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Speed showed the LM24 live flag to flag with pre- and post-race shows in 2001. Since then, due to Speed's NASCAR commitments, coverage has ranged to be about 14-16 hours total for LM.
Speed usually showed the Sebring12 for about 9-11 hours in the past, and in '09 and '10, Speed showed PLM from flag to flag, with pre- and post race shows.
But there in lies the problem--to get endurance races on live TV, let alone significant live coverage, the sanctioning body and race promoters have to shell out big bucks, and that doesn't work for sportscar racing unless the big factories and sponsors do a lot of the shelling out of cash--one of the complaints of Audi for the ALMS (over whether Audi AG or Audi of America should pay what there) and I believe that Audi and Peugeot complained about that to the LMS a few years ago.
A lot of this is money, and it's balancing that with who'll pay for what and spend how much and trying to get the best bang for the buck. But the ironic thing is that the ACO partnered with the FIA, which since Jean Todt came on board has become heavily America-centric, with the goal to help promote the WEC. It's slightly odd that Todt, who wants the WEC to succeed, having witnessed the 1992-'93 melt down of the previous incarnation of the series personally along with his interest in American racing and promoting the FIA in NA, and the FIA can't really get momentum to get a good media package for NA.
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