[DE88]

On a Wednesday rather than a Sunday this year, for obvious reasons.

For the third straight year, it's coming from Dock10 - the first time it has been held in the same location three years running since it left Television Centre. (Will it start touring the UK again at some point, or will it continue in Salford for the foreseeable future?)

Also for the third straight year Gary, Clare, Gabby and Alex are the hosts - Gary extending his records as the longest-serving and oldest host, doing it for the 23rd straight year (not counting his sideline role at Sports Personality of the Century in 1999) and at 62.

The six candidates for the main award have already been revealed, and it's probably fair to say that if Beth Mead didn't win it would go down as one of the all-time SPOTY surprises (she's as little as 1/10 with Paddy Power, with Ben Stokes 5/1 and the rest no lower than 66/1). Last year Emma Raducanu became the first female winner for 15 years; should Beth indeed win we'll have back-to-back female winners for the first time in half a century (since Princess Anne in 1971 and Mary Peters in 1972).

[Yorksman]

In the end, it was won by Beth Mead with Ben Stokes 2nd and Eve Muirhead in 3rd.

[DE88]

In the end, it was won by Beth Mead with Ben Stokes 2nd and Eve Muirhead in 3rd.

We can't have been the only two here watching... were we? 

I must admit, I actually missed the start because I allowed myself to believe it was starting at 7, rather than 6:45... 

As I said, the odds on Beth winning were pretty short - and so too were the odds on Stokesy being best of the rest (1/4 with Paddy Power). The odds on the Lionesses and Sarina Wiegman winning the Team and Coach of the Year awards respectively can't have been very long, either. 

I'm delighted, however, that Eve came third (the best of the rest of the rest, one might say). I'm not ashamed to admit that curling is the one Winter Olympic sport I follow more than any other, and I was really gunning for the GB ladies in Beijing - and Eve in particular, these being her fourth Winter Games and only a bronze from Sochi to show beforehand. So it was thrilling for me - as, indeed, it was for many others - when she and her team won gold.

This was, of course, the first SPOTY with an audience present in three years. And some of the traditions remained present and correct - including most of the awards being presented towards the end, and the In Memoriam segment immediately before the presentation of the main award (beginning with Elizabeth II, as only it should have, and ending with Shane Warne). "Pioneer Trail" was played at the end too, something that hasn't happened much in the last few years (the 2020 event ended with a montage accompanied by Florence and the Machine, and I for one won't forget 2018 when George Ezra performed and it rather took away from Geraint Thomas's moment).

[DE88]

This might be bumping the thread but... seriously, was there *that* little interest in SPOTY this year? 

There's certainly no denying that the winner and the runner-up could be seen from a mile away - and it was known before the show began, too, that Messi had won the World Sport Star award and Usain Bolt the Lifetime Achievement award.

But could it be that the whole thing is generally considered boring and formulaic now? Obviously, the days when it was the Sports *Review* of the Year, when Des Lynam hosted, when there were the Funnies and segments such as the one from 1990 below, are in the past and will never be returned to - but what *can* it do to be more exciting in this age?

www.youtube.com 

[eyeTV]

I haven't watched it for years, it completely lost its appeal for me somehow and I like sport.

How did it do in the ratings this year?

[Happy2001]

How did it do in the ratings this year?

3 Million.

[DE88]

Most years between 1998 (the first year in the BARB archives) and 2019, the number of viewers was between 5 million and 7.5 million.

Notable exceptions were 1999 when nearly 8.5 million watched Muhammad Ali being crowned Sports Personality of the Century, 2003 when a similar number watched the 50th SPOTY, and 2012 when nearly 11 million relived the memories of the London Olympics and much more.

And, of course, 2011 when it was held on a Thursday for reasons that weren't obvious (compared to this year, anyway) and there wasn't a single woman on the shortlist. Not only did fewer than 5 million watch, but it missed BBC1's top 30 altogether (in contrast, the following year's event placed third, only Strictly and its results show attracting more viewers).

Both the 2020 and 2021 events were watched by fewer than 4 million. 2020 one could understand because, obviously, there wasn't a great deal of sport that year - but in 2021 there were the Euros and the Tokyo Olympics. Unless many saw no point in watching because Emma Raducanu was going to win anyway?

[Newshound47]

Most years between 1998 (the first year in the BARB archives) and 2019, the number of viewers was between 5 million and 7.5 million.

Notable exceptions were 1999 when nearly 8.5 million watched Muhammad Ali being crowned Sports Personality of the Century, 2003 when a similar number watched the 50th SPOTY, and 2012 when nearly 11 million relived the memories of the London Olympics and much more.

And, of course, 2011 when it was held on a Thursday for reasons that weren't obvious (compared to this year, anyway) and there wasn't a single woman on the shortlist. Not only did fewer than 5 million watch, but it missed BBC1's top 30 altogether (in contrast, the following year's event placed third, only Strictly and its results show attracting more viewers).

Both the 2020 and 2021 events were watched by fewer than 4 million. 2020 one could understand because, obviously, there wasn't a great deal of sport that year - but in 2021 there were the Euros and the Tokyo Olympics. Unless many saw no point in watching because Emma Raducanu was going to win anyway?

Just general ratings decline and a trend that is seeing all awards show suffer large drops.

[Scratch_Perry]

This might be bumping the thread but... seriously, was there *that* little interest in SPOTY this year? 

There's certainly no denying that the winner and the runner-up could be seen from a mile away - and it was known before the show began, too, that Messi had won the World Sport Star award and Usain Bolt the Lifetime Achievement award.

But could it be that the whole thing is generally considered boring and formulaic now? Obviously, the days when it was the Sports *Review* of the Year, when Des Lynam hosted, when there were the Funnies and segments such as the one from 1990 below, are in the past and will never be returned to - but what *can* it do to be more exciting in this age?

www.youtube.com 

That was when the programme - when it was Sports Review of the Year - was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and it was there for many years after leaving (BBC) Television Centre.

(In response to the OP who suggested that the programme hosted from Salford for the third year in a row was the first time this happened since the TVC days)

[AJB39]

Most years between 1998 (the first year in the BARB archives) and 2019, the number of viewers was between 5 million and 7.5 million.

Notable exceptions were 1999 when nearly 8.5 million watched Muhammad Ali being crowned Sports Personality of the Century, 2003 when a similar number watched the 50th SPOTY, and 2012 when nearly 11 million relived the memories of the London Olympics and much more.

And, of course, 2011 when it was held on a Thursday for reasons that weren't obvious (compared to this year, anyway) and there wasn't a single woman on the shortlist. Not only did fewer than 5 million watch, but it missed BBC1's top 30 altogether (in contrast, the following year's event placed third, only Strictly and its results show attracting more viewers).

Both the 2020 and 2021 events were watched by fewer than 4 million. 2020 one could understand because, obviously, there wasn't a great deal of sport that year - but in 2021 there were the Euros and the Tokyo Olympics. Unless many saw no point in watching because Emma Raducanu was going to win anyway?

Just general ratings decline and a trend that is seeing all awards show suffer large drops.

I’m sure it also suffered this year from having to air on Wednesday night. I don’t the BBC have as much confidence in it as they used to either. It used to air in a prime 8-10 slot and carry the evening but in recent years it’s aired between 7 and 9 and this year 6.45pm.