Champ Car future television

[D.R.T.]

During Robin Millers 2007 review he mentioned the idea of dropping domestic television in the USA, in stead using the funds to better develop the on track product.

Now this would be quite a drastic change for a sporting competition. I was thinking today though, would it be better to open up the Race Director coverage to all internet users, dropping the current subscription fee and using this as the main domestic coverage of the series.

Considering how much ordinary people use the internet for banking, shopping, information, email, myspace, facebook, gaming etc, the internet is a highly popular means of spending ones time.

So with tv ratings of below 1.0 these days, do ten tenths members see a move to interactive coverage for the USA as a positive option ?

[icemachine]

I'd be quite happy, better than what I currently get

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The problem for champcar is 2 fold.

1 they are jumping around the various networks in the US, almost on a race by race basis. It's difficult to build a consistant TV fan base when this is the case

2 they are running mostly at the same time as NASCAR and the other big sports in the US, which goes some way to explain point 1. NASCAR has a regular timeslot and major broadcaster(s) locked in as do MLB, NFL, NHL even college football on Sunday afternoons across the season making it difficult for Champcar to claim a regular slot on one channel.

There is probably a very strong arguement to be had for live free internet broadcasting with a regular time and channel slot for Full Race re-runs on a Monday evening. Probably not ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX but perhaps one of the dedicated Sports Channels like ESPN, SPEED or a FOX sports channel

[icemachine]

For series fans I'd guess internet broadcasts would be more popular, for casual fans (and this is where sponsors target) it definitely needs to be widely available, either Speed or ESPN

[f1manoz]

The dedicated ChampCar fans would follow the series via the Internet, but ChampCar also has to catch the casual fan who will only be flicking through the sports stations...

[D.R.T.]

Very true, but with dedicated fans the only ones tuning into open wheel broadcasts these days, could the television money be better spent elsewhere ?

[marcus]

very good point.

Besides Surfers Paradise I havent watched a Champcar event on TV for about 3 years now , Ive been watching live on race director.
I enjoy it alot but you also have to have a good connection for it to stream properly.

The good thing is I could choose between commenatry (international or the US TV feed)

So for me personally I would say "go the net" but thats just because its where I already am , but that doesnt make it right or wrong for that matter.

The big problem I see with an all net deal is sponsors , why would "joe Blow smash repairs" sponsor someone if its only going to be internet coverage Im sure they want their TV time as well.
its hard enough to find sponsors at the moment so scalling down the coverage will surely not bring in any new and major sponsors.

But it certainly is an interesting thought.

Out of curiosity how much does champcar pay for the TV coverage ??

I mean if its something reasonably small then that saving probably wont help much (im talking a couple of million) but if its tens of millions then maybe its something that can really help the series.

[mountainstar]

As i have been told Bridgestone, Mazda and others pay for the tv coverage on ESPN so it is more or less break even.

The internet is the way to go. As many people have found in the digital media offering your product for free is the way to spread the word. Personally myself i only watch torrents and season review dvds. I can watch when I want and where I want. I have a busy schedule including travel around the country on sundays so I can't always make exact plans to sit down to watch a race. I watch races on my laptop on planes and in airports or hotels I am at. I say make all the basic coverage available for download by torrent after the race. The dedicated fans who want timing and scoring and different camera views can still pay for race director.

[RaceFreak]

No, No No !

Nobody watches QVC; yet why does it continue ?

Sponsors ! Team sponsors want exposure. They're NOT trying to appeal to the hard-core fans who watch online, or to the relatively small contingent of live race attendees. They want TV exposure; however limited it may be (obviously the bigger the better).

If they want a wider audience, they must improve the product ! Cutting exposure will be the final nail in the CCWS coffin. Turn out the lights, boys....

[indycool]

Cutting off U.S. TV would be a disaster for increasing the fanbase, IMO. CC apparently messed up TV in Mexico and Australia for '07 and the promoters in Mexico City were upset. And that's what hardcore fans were saying on the boards.

Now, in connection with its "reconcentration" of the schedule to international, with only six races in the U.S., CC might as well not spend the big bucks and be on Speed but also make d--n sure it has good coverage in the other countries in which it's running for the whole season. If Europe, Australia, etc., are CC's future, then take the whole party there.

[JohnSSC]

Yep, that is my idea of a pleasant way to spend 2 hours! Hunched over my PC/laptop with crumbs from my nacho chips dribbling into my keyboard and swearing because I forgot to turn my screensaver off as it comes on right about when Junquiera passes Rahal for the lead...

The internet is ONE platform to attract fans. I don't know what the numbers are for use of Race Director, but this can't possibly be an indispensable revenue stream for CC. Open it up to whoever wants it and has a connection that can handle it.

That subset of race fans though is so small as to be useless for marketing purposes. You still need TV, as gauche as that may be and as retro as the technology may be. If I am trying to get Flomax out there to market to all those guys whose prostates are as big as pineapples, marketing to a bunch of young, internet savvy swinging hipsters isn't going to make it. All those upwardly-mobile older guys (or their SO's who are tired of them getting up to visit the loo constantly) are going to be watching TV.

Yes, NASCAR is on at the same times as, well, some of the CC races will be now that they are going to Europe looking for Godot and/or a market. That said, The PGA is often on at the same time as NASCAR or even (dare I say it?) American Football and yet Golf survives as a televised sport. I try not to watch Golf as I do not find Tiger Woods performing a molecular analysis of the blades of grass on the greens in order to determine which way the ball will break to be too terribly interesting, but scads of folks do.

