Candidates on TV?

[Trefor Owens]

I believe that the Candidates is going to be shown on Sky Arts - does anyone have any further details on this?

Thanks

[Roger de Coverly]

I believe that the Candidates is going to be shown on Sky Arts - does anyone have any further details on this?

Thanks

In the February 2013 issue of Chess, Malcolm Pein reports that the production company Sunset and Vine will be producing the programs.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I believe that the Candidates is going to be shown on Sky Arts - does anyone have any further details on this?

Thanks

In the February 2013 issue of Chess, Malcolm Pein reports that the production company Sunset and Vine will be producing the programs.

I presume Sky Arts is subscription only? Or is it available in other ways? (apparently "included in most basic subscription packs".)

Anyone seen any sign of the tickets yet? I checked the event website just now, and nothing yet that I could see. Couldn't find any round times. I presume it would be an early afternoon start and a similar time control to the London Chess Classic, or do the FIDE regulations specify details like that?

[Andrew Bak]

I presume Sky Arts is subscription only? Or is it available in other ways? (apparently "included in most basic subscription packs".)

Sky Arts is not on Freeview, I receive it as part of the Sky+ package.

The did a series about Bridge a couple of years ago presented by Clive Anderson. To a non-expert eye, it seemed quite well made and reasonably catered for beginners as well as more experienced players.

It's really exciting that World Championship Chess is getting back on TV!

[Colin Patterson]

I get Sky Arts as part of a Virgin TV/broadband/phone bundle.

Malcolm seems quite excited in 'Chess' about the novel televisual techniques they have planned to spice up the coverage. Some sort of study of the movement of the player's eyes was one of them.

No round times mentioned in Malc's editorial, but just in case anyone is unaware of the dates ... the event spans March 14 - April 1.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I get Sky Arts as part of a Virgin TV/broadband/phone bundle.

I... wonder if I can get a Virgin TV/broadband/phone bundle in time? (I have the broadband only, which is a bit silly really, and have been considering getting an all-in deal for some time - maybe if I put "chess" as the reason, they will make more programmes about chess! No, that is hoping for too much ).

[Roger de Coverly]

I... wonder if I can get a Virgin TV/broadband/phone bundle in time?

I think you can also sign up to Sky's equivalent of the BBC iplayer.

This link gives some details but not, on superficial scrutiny, the price.

http://go.sky.com/vod/content/Home/Appl ... faqPage.do

[Colin Patterson]

I'm certainly intrigued to see the Sky Arts coverage, but presumably it will only be a round-up programme of the day's events.

More importantly, will Agon charge us for the daily online live coverage, or will it be free? Anyone know?

[Chris Rice]

I haven't been able to find out anything on the TV coverage. I'm sure they'll stream it live over the net though. The main web site for the candidates tournament appears to be www.worldchess.com

I had a look at the site and saw that the candidates matches were to be played from the 14 March till 1 April at the IET Savoy Place. On the worldchess site they don't state yet what times the matches are or where in the building the games will be played. If you take a look on the link below there is a Room Tariff pdf which shows the costs of the hire of any of the rooms that might be big enough to stage the tournament. Not cheap. The main lecture hall (the biggest room which can take up to 240 people) comes at £2,708 a day with a minimum catering spend of £3,975+VAT a day. However, if you choose smaller rooms the catering spend reduces dramatically so it may mean that to cut down on costs no spectators will be allowed. This would be a great shame as the Savoy is very close to Charing Cross, Embankment and Temple tube stations and thus very accessible.

http://savoyplace.theiet.org/facilities/index.cfm

[Mick Norris]

Press Release here
http://www.worldchess.com/candidates/pr ... s%20v4.pdf

[Peter D Williams]

If its on Sky art TV you must have a subscription to watch this channel.I have all the Sky channels so am looking forward to watching it.If sky see that people like the chess lots more will be broadcast.

[Ian Kingston]

Sky Arts is unusual in that it appears not to be particularly concerned by low ratings. This Guardian article has some figures. Typical audiences are in the thousands or tens of thousands. 'A Young Doctor's Notebook', starring Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe, drew the channel's biggest audience – 252,000 – last December.

Taken together, those articles suggest to me that an average audience for chess of over 10,000 would be quite satisfactory. Whether people will actually find the programmes is another matter – I don't recall Sky's other channels ever promoting Sky Arts shows (but I don't watch Sky very often).

[Peter D Williams]

Sky Arts is unusual in that it appears not to be particularly concerned by low ratings. This Guardian article has some figures. Typical audiences are in the thousands or tens of thousands. 'A Young Doctor's Notebook', starring Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe, drew the channel's biggest audience – 252,000 – last December.

Taken together, those articles suggest to me that an average audience for chess of over 10,000 would be quite satisfactory. Whether people will actually find the programmes is another matter – I don't recall Sky's other channels ever promoting Sky Arts shows (but I don't watch Sky very often).

Sky other channels do promote Sky Arts and what is going to be on.It also has a Sky Arts High Definition(HD) Channel which broadcast the same material but of course the picture is much better. I watch Sky TV quite a bit and do enjoy the broadcast in 3D of the Football maybe one day the chess will be in 3D on Sky.

[LawrenceCooper]

http://skyarts.sky.com/about-sky-arts/h ... s-channels

[Trefor Owens]

Well, tickets are now on sale: but adding up the price of a ticket, the train fare, some grub and an obligatory chess book purchase probably not much change from £100

I think I will watch either online or on Sky Arts unless my lottery numbers do me a favour . . . .