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View Poll Results: Should The ALMS Move To Versus? | |||
Yes, its available on my cable/sat system | 0 | 0% | |
No, I can't get it/won't pay extra for it | 2 | 13.33% | |
Yes, only if video streaming is available for all the races | 7 | 46.67% | |
No, its fine on Speed | 6 | 40.00% | |
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 15. You may not vote on this poll |
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17 Aug 2010, 04:36 (Ref:2745677) | #1 | ||
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Cable Only, Over The Air, IPTV
I believe the ALMS is at a sort of a crossroads when it comes to growing its market share and satisfying its fan base. I am not going to talk about the production companies already involved with the series (Wheeler and Intersport) but where you already get the races.
Coming out of the 2011 discussion, it seems more than half of ALMS' races next season will be shared events with Indy Car. So this would beg the question, should ALMS move to Versus? |
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17 Aug 2010, 11:17 (Ref:2745841) | #2 | |||
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17 Aug 2010, 15:35 (Ref:2746007) | #3 | |
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A cable channel that I can't watch because I got tired of being screwed by my cable company. Do yourself a favor and never add up what you pay for the entire year. Don't you get taxed for BBC?
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17 Aug 2010, 15:56 (Ref:2746030) | #4 | |
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If it wants to continue its death spiral, then yes, a move to Versus would be appropriate.
Versus' Indycar coverage is actually quite good, they provide good pre & post race coverage, the "keep the camera on screen during commercials" technique is great, however the channel itself is a mess. It's a top-tier channel that is a "premium" on most networks, it never advertises, and is primarily a home to low rated stuff like UFC lightweight fights, bull riding, NBA d-league, Rocky IV reruns, and even lower rated non-factors like the NHL. Given that the ALMS already does an atrocious job of promotion, a move to VS would render them invisible. Most cable companies have Speed grouped with ESPN in the channel range. Want to look for racing on a Sunday? Flip to fox, flip to ABC, flip to ESPN and Speed. You'll find it. Versus? Well, it's another 40 channels down, and it's not like you saw any ads for the race, so it's pretty easy to forget. Also, factor in that the ALMS is talking about 1 hour tape delayed chopped up coverage, pretty much what World Challenge is doing now. That works fine for WC as that series will most likely be dead in a year, but for any promotion that's at least pretending that it will be around, it's suicide. |
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18 Aug 2010, 12:46 (Ref:2746542) | #5 | ||
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I'm not sure the ALMS is talking about anything on Versus, but that was the rumor certainly. I agree 100% though picchio, the ALMS needs exposure desperately and Versus isn't the way to get it.
Chris |
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18 Aug 2010, 13:52 (Ref:2746573) | #6 | |
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Discovery Channel.
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18 Aug 2010, 14:32 (Ref:2746586) | #7 | |
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ALMS has always been "Marketing Challenged." I've never seen one of their events advertised in advance and if you tally the number of ad spots for the LeMans 24 hours for this past June, the number would be threefold the number of ad spots ALMS has run during thier entire 10+ year existence.
