female viewers while not seem threatening to them. Naturally you would have a built in male audience wanting to watch it. It would beat the living hell out of watching Golf and Bowling. Those two boring low-level activity sports seem to make it why couldn't fitness and fbb? Bob
First up, I love your passion.

I don't get the whole bowling thing either, but there's no denying the popularity of golf. The success of the Tiger Woods' video game from EA Sports is a testament to that. But that huge TV/advertising revenue for golf didn't emerge overnight. Back in the 40s and 50s, even though the players were 'celebrities', most top golfers scratched out a meager living.

The diet industry is enormous...and that's why the large cash sponsors for physique events in the U.S. are supplement companies. Of course, very little of that cash actually trickles down to the performer-athletes, but that's a conversation for a different day.

Right now, IFBB/NPC bodybuilding (and this includes fitness, figure, model searches, etc) is not a 'made-for-TV' event. It would require an entirely different production model to make this a reality. Sure, 10 years ago, all they needed were 3 cameras and a remote switch, but the bar has been raised now and the product presentation has to be changed in order to give the program the wide-scale entertainment value needed for it to become attractive to TV advertisers.

[Ann Dana-Caliri]

Thanks Jason, it was the first Jr Nationals I did in 2002. There were many others at that one that post here also.

You explain it very well Tre. It's a shame there are little or no televised events like ours but totally understandable in the big picture.

With the addition of FitTV and other channells like it, maybe there will eventually become a place for the type of things Bobt describes... a grand day that will be. They've got 1200+ people here that would probably tune in!!

Bowling, Golfing, Billiards, watching Bill Dance FISHING, WHAT! :banghead: (oh wait, I guess they've already cut that one, LOL) Whew, one more out of the way!