DirecTV officials said over the weekend that if they can’t resolve their contract dispute with Comcast-owned Versus cable
channel, they will drop the channel which airs Indy Racing League races.
DirecTV subscribers have been seeing a crawl on their TV sets since Aug. 20 telling them that as of Aug. 31, DirecTV will no longer carry Versus.
IRL officials have said that this is all part of the negotiations process, and they expect the dispute to be resolved. While California-based DirecTV doesn’t represent a huge viewing universe, the IRL can hardly afford to lose access to its more than 17 million North American subscribers.
DirecTV officials said they are not interested in paying a high price for a channel which has overall “poor” ratings. Versus said Aug. 21 in a statement that since its last deal with DirecTV, it added many marquee properties and has become the fastest-growing sports cable network in the U.S.
IRL officials said TV viewership in the series’ first year with the cable channel has exceeded Versus’ forecast, and they expect those numbers to grow.
Terry Angstadt, President of IRL’s commercial division, told IBJ that he thinks the move to Versus remains a very solid strategic decision that will pay off even more in future years.
DirecTV was an IRL sponsor until Versus came aboard as the league’s TV partner. Officials for Comcast weren’t about to let DirecTV have any direct ties to the series its company-owned station carried.
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Versus must have had some pretty low expectations. I guess they must have attended some of the 2008 races and saw the product.
ANyone know when the VErsus contract is up with the DIsh anyway?
DO waht we did for the some of the IRl races. GO to WAlMArt and wach them there. WOrks grate.
And this EXCEEDED their expectations?
I find it amazingly difficult to believe that any series would sign a TV contract with the expectation of being watched in few then 160,000 households.
Talkin' Terry is simply lieing to us. His little venture down the TV dial has been a dismal failure, and each day the IRL fails to recognize this and take immediate corrective action is costing them fans and revenue.
IndyCar race fans have seen what happens when their beloved sport is watched by next to nobody on some obscure network attempting to re-re-re-rebrand itself. It fails.
1. I enjoy the Vs. broadcasts. They are much better than ESPN/ABC.
2. I subscribe to DirecTV.
3. I will not blame Vs. or DirecTV (completely) in this dispute. I blame the IRL.
Better coverage is what we asked for, and we're getting it, but on a relatively new not so widely distributed network. Versus is doing a fine job, and I commend them. But this was forseeable given the standing of this network in the grand field of networks that is Cable/Sat/etc.
I will not be switching from DirecTV. I like their product. Wouldn't matter anyway, I don't think Comcast in my land gets Vs. anyway. Guess it's the internet feed for me. :(
Growing or not though, I do have one beef with Vs. I have to question the logic in making demands when you're main focus should be market share and viewers??? Build your base, then charge what you think you're worth!
It would be interesting to see the number of Versus/IRL viewers from DirecTV, which has about 18% market share. Let's see, 18% of .2 = 0.036, a general baseline, but depending on the DirecTV viewership, could be more or less.
I've met numerous IRL fans who could be the one contributing here.
I want to axe Anthony why there is no coverage of MotoGP here this week? I mean, you have 100000 people coming in town to see what might well be the best race here all year. Do you think maybe this is too much for your average gomer to understand? Just asking why there is no coverage....
Thanks in advance...
From the words of Pee Wee Herman - I know you are but what am I?
INSERT DEVIOUS SMILEY FACE HERE!!!
What gives, is all i wanna know.
Funny to see the whiners that swore they were leaving still addicted to the hate. :lol:
I don't think keeping or losing ReVersus on DaWrecked TV will have any impact on the ratings either way. There's not much of any statistical significance when no one is watching.
Anthony, I still haven't heard any answer on if you polled the other IBJ writers as to what would be good uses for the land when IMS gets bulldozed. :D
What gives with always making fun of them? It's their choice. Besides, they had no control over what happened and only know that what's left is what's left. Many of us still like some of the competitors. There are some good people involved. Some people just want to race at this level even if it is lame.