I'm sure what it is about sportscar racing, there has always been a "people will find it and will come" attitude. Which they always have had - as I found it during the IMSA GTP hey-day in the early to mid-1980's. Unfortuately, this old approach doesn't work in a society bombarded with the most current. What makes the ALMS's laxed approach even more dishartening is they have a decent product (granted is was better in years past (2007-2008)) that can build its message around family oriented (or perhaps father and son), with easy access to the padock, drivers, teams, mechanics, and the occational celebrity (try getting this access without VIP credentials at a F1 or tin top event). This coupled with their green racing initiative should make their branding effort easy. Unless the future of ALMS is to compete with the solar car races entered by various colleges and universities - which for the record, I did see an ad spot for on the Discovery Channel. Regarding Versus, I do have access. However, I have heard that the only way to actually find the channel was to pass out after a hard night of drinking and hope that your forehead hits the remote and enters the correct channel number (or advances the channels to the upper echelon of one's program guide). |
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18 Aug 2010, 15:40 (Ref:2746617) | #8 | |||
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Then we have terrestrial commercial TV paid for by advertising only and satellite TV paid for by monthly subscription and a number of free digital channels called Freeview, adds up to hundreds of channels and if you get the full satellite package you can end up paying over £800 per year for your TV and still find there is nothing to watch!!!! Anyone not happy with any of these can select one of a few cable TV networks either as well or instead but will always pay the livence fee which I personally think is good value in itself, having travelled extensively over the last 40 years I consider the BBC the best there is overall but nothing is perfect. |
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18 Aug 2010, 15:59 (Ref:2746621) | #9 | |
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Thank you for taking the time for an explanation. I was looking at getting a proxy so I could view the BBC's excellent coverage of F1 some time ago but felt guilty and decided not to.
My problem is with what free channels here in the good old US of A think we want to watch sporting wise. Rather, what the majority of people here are interested in. Nascar has never been my cup of tea, and I don't enjoy watching the well dressed hit balls on grassy fields either. At least the B shows racing. I had been paying cable for as long as I could remember and realized that I was paying close to $1,300 a year. Sorry for my ramble! It would be wonderful if CBS ( a local channel) aired more than two ALMS races. Don't even get me started on what FOX does to the few F1 races it airs. |
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18 Aug 2010, 16:15 (Ref:2746632) | #10 | ||||||||||
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ALMS simply need exposure, by that it's a simple case of going to where they will get the most viewers. Last edited by duke_toaster; 18 Aug 2010 at 16:27. |
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23 Aug 2010, 17:26 (Ref:2749074) | #11 | |
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The ALMS's future fanbase is the videogame audience.
Only F1 in Europe and NASCAR in the US receives anything like mainstream coverage but neither are taken seriously by people who actually buy performance cars. There's an audience of ALMS/Le Mans fans out there that is not being picked up by traditional TV ratings orgnaisations. For example the Nissan GT-R now has a fanbase that matches the Porshe 911, Ferrari etc, yet before Gran Turismo the car was virtually unknown. Le Mans, the ALMS/LMS, Nurburgring 24hr, they are events that have credibility with young car enthusiasts. |
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23 Aug 2010, 21:46 (Ref:2749212) | #12 | ||||
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Fortunes have improved for the NHL on Versus so don't round-file that idea just yet. Quote:
I think Indy Car is in such a tail spin because the Top 2 teams keep winning and fans (mostly ex-CART/CCWS) hate the IRL based car. It does worst on Versus than it does on OTA, but its not by a huge margin. (.2-.4 vs .8-1.0 as of 2010) ALMS doesn't have such problems and the whole stock and barrel fan base would move with the series to a new channel. Sure you would have some moaning from those that don't have Versus on their cable system its on both popular Sat systems in the States. I wish people would stop mentioning Comcast/NBC/Universal deal it has not been approved by the FCC or Congress and frankly because of our polarized politics and media choices we don't need even less choice and more consolidation which is what this would mean. Last edited by dj4monie; 23 Aug 2010 at 21:56. |
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24 Aug 2010, 01:08 (Ref:2749271) | #13 | ||
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Dj4monie said-" I don't think it would be bad on Versus if they promote and coddle it, unlike Speed who kinda promote it for this own media buys (adverts). As has been explained by TWK, Speed and ALMS are almost equal share holders in the ALMS being shown on Speed. Both have to bring money to the table to pay for production cost.
