I’m a regular reader of newsletters and minutes from bridge clubs of the world. If it’s anywhere online, I’ll probably look it up! It’s one way to stay current with worldwide news (and there are wildly talented writers who also happen to play bridge).
Somewhere in a South African Bridge Federation document of this year, I spotted that the concept of a bridge game television show was pitched to the national broadcaster, albeit unsuccessfully from the side of the network.
Well done for taking the initiative to approach them in the first place! As a sideline suggestion, failing the national broadcaster’s interest in the game, why not take the same concept to a web show instead? There’s an increasing demand for worldwide game-watching and I’m sure you could garner enough support.
This brings me to the actual topic of this post: Let’s bring back bridge shows.
I love the classic card TV show format, the lit-up card room, the perspective of the cards, the intense close-ups of the players (who are usually dressed to the nines) and the announcer who painstakingly describes every move on the table.
I loved Master Bridge, and I find that the enthusiasm carries over to YouTube channels about bridge. There are many that I love just as much, and I’d love to see more series’ centered around bridge get broadcast – yes, even extending to fiction, but that’s for a separate piece.
Here’s some of what’s necessary to get bridge back to broadcasting.
1. Broadcasting Platforms
There’s no shortage of broadcasting, recording and streaming platforms out there. YouTube is the default for many people, but there are others like Vimeo.
For live streaming, there are ones like Twitch. It’s a lot easier than the need to approach and convince a TV channel to bite.
2. Players and Venues
Just like broadcasting platforms, there’s no shortage of players to participate – or venues to let them play.
If you’ve seen how chaotic the average organizing process looks for the average Battle of the Bands, planning a bridge game doesn’t look like a train wreck.
Bridge clubs, church halls, someone’s house, book stores, restaurants. The list of possible venues for a bridge TV show is limited to having to find enough space to stick a table and somewhere to put recording equipment (and recording online games is often even easier).
3. Recording Equipment and Software
Most people are intimidated by the term Recording Equipment, and I think it stands in the way of many great concepts that would have been excellent shows.
A few years ago, recording equipment meant a camera that you needed a gym workout to be able to lift. Some larger ones still do.
But recording has also become easier and cheaper with the introduction of the webcam and the GoPro.
It no longer takes a huge budget to set up a few carefully placed cameras – and no, you don’t absolutely have to do it in high-definition if you or your club can’t afford it.
Editing software has also grown in recent times: Now, there are open source alternatives to software that used to mean you had to starve to afford them.
4. Editing Professionals
The game of bridge is so diverse that I’m sure many clubs already contain professionals who have the expertise to put a good bridge video together – and of those, a few might even be willing to do it for their club!
If not, there’s also a thing such as hiring a freelance editing professional to put together the show for a bridge club, even if they themselves might not be bridge players.
5. Sponsors and Interaction
A lot of big events and shows carry sponsorships. Again, while this sounds huge and complicated, it’s another element that’s become easier with technology.
Sponsors can come from anywhere. If you can successfully approach Big Business with a bridge idea and they happen to bite, do it, but don’t think that it’s the only way if you don’t manage this route for your club.
Websites like Buy Me A Coffee allow for patrons to click on an icon and donate small amounts to your cause: $5, $10 or more. PayPal Support icons also exist, as do crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe.
Some streaming websites also have Donate buttons where viewers can donate while they’re watching a video or stream if they like what they see.
Let’s bring back some bridge shows.