United SportsCar Championship media coverage

[Maelochs]

Other than NASCAR and F1 there are no "popular" series. IndyCar draws about what TUSC does, and what else is even televised? CTCC and PWC on tape, and rallying and off-road on tiny channels (and also on tape.)

I'd bet out of 20 people randomly asked, not one could name an IndyCar driver more recent than Mario Andretti or AJ Foyt.

NASCAR went national in the mid-90s at a time when IndyCar racing still had some hold on the national awareness, so when it imploded, NASCAR's new leader Brian France (former ad exec) promoted the crap out of it and took over as the Nationally Noticed Racing Series.

NASCAR drivers were as unknown as any other kind of driver prior to that. But NASCAR used massive promo and the death of its competitor to insinuate itself into the public's awareness as "Racing"; apparently Americans cvan't have more than one "Racing" lerage, just as there can only be one top-tier baseball, football, or hockey league.

"Drivers are the stars versus "cars are the stars" was a part of what NASCAR did, but only a part. More of what NASCAR was run a lot of commercials, use the latest advertising technology and psychology, and aim not for motorsports fans, but for sports fans and their families, and even non-sports fans.

NASCAR actually has as much tech stuff in its broadcast as any other series, and a lot of the fans seem to be interested in the cars, as well as the drivers. it is that huge mass of non-racing fans which only care about the drivers (and the crashes) but ...

if IndyCar hadn't split in 1995, IndyCar drivers would still be the only pro drivers people recognized, and IndyCar would be on the biggest channels, and technology and diversity in IndyCar would be right up there in importance as it always had been.

"Drivers are the stars" sounds simple, but really, "Competition killed itself" is what happened. Until NASCAR alienates most of its fan base (which I don't see happening so long as they design races so that there will be ten-car wrecks regularly) I don't see any other racing series being more than a niche sport.

[NaBUru38]

Here in Uruguay, Fox Sports 3 (former Speed) will show the Daytona 24h live in three 2-hour blocks:

Saturday 17:00-19:00
Sunday 01:00-03:00
Sunday 15:30-17:30

[Maelochs]

Not too bad considering it is ... Uruaguay? How many TUSC fans does Uruguay contain? I cannot think of a single Uruguayan driver or team ... maybe in Ferrari Challenge or something.

[rich07]

ONE on free to air here in Australia showed the entire Tudor championship last year with Daytona and Sebring being cut down to six hour highlight shows but nothing so far about this year

[Somatosis]

Originally Posted by rich07

ONE on free to air here in Australia showed the entire Tudor championship last year with Daytona and Sebring being cut down to six hour highlight shows but nothing so far about this year

There's this at imsa.com, but not sure whether it is current content or not... I live in hope (or will watch some streaming or more likely download from youtube later)

International television coverage of TUDOR United SportsCar Championship events will be available in more than 300 million households across 132 countries and territories. Networks carrying the races include FOX Sports Latin America, Motors TV (Europe), Network Ten (Australia), SPEED (Australia) and FOX Sports Asia among others.

In addition to television coverage, IMSA.com will offer live streaming of TUDOR Championship qualifying and races as well as the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge races.

IMSA Radio, a co-production with Radio Show Limited, will broadcast live coverage of practices, qualifying and the races for the TUDOR Championship. Coverage will also be streamed live at IMSA.com and www.RadioLeMans.com.

[rich07]

Thanks Somatosis, I feel they might skip Daytona and show the rest of the season as most of the championship can be packaged into a three hour slot at 2am on a weekday haha.

I'll be following on RLM and that's no bad thing

[Somatosis]

No bad thing at all!

It's so great to have the various dulcet tones (esp Mr Roller) return for 'imsa radio' this year.

As for what Ten does, who knows. You're probably right, commerce precludes the inclusion of (non-taxi) endurance racing under the banner of 'big event motorsport'....

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Not too bad considering it is ... Uruaguay? How many TUSC fans does Uruguay contain?

It's also just 6 Hours of Daytona on Fox Sports 3 in Argentina, COlombia, Venezuela and Mexico.

Originally Posted by Maelochs

I cannot think of a single Uruguayan driver or team ... maybe in Ferrari Challenge or something.