Fortunes have improved for the NHL on Versus so don't round-file that idea just yet." Versus is for most a upper premium subscription on Cable or Sat. systems so I'm worried that that would have a negative rather than a positive effect on viewership due to having a lower availability in households percentage wise. I realize the TV delivery systems would make it available to all for a price but.. How many households out of all the Satellite and cable subscribers have gone to a package that includes that Versus how many have a package that only includes Speed. Dj4monie you seem to be in the Biz and have access to the #'s Fact and Figures so I'd like to hear this from you,if possible. Cause to me [while I'm too cheap for even basic cable!] Speed seems to be a sort of beer and brats and wine and cheese sort of level Versus could raise the level to a champagne and caviar pricing and when your trying to raise consumer awareness of your product raising your pricing and limiting its availability is a risky strategy. [Its has been known to work I'll grant you but its one of the more risky ways to go] Last edited by rdt012237; 24 Aug 2010 at 01:10. Reason: spelling |
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24 Aug 2010, 01:31 (Ref:2749276) | #14 | ||
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Since the mention of the rumor I actually did something I have not done in a while and watched something other than the 500, the Sears Point race. The production was good and the director did a good job of keeping the whole field in the race. Picture quality was perfect the commentary team was adequate, all in all a good show!
I usually watch the Tour on VS and was curious if the auto racing was in the same caliber of production, it was! L.P. |
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24 Aug 2010, 01:54 (Ref:2749281) | #15 | |
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It depends what we're talking about with VERSUS.
The races, live, in their entirety on VERSUS? Or the rumor of doing the Intersport Productions one-hour docu-dramas on VERSUS? The former, it makes no difference if it's that or SPEED. The latter, well, it would be the first time I lost sleep over a sport. ALMS is too good to be treated like that, and I'm not watching a race on my computer. It's uncomfortable, hard on the eyes, and anti-social. Just get all the rounds on TV, broadcast as races and not docu-dramas, and I'm completely content, regardless of network. ALMS is never going to be a huge draw; it's a niche sport. But with the right niche (a well-educated group of passionate individuals with a lot of disposable income), it can and will survive. The Discovery Channel suggestion, for the record, is a damned good one. That would be a nice way to cater to the people who would be interested if exposed. Exploit the niche. |
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24 Aug 2010, 03:13 (Ref:2749291) | #16 | ||
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No Versus in Canada, bad idea.
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24 Aug 2010, 04:51 (Ref:2749302) | #17 | |||
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Who's sitting in front of their 15.6 LCD laptop or 20" Desktop LCD? If you ask I would show you how for a meager investment you can put the stream on your TV. By season's end Logitech Revue will be out which has Google TV built-into it. If you have Dish Network, you'll be able to get a new Dish DVR with Google TV software sometime before Christmas I would think. They are taking surveys now. In any case I don't have a standard TV, I use Windows Media Center. |
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24 Aug 2010, 04:51 (Ref:2749303) | #18 | ||
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24 Aug 2010, 05:13 (Ref:2749306) | #19 | |||
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24 Aug 2010, 05:40 (Ref:2749309) | #20 | ||
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My preference, since getting all races live in their entirety on Speed will not happen, is for the race to be streamed live and a docudrama produced to place on niche market outlets to grow the fan base. I would also target multiple networks (outlets) for every 'show' to be aired on. With multiple networks airing the shows it will be much easier to reach into the segmented 'cable' markets.
Streaming it to my tv is easy, and should be for all! So the not being on 'tv' does not float. L.P. |
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24 Aug 2010, 06:01 (Ref:2749313) | #21 | |||
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Here's what I don't understand, how come there's never any discussion of sub-channels? Since the digital switch over most UHF and VHF channels have 2 or 3 sub-channels. NBC's Universal Sports is run on sub-channels around the country but its billed as the Outdoor Sports Channel and to show Olympic Sports that still have competitions in non-Olympic years. Versus was the Outdoor Network that started to feature more Motorsports so they changed their name and also picked up College Football along with NHL. But the NBC sub channel is available in most markets, its in HD (1080i) and its a buys station as well. Everybody can get it, there's no excuse and its not on the main channel. It has to be cheaper to put it on a sub-channel? Sub Channels show up on most EPG's - |
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