No SPEED TV for '04. USA to Replace

[racer2c]

Link (http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=motorsportsnews&loc_code=index&content_code=07374422)

[chop456]

There goes qualifying coverage.

[racer2c]

nrc and I questioned SPEED's relationship with CART just a few weeks ago. Now we know.

ring, ring. "Hello, Speed TV how may I help you?". "Hi, Tony Goerge here..."

[racer2c]

I have a feeling that Autoweek breaking this story isn't bringing smiles to the CART or Speed execs today.

[RacinM3]

The past year will go down as CART's "golden age" of TV coverage, regardless of "household penetration"....

[RichK]

This was easy to see coming. 2 or 3 SPEED re-broadcasts of F1 races/qualifying, but we can't even get a 3am slot for one Road America race?

[FRANKY]

The increased races on CBS make it worth it.

[JoeBob]

Interesting.

USA and CBS are both owned by Viacom. Viacom also owns a bunch of CBS Affiliates, the UPN Network, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1, TNN(soon SpikeTV), CMT, Comedy Central, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Infinity Broadcasting (about 180 radio stations), 100,000 Billboards in the US and 800,000 Billboards in Europe. A "partnership" with Viacom would be even more valuable than a partnership with the Disney family o' networks.

If Viacom were to invest in CART in a similar way that NBC has invested in the Arena Football League, we could be on to something good. As for qualifying coverage, it could still be on SPEED, or it could still be carried on one of the other Viacom channels.

The Viacom connection was discussed back in June in this thread: http://www.offcamber.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1602

[Napoleon]

I agree with FRANKY and JoeBob.

[racer2c]

good insight Joe.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some entity steps up to give CART some much needed security. CART needs four or five years of a doom and gloom free atmosphere, where, like David Phillips just wrote about, that it's refreshing to talk about a great event like Cleveland rather than the lingering question on whether there will be a CART next year. Whether it's VIACOM, Microsoft or BE, I'll support it. I have a feeling CART understands the need for a corporate relationship that will help it survive.

[KobySon]

I just read the old thread that was linked to. Not sure if that was written before or after Libatore's comments about CART being too wine and cheese nitchy. He's after NASCAR and is justifying putting CART on the programming chopping block.

I haven't interpreted Jim's comments as extremely CART positive for sometime.

It would be great to see qualifying on speed still plus atlantics... I wonder if in this situation, those broadcasts would remain.

[Turn7]

I have to pay an extra 5 bucks a month to get the Speed Channel. I really hope that USA or Viacom picks up the CART races so I can cancel that programming. They have already announced that 2 wheel Tuesdays are going away and that NASCAR will become more predominant than it already is.

I am all for not having to give Time Warner an extra 60 bucks a year just to see CART.

[eiregosod]

Speed CEO is on their forums, and he was saying that open-wheel racing basically wasn't getting the viewers (both CART & IRL)

[Turn7]

Well I am sure it isn't.

They pump Speed pretty good on the Fox broadcasts but, never mention anything but Nascar related programming. If they would pump other programming as much as they do Nascar, they would see better ratings. No, I am not saying as good of ratings but, better than what they currently have.

[DaveL]

I'll happily trade qualifying coverage for more races on CBS if it's ok with the d&gers.

CBS does a terrific job of broadcasting CART races. Getting an improved TV deal with more network coverage is good news for a change.

[Wheel-Nut]

Originally posted by chop456
There goes qualifying coverage.

Doesn't CART buy air time and produce the "show" thmeselves?

[FCYTravis]

With all due respect to the SPEED TV guys, CART needs more exposure than a niche motorsports-only channel can give it. There's little opportunity for CART to grow its fanbase via TV exposure if half the races are on a channel that only motorsports fans watch or even get.

Quallys on SPEED, races on CBS and a mainstream cable partner. That's what CART needs in a TV package.

[racer2c]

Originally posted by eiregosod
Speed CEO is on their forums, and he was saying that open-wheel racing basically wasn't getting the viewers (both CART & IRL)

Damage control. I'm just guessing, but I have a strong feeling this was a CART decision to leave in the hopes of bettering their TV position i.e. reaching more viewers. It's quite obvious that sponsors require proof of eyes. The more eyes, the more sponsorship.

It looks really bad when a race dedicated channel loses one of it's marque series.

I'm not knocking Speed, I've enjoyed CART on that channel among other shows. I do think they are digging themselves into a hole. They want that NASCAR money and those NASCAR eyes, which in turn pushing other series fans away.

[rocket]

Originally posted by eiregosod
Speed CEO is on their forums, and he was saying that open-wheel racing basically wasn't getting the viewers (both CART & IRL)

No surprise there, I don't know what percentage is Nascar programing, but it is high. I undertsand they need to keep their bread buttered, and it would be a shame to lose the quals. I'm up for whatever would give the CART more households though.

[Lizzerd]

I've found myself watching Speed less and less since the NASCAR invasion. I suppose they are gaining more viewers than they are losing.

[RTKar]

As Speed becomes the NAPCAR Channel, this doesn't surprise me.

[pchall]

Originally posted by Wheel-Nut
Doesn't CART buy air time and produce the "show" thmeselves?