The problem with the TV is that the product is not too very differentiated from that which is marketed by That Other Series and neither of them are offering compelling autosport drama. You need something that will get the average motorsport person who doesn't watch NASCAR to sit down and watch a race rather than install a french drain in front of their garage door.

Without TV this series is nowhere. If the Euro races are on the "ESPN Extreme Classic You Likely Don't have This on Your Cable Package Channel" again then they might as well tell potential sponsors: "Well, at least 4 of our races are not going to be seen by a group bigger than the membership of the Altoona Kiwanis Club."

That ain't exactly going to make Apple or Buick or Microsoft rush out to sponsor a car or buy ad space.

So Bridgestone, Mazda "and others" pay for the TV time. "And Others." They are my favorite sponsor...

Really.

Why?

Better question: "How do we know this to be a true statement?"

[Tony Clifton]

Lack of TV coverage will result in the loss of popularity of ANY event, sporting, political, news etc.

If CCWS fails to get a decent TV package it will signal the end of the series.

Racing is a sport that is fueled by sponsors that advertise on the sides of racecars, racetracks and event association etc.

No TV = NO sponsors, simple as that.

Turn the tables if any other racing series went off the TV and said "we are going to grow our series by going off TV and concentrating by putting the very best internet show on we can" you would laugh in their face and say their series is dying.

CCWS is no different.

[fazzaz]

John,

I understand that "Go-Go" Godot has raised a significant budget, and has signed with PKV-K+P+KK-G for 2008.

[JohnSSC]

fazzaz,

Oh, rapture! I wonder though, that if someone raises a more significant budget than "Go-Go Godot," will that mean he gets replaced mid-season or farmed-out to Coyne?

Methinks K Legge should sign the rumored DTM deal asap...

[cptkablamo]

I would think a good way forward would be to have a highlights package on tv - so Champ Car could buy an hour of tv time each race instead of 2 - make the highlights package really professional and dedicate about 15mins a broadcast to 'getting to know the drivers' and try to put that in an ideal timeslot.
Having highlights worked for the BTCC in the early 90s and if done properly, can work...and they reckon that people's concentration doesn't last for 2 hours so a shorter, more action packed timeframe could be a reasonable answer...
Then you also have the internet service for the hardcore fans. Then if they do save money, that can be put into the series and into other promotional materials, including feature length magazine articles and other general promotion...

So really - you get the tv time, and maybe concentrate on something else as well - people may say that the series is taking a backwards step but if they do it right, it could be that the averge fan is wanting to watch 45mins of action, 15 mins of getting to know the darn thing rather then 120 mins of kinda ok racing...

[Fogelhund]

Doing away with live TV certainly would be a cost savings, and might help the long-term viability of the series. It would also be a move towards being more of a minor league series, which would all but prevent any large sponsorship deals from occuring. It all points to whatever the aspirations of the owners are. Do they want to be a major series, or not?

[Leighton Irwin]

There are quite a few fans who work in retail or other shift work who record the races to watch later. Many people do not have internet access and many who do do not have broadband. Dropping TV would lose many fans. I just about gave up this year because Score TV fouled up the broadcasts so often.

[RaceFreak]

Originally Posted by Leighton Irwin

There are quite a few fans who work in retail or other shift work who record the races to watch later. Many people do not have internet access and many who do do not have broadband.

Absolutely true.

Series suicide.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Doing away with live TV certainly would be a cost savings, and might help the long-term viability of the series.

As I understand it the TV breaks even on cost, so there is no point in getting rid of the TV.

However some investment might need to be made in order to get the public to watch. Open wheel racing has fallen off the map in terms of mainstream public interest. Just putting the program on in a time slot doesn't do a whole lot to build interest, there has to be other programs and advertising to draw viewers to the main product. I would argue many of the nascar oriented programs are loss leaders, in that they don't generate much revenue, but it keeps pumping the nascar product into the marketplace 24 hours a day, thereby having a chance at snagging the casual viewer.

[indycool]

Doubt the NASCAR programs are loss leaders. You look at the amount of advertising on them, they hafta pay off. On the other hand, looking at the amount of advertising on CC telecasts, which is the revenue source for the time buy, it's hard to fathom that it's "break-even."

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by indycool

Doubt the NASCAR programs are loss leaders. You look at the amount of advertising on them, they hafta pay off. On the other hand, looking at the amount of advertising on CC telecasts, which is the revenue source for the time buy, it's hard to fathom that it's "break-even."

Well I've been told by a reliable source that is the case. Take it or leave it.

I disagree on the nascar programs. Many of the ones on speed are filled with ads for other speed programs or other minutae.

[jbzspace]

It is all about building the fan base in the US for the series to survive.

In the US, Champ Car will need a consistent broadcaster....one that viewers will not need a premium (Speed, ESPN Classic etc) cable channel. ESPN and major networks will work fine as long as the races are shown live...with pre and post race segments.

Forget about Race Director. Even with the fastest cable connection it is very difficult to get consistent quality and all of the features.

A larger issue for Champ Car may be the lack of American drivers. All the news of late is more Brazilians and Europeans testing for 08 seats. For the most part they come with much more significant experience than Atlantics and larger budgets. American viewers want American drivers.....the series will fade away otherwise.