Thread: BTCC Coverage
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Old 28 Aug 2023, 09:44 (Ref:4174339)   #14
Matt K
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Join Date: Nov 2016
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Matt K should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridMatt K should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Exactly. Sponsorships are a lot bigger, top drivers earn serious money, audiences are bigger. Supercars drivers are genuine stars in Australia & New Zealand and popularity of them and their category moves beyond niche motorsport category. Sure, no longer as much as used to be but still. Also, Supercars events all around the country are genuinely big events for particular states's economies, tourism etc.
BTCC is popular mostly with race fans, mass British media don't care about it at all. You can get some Formula One news in The Times or BBC but not a word about BTCC. In Australia gossip newspapers can talk about James Courtney's divorce, a driver's house going on sale or a physical altercation between drivers during gala event. That's not relevant about the championship itself of course, but shows the reach and popularity. Also, most of the top drivers in the BTCC have to manage their own sponsorship deals etc in order to buy seats and there are no big sponsors involved, be that BTCC as a championship or individual teams. During Supercars races you can see sponsors' logos around the track. In BTCC that doesn't happen. International drivers race at Bathurst 1000 or Sandown 500 from time to time - would never happen in the BTCC even if there was an endurance event because no one would be able to pay for it. I believe all the above clearly shows how and why Supercars is bigger than the BTCC. You can also see likes and followers counts on Facebook or Instagram pages of both series. This also speaks clearly. And that with Australian population being smaller than the UK's!
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