NASCAR on UK TV in 2010?

Steevp · 23 Jan 2010, 01:03 (Ref:2617824)

Looks like Sky have dropped live coverage of Nascar.

I found this ray of light:

Thank you for your email. ESPN and NASCAR are working hard to secure the future of Sprint Cup Series race coverage in UK TV it is a subject as close to our hearts as it is to yours. I’m not in a position to be able to divulge details of discussions however I can say that I am confident you will be able to watch NASCAR in the UK for the 2010 season.

Yours sincerely,
Heather White
Director Sport Syndication, EMEA
Disney-ABC-ESPN-Television
Tel. +44 20 8222 2305

But please let MotorsTV get it, I can't imagine the scheduling nightmare if Eurosport are in charge.

-S.

Rob29 · 23 Jan 2010, 13:59 (Ref:2618061)

Lets hope its not on ESPN-I do not subscribe to them as they currently cover no sport that I am remotely interested.

Silk Cut Jaguar · 23 Jan 2010, 19:29 (Ref:2618200)

I guess it's either going to be Motors TV or ESPN. I can't imagine there is any other channel that would be willing (or able) to devote 3+ hours per race.

I'd be happy with either but Motors would probably find scheduling 36 races a lot easier.

Nick88 · 23 Jan 2010, 23:37 (Ref:2618311)

It will be ESPN, there's no reason for them to put it anywhere else now. UNLESS they have it on ESPN only when ESPN have coverage in America and then all other channels will be Sky Sports/Motors?

ITV4... long shot outsider as they don't have much anymore. BTCC influence may be there.

Stephen H · 23 Jan 2010, 23:52 (Ref:2618318)

Will Channel 5/Five get the highlights still?

Knowlesy · 24 Jan 2010, 01:15 (Ref:2618339)

Please be ESPN.

Steevp · 24 Jan 2010, 15:57 (Ref:2618626)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Please be ESPN.

Don't I have to pay even more for ESPN?

chunder · 24 Jan 2010, 16:45 (Ref:2618641)

I very much doubt it will be on motors, they cant afford anything remotely as expensive as NASCAR

ESPN might own the rights anyway to some of it? I watch it on dodgy ripped channels sometimes, dont they own the rights for the pre show then Fox have the main race or summat?

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 24 Jan 2010, 18:41 (Ref:2618708)

ESPN International are the company who hold the rights that individual National/pan continental channels then buy from, ie, Sky bought the UK rights from ESPN International.

ESPN the group of channels in the US aren't involved in this as they hold broadcast rights in the US for the final group of races together with their big Brother ABC.

ESPN UK would be in the same boat as Sky in that they have to find the funding to buy the UK rights. If they had the money they would have to find the space on their ESPN/ESPN HD channel as they couldn't put it on ESPN America as this is broadcast across the UK and Scandanavia, and there is already a Channel that has the NASCAR rights for Scandanavia.

Jamesy-18 · 24 Jan 2010, 19:05 (Ref:2618722)

Here's an idea. Why doesn't one of the big channels (BBC, ITV for example) get the rights so a larger British group can watch NASCAR WITHOUT having to pay any extra money for stuff like ESPN or Sky. I'm not a massive NASCAR fan and have no intentions to buy any extra packages (simply because I don't see the point of paying all that money for stuff I generally have no interest in) but if NASCAR wants a bigger interest outside of America and maybe specifically in the UK, surely that couldn't hurt, even if it is highlights a week later or on the "red button".

skells22 · 24 Jan 2010, 21:39 (Ref:2618794)

and it is not long before the 1st green flag comes out (the daytona shootout Feb 6) meaning whoever gets NASCAR in the UK must hurry up

M3K · 24 Jan 2010, 22:47 (Ref:2618823)

Hopefully ESPN will get it back. I dropped the channel when those idiots at SETANTA had it, offering me damn football from scotland etc as a "bonus", bloody cheek. IF ESPN get the SPRINT Cup, I'll drop sky sports (all football & Golf & Cricket) & Movies, so it'll cost me less in the long run. with the added bonus of them probably showing the "Nascar Now" show.

Even better is that we'll not have to suffer those pillarks in the studio. Keith (I was a Bike GP rider) Hewen, Charles (nice shirt) Bradley & John (i've driven a truck) Mickel.

I hope someone picks up the Cup races, otherwise it's going to be a depressing 2010 watching F1

M3K

J-C · 27 Jan 2010, 22:46 (Ref:2620654)

I emailed ESPN enquiring about the NASCAR coverage and today received the following response;

Quote:

In relation to your request for the Nascar, we currently have nothing to announce. However we are interested in acquiring more sports rights, where ever possible, if it fits the business model. For a full list of ESPN’s content and future announcements please go to espn.co.uk/tv.