Yes. CART has a production company that does all that great 'Speedvision' coverage for them.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Hopefully CART keeps some stuff on SPEED. I'd hate to see coverage of Toyota Atlantics disappear or lose its live/same day coverage. While the Champ Cars may have lost alot of exposure during the switch, I think the Atlantic series picked up a tremenous amount of coverage. While didn't seem to transfer into extra sponsorship, it was great for fans like me that didn't care to watch races being aired 3 weeks later in 30 minute TV slots.

[Railbird]

time will tell

I've sure enjoyed the SPEED coverage but I understand the need for a change. Nobody was watching it, a freaking go-kart race replay outdrew a live CART event this year.

It would be intereting to see what kind of guarantees and incentives are involved in the new contract.

[RaceGrrl]

I suppose with the ratings being so poor, there's not much worry over viewers not knowing where to find CART if it moves. The diehards found it, the rest of the potential audience haven't bothered.

[WickerBill]

USA is a lot easier to find on most cable systems (and both satellite systems) than Speed. Easier to find = more casual viewers.

[JoeBob]

USA also has some decent cross-promotion deals. As far as programming that attract significant numbers of vieweres, USA does pretty well. Here's last week's highest rated programs on cable TV: http://www.top5s.com/tvcable.htm Notice that 2 of the top 5 were on USA. (WWE Wrestling on TNN got 2 of those slots - even though those 2 shows are really one show. They consider 2 hours of programming 2 distinct shows because the 2nd half always gets more viewers than the first half, and they want the big number)

They also have other sports. ( http://www.usanetwork.com/sports/ ) They have Thursday and Friday coverage of PGA Tour events, and a weekly golf show Sunday mornings. They also show U.S. Open Tennis, Eco-Challenge and (this might be the best of all ;) ) the Westminster Dog Show.

In the end, CART could do a lot worse than being on USA.

[Railbird]

JoeBob

trust me here

The 'bird family clears the deck for the Westminster.

Woof!

[nrc]

Note that the story says no race coverage on SPEED. If it's correct that leaves open the possibility of qualifying coverage on SPEED.

[FRANKY]

I never watch USA for anything except Westminster. I'm not even that much of a dog person. A new channel to memorize.

It's the CBS part of this deal that makes it right.

[GOFAST1]

CBS and USA are on the basic cable and is a good news.

[KobySon]

Interesting...

I believe USA has more cable households than ESPN... If memory serves me correctly, USA was at the 100 or 101 million mark while ESPN is somewhere around 89 to 93 million.

[Ankf00]

you guys are missing the IMPORTANT part of all this...

for once I get to watch an entire season of CART ;)
that's all that matters :laugh:

oh yea, and isn't the point of getting sponsors getting ppl to actually SEE the sponsors? hard to do with a few hundred thousand watching on speed for 2/3's of the season.

[Jag_Warrior]

Originally posted by Lizzerd
I've found myself watching Speed less and less since the NASCAR invasion. I suppose they are gaining more viewers than they are losing.

Same here... and I was ALL for Speedvision a couple of years ago. Speed Channel just isn't for me anymore - I seldom watch it. It's more likely that I'll see vintage sports cars or high performance machinery on Fine Living, or one of the Discovery Channels, than Speed these days. I was really hoping that CART would end up on TNN/Spike TV. That made more sense to me, but I guess USA is better than nothing.

It's really too bad about Speed. But whether you're talking about music, sports or business (how long before "outsourcing" shows up as the Word Of The Day on Sesame Street?), it seems that the way to make money in the good old U.S.A. these days is by appealing to that lowest common denominator.

[Gurneyflap]

Fine. Time marches on. I can get USA, not Speed, so I'm pleased. The guys at lpinc.com will do both anyway, I assume, so the coverage should be better than last year and equal to or better than anything on Speed or CBS this year. CBS trusts lpinc., CART trusts lpinc., I look forward to seeing ALL the races again for the first time in 3 years! TWO THUMBS UP!

[oddlycalm]

My primary complaint with any big three network coverage is the fact that inevitably the local affiliates pre-empt several races a year with unscheduled time slot changes at the last minute. Aside from telethons, some of the earth shattering events to pre-empt CART broadcast in the past have included NCAA womens regional golf semi-finals, a couple local footraces, several infomercials, and a news broadcast or two. The CBS affiliate has a better track record, however that's just in this market.

I had good results working with one of the advertising executives with our local race sponsor to take a hard line with the affiliate regarding pre-empting CART races, but that person has recently left the company. They are the only ones locally with enough leverage, as they are heavy buyers of local advertising, and thus can't be ignored.

Of course CBS coverage was just fine, as it was the basically the same production as for the races aired on Speed Channel. CBS didn't have diddle to do with the production, all they do is provide distribution.

oc

[Turn7]

The larger the fan base the less pre-empting will be done. Exposure and acceptance will cure the pre-empting problem. If the acceptance never happens, then it deserves to be pre-empted.

[JLMannin]

Originally posted by DaveL
I'll happily trade qualifying coverage for more races on CBS if it's ok with the d&gers.

CBS does a terrific job of broadcasting CART races. Getting an improved TV deal with more network coverage is good news for a change.

Ha! I love it. Nothing is acceptable to the doom and gloomers. CBS does do a good job, and I hope they stay with the 2.5 hour TV window. It is really nice to have a few minutes at the beginning of the telecast for interviews, and, of course, interviews after the race.

I actually get USA network, so I will be able to see all the races next year. This is good news.