Champ Car & TSN

TedN · 14 Nov 2005, 14:23 (Ref:1460393)

I hope Champ Car officials read this. The author is right on the mark in his condemnation of the current Canadian TV coverage.

Ted

enemy-ace · 14 Nov 2005, 14:31 (Ref:1460397)

Amen to that. I definitely hope that Sportsnet gets the series.

StickShift · 14 Nov 2005, 14:48 (Ref:1460406)

The races get horrible ratings in Canada when they're shown live and in primetime in Canada as it is. It's no surprise that TSN ends up showing the races when they do.

Frankly, I think that the only reason why TSN has kept on showing Champ Car races over the last two or three seasons is tradition. I wouldn't be surprised if their execs are looking for a way to dump it. Especially with their ever expanding coverage of live hockey, football, and golf; not to mention their new-found allegiance to Nascar.

I'd rather see the Canadian coverage go to Canwest Global (who already host the coverage for the Canadian races), rather than Rogers Sportsnet.

Snrub · 14 Nov 2005, 15:08 (Ref:1460421)

Its a chicken-egg situation. Did CC ratings go in the crapper because TSN did everything possible to discourage the audience or does the broadcast get compromised because of the poor ratings? There were respectable numbers not that long ago.

IMO that author hit the nail on the head, although the blackouts are due to Molstar, not TSN.

TedN · 15 Nov 2005, 00:32 (Ref:1460921)

A friend was in Mexico for the season finale and spoke with a Molson's broadcast guy. Apparently TSN has been renewed by Champ Car to broadcast the races in Canada. Not sure for how long.

One of the excuses given for this year's fiasco was that TSN got the Champ Car schedule so late last year that broadcasting the '05 races was almost an afterthought. They already have the '06 schedule in hand so they can't use that one again...we hope.

Ted

Snrub · 17 Nov 2005, 17:25 (Ref:1463321)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSN

Due to the intrinsic complexities and nuances associated with the broadcasting a live race on TV, TSN "Canada’s Sport leader" will be allocating a premium broadcast slot for all Champ Car races in the upcoming 2006 season. Our viewers will be please to learn that Champ Car’s new prime static time slot will occur at 2AM on the second Wednesday after the completion of each event.

(okay I made that up)

Rich D · 17 Nov 2005, 18:38 (Ref:1463368)

Canadians sign this. Everyone else, support the series in Canada by signing this:

Drop TSN Petition

If you do not believe in the power of the people -- a recent event with the Canadian Curling TV coverage shows that when the viewer complains to the right people, we can be noticed. Curling is now back on prime time, we should be able to get Champ Car there...

TedN · 2 Dec 2005, 23:57 (Ref:1476075)

From today's Toronto Star ...

Quote:

... There's a slim chance that TSN might strike a deal, but it appears Canadians will get their Champ Car racing on Speed Channel next season. "We have some difficulties scheduling Champ Car races because of our NASCAR commitments so we'll have to see if they'll be on Canadian TV," said TSN president Phil King. A long slide in ratings was no doubt part of the problem. ...

Source

As someone who already gets SPEED as part of his cable TV package, I would welcome this news.

Ted

Omega99 · 3 Dec 2005, 02:09 (Ref:1476104)

That's no good at all. TSN reaches more people than SPEED, and many people won't channel surf that high, so they're missing out on the casual viewers, I think.

enemy-ace · 3 Dec 2005, 03:36 (Ref:1476118)

How many casual viewers can you get at 2am?

Snrub · 3 Dec 2005, 22:27 (Ref:1476484)

For people like us that would be great, but in terms of generating money for the series and interest, etc. it's not good.

TedN · 28 Jan 2006, 15:28 (Ref:1510780)

Further update from today's Toronto Star ....

Quote:

TSN released its auto racing lineup this week and no Champ Car races are on the schedule.

There have been scheduling conflicts in recent years — baseball or CFL football always seemed to take priority — and Champ Car (not to mention its fans) was not happy.

Let's hope Sportsnet, The Score or the Outdoor Life Network will guarantee to telecast Champ Car races when they are actually happening, not eight hours later.

Link

Ted

TedN · 28 Jan 2006, 23:36 (Ref:1511014)

Confirmation at the Race Fan TV site. Here’s the relevant excerpt from the piece:

Quote:

The surprise is that TSN will NOT broadcast any of the Champ Car races in 2006. Actually it’s not such a surprise. Many Canadian Champ Car fans were so fed up with the way that TSN showed some of the Champ Car races tape-delayed in the middle of the night or made crude edits that chopped out vital pieces of the race story that they organized a petition to Champ Car asking them NOT to re-sign with TSN for 2006. Well, they got what they wished for.

The SPEED Champ Car broadcasts will not be blacked out in Canada this year, so Canadians can watch the SPEED broadcasts which mostly will be aired live. What this means for the Canadian events – Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal – which were broadcast by Global in Canada in recent years, I do not know yet.

You have to wonder how these Canadian Champ Car fans who petitioned for TSN to be denied the Champ Car races feel about the unanticipated consequence of TSN now making available the full 2006 schedule of the hated (by loyal Champ Car fans) IRL series.

Full Story Link

Ted

enemy-ace · 29 Jan 2006, 00:17 (Ref:1511037)

Terrific news. Give me the SPEED broadcast of Champ Car every time.
No more TSN

Rich D · 30 Jan 2006, 14:34 (Ref:1511945)

Good news.. Ahhh, Speed.....

macdaddy · 30 Jan 2006, 14:45 (Ref:1511950)

I don't have cable, so I'm glad there are a number of network broadcasts this year!

TSN would have been the ideal choice for Canada, but they never gave it priority. I remember when a BlueJays gave went into extra innings, and TSN joined the California 500 "in progress" - which was on lap 100. Races have been joined "in progress" while we watched a CFL postgame show! Curling has been known to preempt ChampCar.

And when they did show a race in its entirety, it was almost always delayed. Sometimes until midnight.

icemachine · 1 Feb 2006, 00:43 (Ref:1513150)

TSN could have done it best, but they chose not to, hopefully it won't get picked up by one of the specialty channels like Country Canada. I'm hoping either Global or Sportsnet picks it up or we get full coverage from Speed. Whatever it is, I want to see the race when it is happening, not 12 or 24 hours later

Ac. · 10 Feb 2006, 05:24 (Ref:1519379)

Anything is better that what TSN had done to Champ Car in the last few years. Global always does a great job with their broadcast of the Canadian races, here's hoping they pick up this opportunity

Rich D · 10 Feb 2006, 13:48 (Ref:1519634)

[QUOTE=macdaddy] Curling has been known to preempt ChampCar.

QUOTE]

And what's wrong with Curling?

icemachine · 10 Feb 2006, 13:59 (Ref:1519646)

Nothing if you've had a few wobbly pops first

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
A World Champ ALWAYS rates over a non World Champ - Discuss	John Turner	Formula One	120	14 Aug 2005 21:42
F1 becoming Champ Car?!?!	Ac.	ChampCar World Series	24	10 May 2004 07:42
Your F3 champ	Francesca	National & International Single Seaters	52	5 Jul 2002 09:48
New WC Champ	KC	NASCAR & Stock Car Racing	6	18 Nov 2000 14:07