Time for IndyCar to Pay for Play

[Z28]

They sell advertising to make up the difference. Once IndyCar owns that time, they sell the ad time. Also, as I mentioned, they try to combine as many dates with other series so they can rent out their production truck to also offset cost.

This is what almost everybody misses. What makes the time buy work for INDYCAR is the commercials that you see are the official INDYCAR partners, Firestone, Honda, Chevy, Go Daddy, so they could just pay INDYCAR directly for that time and they would also get the higher exposure for higher network ratings. The downside is INDYCAR is so inept at selling they would need new people to sell additional commercial time. They would also need some new people in charge of TV for the series because the ones they have now got us in the fix we're in.

But selling the broadcasts themselves would work. ABC takes the races they do now because they have slots on those few Sundays when they don't have properties they value more. You could do the same thing with the other networks. Once FOX is done with NASCAR you could pick and choose dates where they could put on races, Saturday nights especially when they have a weak lineup. You just have to work with CBS and NBC to do the same. You're still going to go up against the same Masters, US Open, baseball, football, basketball as before but now you're inthe slot on he competing network that has counter programming to promote. So long as it's in the contract that the announcers can promote the next race on a different network, following the races from one to another is not a problem that can't be beaten.

INDYCAR could provide the production they already do, have the same announcers all year which means they can upgrade the talent because it will be more attractive as a full time job. Another key is what to do if it rains out a race. You could possibly buy insurance and contract with Speed to televise the Monday races. The other issue would be qualifying, that too would have to find a cable outlet. I would be happy getting them tape delayed to be shown in prime time on a cable channel to get more viewers and tell the few thousand diehards to shut up and watch them online if it's that important to them.

[Parnelli64]

Fine then. Lets just stick with something that isn't working.

I'm going to go make a cake, cause at this rate, the Crapwagon guys are going to have a big party sooner than we'd all like to think.

but just think...when we're locking up and turning the lights out here, you can come back and shout "I told you so!"

[ramberg]

has anybody seen so much as one spot for IndyCar during the Olympics on NBCSN?? I haven't...

[Tara]

has anybody seen so much as one spot for IndyCar during the Olympics on NBCSN?? I haven't...

Olympic ads are mega money. They are not going to do it for free and I doubt Indycar wants to spend that kind of money. The hope is NBCSports gets noticed during the Olympics and people tune in afterwords or at least if they see an Indycar add for NBCSports in the future they will know where to find it after having dialed into the Olympics. I have tune into Olympic coverage after having known about NBCSports from Indycar.

[BadBrad]

has anybody seen so much as one spot for IndyCar during the Olympics on NBCSN?? I haven't...

Part of that issue is that NBCSN doesn't have any races on their network until after the Olympics are over. They (the Olympics) end August 13 and next race on that network is August 26, Mid Ohio is on ABC. That's not to say they can't do an "image" piece but I'm cutting them some slack on this one. And, I have enough confidence in those at 16th and Georgetown to think they have asked for "something" with NBCSN to run during the coverage.

I happen to think that NBCSN is a good partner to help increase television coverage, for better or worse we are tied to them for the foreseeable future. Now that they are owned by Comcast, it has to help and I believe Comcast has the largest subcriber base. There has already been a huge upgrade in new shows that will only attract new viewers. Plus, the HD version of NBCSN's channel is only one up from the ESPN mothership on my system, 173 vs. 174.

[lkchris]

To sum it up, it's time for IndyCar to get rid of the NBC deal and pay to be on ABC/ESPN the rest of the season.

So, the Hulman-George family (another name for Indycar) should pay to have the races at the "other" tracks televised?

Perhaps the team owners could offer to "indycar" to be the ones paying for this?

Or do they raise sanctioning fees for the other track owners to cover this cost?

How is it "indycar" gets richer doing this?

[Doctorindy]

I thought IndyCar "paid to play" on ESPN for years, with it not working out much better than their NBC deal.

I found some articles from "back in the day." During the late 80s and early 90s, nearly every race was either on ABC or ESPN. A rare race would fall on CBS or NBC, but those were from left over contracts (Detroit was on CBS a couple times because CBS paid for the rights to the F1 Detroit race...but it turned into a CART race). NBC on rare occasions would get a single July race (Meadowlands or Toronto) the week that ABC was covering the British Open.


USAC/IMS had a deal with ABC to cover the Indy 500/time trials. ABC paid a few million annually.
CART "bought time" on ABC.
ESPN paid for the rights to CART races.

[SoundMan360]

In 1987, a weird year, NBC had four races. All were on tape delay, as a clause in NBC's contract with NABET stipulated that events produced by outside technicians could not be aired live. NBC was determined to save money by using nonunion technicians.
IIRC, they "spun" this by showing the entire race, meaning when they cut to commercial, they resumed at the same exact spot when they returned. I remember them doing this, not positive it was on NBC in '87.

[use2know]

has anybody seen so much as one spot for IndyCar during the Olympics on NBCSN?? I haven't...

Then you haven't been watching close enough... There is a :30 promo in rotation that highlights "The most thrilling live events" that continue this fall on the NBCSN. IndyCar is prominently noted in the Promo along with the NHL, MSL and College Football. I have witnessed it several times. It has been running since the beginning of Oly coverage on NBCSN. As a matter of fact, I just witnessed it again this morning leading in to the coverage of Women's Cycling Time Trials.

[Sleepcheap]

Then you haven't been watching close enough... There is a :30 promo in rotation that highlights "The most thrilling live events" that continue this fall on the NBCSN. IndyCar is prominently noted in the Promo along with the NHL, MSL and College Football. I have witnessed it several times. It has been running since the beginning of Oly coverage on NBCSN. As a matter of fact, I just witnessed it again this morning leading in to the coverage of Women's Cycling Time Trials.

Heck, I'm so old I'm almost comatose and I've seen it several times.

[butcherjack]

Once FOX is done with NASCAR you could pick and choose dates where they could put on races, Saturday nights especially when they have a weak lineup.

FOX would be a good partner for Indycar. They have a history of trying to come up with an innovative way of showcasing the sports they carry. I know the glowing hockey puck isn't the best example, but at the very least, they would most likely breathe some life into the presentation. Guess it isn't very likely, but Indycar could be had for a fraction of what they are paying for NASCAR and maybe they would embrace the challenge of trying to turn the ICS around. Here's hoping.

[Jimmy_22]

In order for more eyeballs to land on NBC Sports, they absolutely MUST move their channel numbers to align with ESPN and The Golf Channel. Here's a look at where they're at in Indy. These channel numbers WILL NOT attract the casual viewer/channel surfer. (yes, I am yelling).

Cable ProvidersAT&T U-verse TV - 640, 1640 HD
Bright House Networks - 72, 772 HD
Comcast - 46, 1607 HD
DIRECTV - 603
DISH - 159

[SoundMan360]

In order for more eyeballs to land on NBC Sports, they absolutely MUST move their channel numbers to align with ESPN and The Golf Channel. Here's a look at where they're at in Indy. These channel numbers WILL NOT attract the casual viewer/channel surfer. (yes, I am yelling).

Cable ProvidersAT&T U-verse TV - 640, 1640 HD
Bright House Networks - 72, 772 HD
Comcast - 46, 1607 HD
DIRECTV - 603
DISH - 159

That would help.

But channel positioning these days means $$$. They're positioned on many providers based on the deal that was cut when Outdoor Life Network (is that what it was born as?) came on the air.

I wish networks would hop around more often, as I program expensive remotes with "favorite" channels where people just touch the channel logo to jump there. Changing those channel numbers means free trips to NYC for me!