We had Santi Urrutia in GP3, and a few drivers in South American Rally Championship. At the 2015 Dakar Rally, Sergio Lafuente was 3rd overall in quads when he rolled and retired.

[Maelochs]

Sorry you can't see the whole race--maybe IMSA.com or Radio Le Mans will work for you.

IndyCar seems a little more ready to embrace the Spanish/Portuguese-speaking audience

[NaBUru38]

24h Daytona television ratings in the United States:

Sat 02:00PM-03:59PM - Fox - 0.42 rating
Sat 04:00PM-07:51PM - Fox Sports 2 - 89,000 viewers
Sat 08:00PM-10:00PM - Fox Sports 1 - 239,000 viewers
Sun 07:00AM-02:30PM - Fox Sports 1 - 245,000 viewers

[Deleted]

Last year the same two hour live FOX slot had 0.5 so that's around 0.1 decrease. Not great, that's in the region of (non 500) ICS network broadcast numbers.

It's also drop off from CotA & PLM 2 hour highlights shows which both had 1.1, albeit they were partnered with NFL

[Maelochs]

I think Rolex numbers might be a normal fluctuation, but also might be influenced by the incredible disappointments at the 2014 Rolex (unnecessary yellow for the AJR Porsche, GTD winner indecision) followed by the debacle at Sebring.

Hopefully next year numbers will be up because the 2015 season will be so strong.

[Deleted]

I don't believe Billy Bob lazily watching FOX saturday afternoon remembers what happened at daytona one year earlier, if he followed that at all, but yes I think last year didn't particularly boost up the chances for improved ratings.

Rather than small live network slot I think they should've gone for Sunday highlights with this one too.

[GT6]

i wonder what the viewing figures were in the UK, it was freeview and live but someone might have figures

[HORNDAWG]

Canada and Caribbean coverage....

http://www.imsa.com/articles/fox-spo...nada-caribbean










L.P.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by GT6

i wonder what the viewing figures were in the UK, it was freeview and live but someone might have figures

It didn't make the top ten programmes on Motors TV for that week, which means that it got less than the 12,000 viewers who watched the 2014 Lamborghini Trofeo Season Review.

[NaBUru38]

Long Beach

Saturday 7:00 - 9:00 PM on Fox Sports 2: 41k viewers
Saturday 11:13 PM - 1:09 AM on Fox Sports 1: 64k viewers
Sunday 12:30 - 2:30 PM on Fox Sports 1: 116k viewers

Laguna Seca

Saturday 2:00 - 4:30 PM on Fox Sports 1: 77k viewers

Detroit

Saturday 12:30 - 2:30 PM on Fox Sports 1: 196k viewers (56k viewers 18-49yo)

Watkins Glen

Sunday 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM on Fox Sports 1: 145k viewers (28k viewers 18-49yo).

[Maelochs]

Can't figure why Detroit would be so much more popular than Laguna Seca. maybe a conflict with a bigger sporting event? Or a really interesting infomercial?

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Can't figure why Detroit would be so much more popular than Laguna Seca. maybe a conflict with a bigger sporting event? Or a really interesting infomercial?

Location, location, location. Strange though it may seem, a race with a big city name attached to it has a type of pull an unfamiliar name can't generate. I'm willing to bet a significant number of those viewers didn't know it was a race initially - they saw a TV listing that attached Detroit to a sporting event they'd never heard of and got curious.

[Matt]

Saturday afternoon vs Sunday.

Saturday afternoon no one is really doing anything, usually just planning for the night. Sundays people are usually out.

[Rcz]

I don't understand, why does the IMSA Porsche cup get on Broadcast, albeit a small time slot but the main series can't get away from cable?

You have to be as visible as possible and imsa isn't doing that.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Matt

Saturday afternoon vs Sunday.

Saturday afternoon no one is really doing anything, usually just planning for the night. Sundays people are usually out.

Just need to make sure I'm clear on what you meant to refer to here - Was this meant to be in reference to Maelochs' comment and my response thereof, or the original in general?

The races Maelochs and I referred to were both on Saturday.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

Just need to make sure I'm clear on what you meant to refer to here - Was this meant to be in reference to Maelochs' comment and my response thereof, or the original in general?

The races Maelochs and I referred to were both on Saturday.

I thought he compared Detroit to WGI, whoops.