You guys joke about the Dallara. Granted, it is uncompetetive and pretty darn ugly to look at. I will say though that that car has likely saved the lives of a few drivers including Phillipe yesterday. Ok, I know he shouldn't be there, just like Marco Greco shoudn't have been there or Salt Walther shouldn't have been there or Jigger Sirois shoudn't have been there. Truth is - none of us can have much of anything we like anymore because it all gets screwed up by money and power.
Face it, this is happening to all forms of racing at the highest levels, open wheel, fender cars, dragsters, some more than other. Only the basics have some degree of real competition left and who knows how long that will last.
Sports in general - Baseball - screwed up by greed and unions , Pro basketball - screwed up by greed, thugs and unions, Pro Football - it won't be long folks before it will begin tumbling because of continued greed, College Sports - screwed up by greed and the NCAA.
What's left - minor league sports and dirt track racing. That's where it all starts and that's where it will all end. See ya at Eldora or Salem.
Adios
no, you just don;t have good comprehesion skills, gotard.
The IRL: Byebye TVland!
I'm not a cynic...I'm a realist. The only thing strategic about the IRL's move to Versus is it strategically places them on a path to failure. Ten year contract? 160,000 households? What kinda business acumen is needed to understand Versus is the IRL's burial ground? And yeah yeah, the production value is improved. For the love of god....the ontrack product STINKS. The cars look awkward and slow with wings pasted all over them. How can you have respect for a series that from it's inception was oval based and as soon as they merge the sport the turn into CART, a way worse CART then CART was on it's very worst days?
Pull the plug, or change for the better of the sport because it's dead and Versus ain't gonna help.
Hopefully this is a typical extortion as opposed to the battle comcast and B10 had. Usually one or the other blinks quickly. That happened with ESPN as a young network, they made the cable providers blink. Then again, some of the local networks outlets have not had the same luck. Unfortunate, but it happens.
I am sure Anthony will post about this, but great to hear that Danica is back in the fold and Dixon should soon be there as well. Smart move for both of them.
And before you get your panties in a wad, BWGuy, Tony George has a documented history with cocaine abuse, I do not. so STFU unless you can back that crap up. MMMmmkay?? :rollseyes:
Perhaps I was inappropriate by even mentioning that - hey it was just a hint about what he's always saying. I will say this though. I certainly touched a nerve. Notice how he never chooses to opine about any comments of essence and worth only the innocuous diatribe he espouses. He probably won't understand that any more than he does when you or I make a point.
And now whom is whining to the moderator? hmmmmm
I take drug addiction VERY seriously, and if you knew me, you would know that. But BoT: The EARL is almost done, and if you want to continue to circle the toilet for countless days until its inevitable death, then by all means keep up the hope! Keep up the idiocy that is following a sport on life support till its death. I know, I did that with CART/CCWS and while I did snag a few things outta the garage for cheap, none of it matters any more. The same will be true regarding EARL. ITS OVER.
Now - to my additional point - there is some fantastic competition @ IMS this week/weekend, and if you had any snse, you would be out there checking it out. This is real stuff, real manufacturer involvement, real competition, real racers on really bleeding edge technology. Not to mention the Ducati Island and the bikini models! :eek:
Anyone from the board going? I will gladly buy you a beer. Say Friday?
They need to shut it down and let it die for the sake of the sport.
Thanks Tony.
Hmmm? Why the heck you figure all that failed?
And how's that search for the Series Sponsor coming?
HOW DID IT ALL GET TO THIS?
No TV ratings delivered for the past three races, IRL Motegi race NOT shown on DirectTV, rumors abound about scarce crowd at Motegi and a late night boring race. Should be great for sponsors and non-releasable TV ratings. Penske rumored to be in negotiations to buy series....now THAT would sell tickets. Maybe a possible controlling interest in the series. Like that doesn't already exist.
Silly season has only 9 to 12 cars returning for next years 2010 season. Of course, if there was positive news about IMS/IRL you would have heard it trumpeted from sea to shining sea. There is none...even the IBJ knows it. Continue the news blackout, out of sight out of mind.