It's not looking good at all....I was never a huge fan of the Sky coverage but to be fair, until the tail end of 2009 they did a decent job - for instance sticking around during rain-outs and showing rescheduled races live. It's bitterly disappointing to have no coverage available with the Shootout just over a week away....looks like I will have to make do with RaceView this year.

The only benefit is I save £18 a month on a Sky Sports subscription as there is no way I am paying over £200 a year for sodding football. If Sky have discarded it and ESPN have no plans to show it I don't really see any other TV channel with the ability to dedicate 4/5 hours of Sunday night TV for 38 weeks a year. Motors is a shadow of what it used to be and couldn't even afford to keep delayed Nationwide series coverage. As for Eurosport, they probably would rather show the preliminary qualifying rounds of the World Tiddlywinks championship than NASCAR...

ascarracinguk · 27 Jan 2010, 22:55 (Ref:2620661)

im suprised in this day and age u cant jus pay to watch nascar online what ever country your in

**Adam43** · 30 Jan 2010, 14:24 (Ref:2622267)

Pants.
Not looking goof for HD is it?
Motors would be good, but their bandwidth is shocking.

I might have to get ESPN for the Rugby soon anyway...

johntt · 30 Jan 2010, 14:28 (Ref:2622270)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

im suprised in this day and age u cant jus pay to watch nascar online what ever country your in

Thats what i was thinking.

In places like the UK and mainland Europe Nascar is always going to be niche sport of a niche sport, so why doesn't Nascar offer streaming to non-US/Canada countries for a reasonable price?

Jamesy-18 · 30 Jan 2010, 17:06 (Ref:2622323)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johntt

Thats what i was thinking.

In places like the UK and mainland Europe Nascar is always going to be niche sport of a niche sport, so why doesn't Nascar offer streaming to non-US/Canada countries for a reasonable price?

Because NASCAR have no intentions to expand the fanbase outside of NASCAR. Why make the effort of marketing the sport when the place you were born still treats you so well? Makes no sense. Sad but true.

You are dead-on about it being a 'niche' sport though, and that's probably why they don't want to do it. Fact of the matter is F1 simply destroys NASCAR in viewing figures in Europe as do a lot of other championships.

Knowlesy · 31 Jan 2010, 03:49 (Ref:2622598)

Well it'd be pretty shambolic if they didn't considering how little coverage it gets.

And of course they want to expand the fanbase. But I think it is more a case of countries not wanting to take it on. It's a lot of hours and money to dedicate to a sport relatively little followed in Europe. The races are not everyones cup of tea, but most of all there is just no European drivers in there.

**FIRE** · 31 Jan 2010, 12:58 (Ref:2622757)

You can't blame Sky for not showing NASCAR if only 20k people watch...

BOY BLUNDER · 31 Jan 2010, 13:46 (Ref:2622795)

Is it defantley not on any of the channels then,will espn cover it,and the daytonna is just round the corner.

BB....

johntt · 31 Jan 2010, 21:05 (Ref:2623211)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesy-18

Because NASCAR have no intentions to expand the fanbase outside of NASCAR. Why make the effort of marketing the sport when the place you were born still treats you so well? Makes no sense. Sad but true.

The point I was getting at was the niche that exists abroad for Nascar could be catered for by a internet streaming service rather than an expensive TV package.

They can make money off country-specific adverts in each territory (customising the feeds to go to different ad playlists should be very easy with modern technology) and if necessary charge a yearly fee.

£30-£50 per year would be reasonable just for the races (practice and qualifying really isn't worth watching IMO)

bigted · 1 Feb 2010, 13:49 (Ref:2623673)

As long as they use the american crews, all the coverage is worth watching, its much better than an F1 sesion!!

**FIRE** · 1 Feb 2010, 18:14 (Ref:2623871)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigted

As long as they use the american crews, all the coverage is worth watching, its much better than an F1 sesion!!

true

MG ZS 180 · 2 Feb 2010, 10:11 (Ref:2624289)

Gents,

Sky do have Nascar, see the schedule info below, which I've lifted from http://www.five.tv/articles/tv-schedule

Yippee!

NASCAR Now (Motoring)
Starting: 06:30 on Saturday 6th February. Duration: 30 minutes. Showing on ESPN America.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 18:00 on Monday 8th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports 4.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 00:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports 4.

NASCAR Now (Motoring)
Starting: 04:30 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on ESPN America.

NASCAR (Motoring)
Starting: 07:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on ESPN America (Alternate Feed).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 13:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports HD 2.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 13:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports 2.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 15:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports 3.

NASCAR Now (Motoring)
Starting: 15:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on ESPN America (Alternate Feed).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Motoring)
Starting: 15:00 on Tuesday 9th February. Duration: 1 hour. Showing on Sky Sports HD 3.

mickey29 · 2 Feb 2010, 10:52 (Ref:2624306)

Radio Times says no, sky sports says yes. Highlights only.

http://www.huewen.com/index.php?p=1_12_Letters

Keith Huewen gives a little more detail.

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