AIBU to think sport dominates TV schedules and trumps everything else?

[GoldAndSilverBells]

Just that really!

Every afternoon on ITV1 this week, there are 4.5 to 5 hours of Racing from Cheltenham, (12.30pm to 5pm-ish!) and everything is knocked off for it.

Wimbledon, The football EuroCup, The football World Cup. (Mens and womens,) olympics, other football matches and 'tournaments,' rugby, cricket, athletics, motor racing, (like Formula 1,) other horse-races, cycling, etc...All of these - and more - dominate the terrestrial TV schedules when they're on!

When The Brits were on about 13 years ago, it was running over by about 10 minutes, and Adele was giving a speech after getting an award. They shut her down, and cut her off, because there was SPORT due on, and they cut the Brits short for it!

Nothing else ever pushes other programmes off with such regularity as SPORT.

I don't even know that many people who watch sport. And the ones I do know who watch it, don't watch much of it.

Yes, I know there are other channels I could turn over to, or I could 'get outside in the fresh air' but that's missing the point.

Why does sport trump everything?!

Can't remember the last time cricket or F1 were on terrestrial tv, it's a crying shame that MOST popular sport is behind on subscription channels now.
BBC and ITV for football only show the main international tournaments and the odd FA Cup games.
Sport should be for all, not just those that can afford Sky/TNT and the many other broadcasters

There's not enough sport on terrestrial TV most you have to subscribe too now.

You obvs hate sport which is sad. Have you ever tried playing it?

I'm looking forward to the world cup tbh, and would be pissed off if it wasn't on because an episode of Tipping Point needed rerunning

Ffs it's one week for Cheltenham!
Maybe find something else to do all day rather than watch TV

The whole country seems to revolve round sport. Before the current mania with attendance they were giving kids time off school to watch football matches. My ex had to take annual leave for a world cup match (company closing for the day) which he had hoped to use for something else. As totally non sport people it feels like it is rammed down our throats 24/7. No other hobby gets such allowances and coverage. If I watched and talked about my preferred pastimes for hours and hours, spent hundreds of pounds on them, expected time off work etc people would tell me to stop or call me obsessive. It's ridiculous.

Agree. So boring.

I read somewhere that studies show watching sport has some positive effects on people, similar to the mental benefits of actually doing the sport.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/may/12/can-watching-sport-really-improve-your-wellbeing-the-science-suggests-it-can

Adele getting cut off was nothing to do with sport.

Yeah, let’s make space in the schedules on terrestrial tv for more Four In a Bed, Bargain Hunt, Tipping Point, the Chase, Countdown, Eastenders. All the quality tv that’s in every single fucking day.

Barely anyone I know watches it!

You repeating this in different posts doesn't make it any more relevant.

Clearly the channels research the viewing figures for different programmes, and would only pay for the programmes that are going to get higher figures. So the fact you have a limited circle of people around you isn't really relevant - millions of people do enjoy sports.

Plus, of course "sports" covers so many different things.
I enjoy watching football, but am not the least bit interested in horse racing, for example.

You should see a doctor about your memory issues.

BBC has live One Day internationals, daily England Test highlights and live Hundred coverage, there's live Championship football on ITV, Channel 4 shows the British Grand Prix live and highlights of every other F1 race.

All the soaps, absolute drivel. The reality shows, they can be dumped too.

And sport Is one of the few things that need to be and should Be enjoyed in the moment. Preferably in the flesh but if not, on the tv. Literally every other sort of entertainment can be streamed any time. It’s not the 70s when it was the FA Cup final or nothing. There’s a billion other things to watch or stream.