Champ Car Television to be on ABC/ESPN for 2007/2008

[indycool]

It was pretty confused this year on WHO promoted it with WHOSE money....the rumor was that KK wrote a check race week so the race could come off at all. Still, Denver had a Centrix or Sutton Motorsports staff headed by Rob Johnson, who was hired after serving as GM at Pikes Peak as Jim Freudenberg was kicked upstairs and eventually to CC. Now, the Denver staff of consequence -- Freudenberg et al -- is playing with Phoenix and Vegas and not concerning themselves with Denver and Johnson's gone.

[thebear]

Originally Posted by indycool

Nothing yet has shown what and how many races will be shown on each. 'Spect that won't be known until the situations around Zhuhai and Denver and the European Tour get resolved schedule-wise.

And hopefully there will be at least 22 cars in the field. I can dream, can't I?

[Snrub]

Hopefully CC can line up some Canadian coverage for the ESPN broadcasted races. Rogers sports is probably the best hope.

[enemy-ace]

ESPN has a minority share in TSN. I expect TSN coverage for 2007.

[Tenoch]

humm with all these motorsports on ESPN, I hope they start cutting back on World Series of Poker and other ridiculous things they show.

What if ESPN has an ace up their sleeves and are planning to launch a mortorsports channel of their own.

But yeah this is surely an improvement over the current Speed Coverage. Not to knock on Speed, cause their 2002 coverage was awesome, full qualifying and a lifestyle show. Plus prerace and post race coverage it was pretty sweet.

[mountainstar]

Speed is a toilet bowl now and I can't believe I have to say that but I do. It's nascar/pinks/choppers, blah. Obviously there is a demographic out there that wants this stuff, but not me or others I suspect.

[Tenoch]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Speed is a toilet bowl now and I can't believe I have to say that but I do. It's nascar/pinks/choppers, blah. Obviously there is a demographic out there that wants this stuff, but not me or others I suspect.

Yeah to mee Speed is like the Discovery Channel, when they started they had a clear mision and their programming was very entertaining, but they diverted too much from their original concept. Discovery Channel became American Choppers TV, instead of showing those reall cool nature prorgrams. Same with Speed they're out there with some ridiculous shows like taht thing Nelly hosts.

I still cant believe hows there's no GP2 or a1Gp coverage on Speed. Maybe other networks taking more and more racing series will shock them onto track.

[norman-normal]

When it was 'Speed Vision" it was great, but when Rupert Murdoch (FOX) took over you just know its going to resemble those "tabloid" magazines at the super mkt check-out.

[mountainstar]

Right on Norman.

I remember when I first got interested in racing you had tons of racing either on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 or on the SPORTS NETWORK(sportssouth were we lived) CART, F1, Indy Lights, Atlantics, Barber Saab, Bridgestone Supercars, Firestone Firehawk, IMSA, Trans AM, DTM, etc. It always seemed like there was good racing on. Now it's overwhelmed by cheezy 'reality' shows and endless nascar. How boring.

[RaceFreak]

Speed WILL have A1GP coverage: but in December. I think it'll be one race a week starting mid-month. I enjoy the series and miss the coverage OLN used to have. Without a US race however, I suspect interest is low....

[Amar7605]

In case anyone was wondering about the races that ESPN/ABC won't be broadcasting in 2007... according to the ESPN website the remaining races will be shown on NBC and CBS, due to contractual obligations.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...s=5&id=2669874

[norman-normal]

Thanks Amar, life just keeps getting better.(I like the hammer part)

[indycool]

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/34136/

[coyote9999]

He sounds a bit bitter about Champ Car switching for writing such an article. Even if Champ Car spends money to be honest it doesn't matter so the fans. It changes everything for sponsors however. If CC increases its ratings then the deals will get better and better I believe.

[mountainstar]

Sounds like a negative article.

John Oreovicz stated on a toronto radio show, that the deal was a 5 year deal and NOT a time buy. And he writes for ESPN, so I would imagine he would know.

If we assume for a moment that it is a time buy, the detractors always slur it as a zero sum game in that champcar spends x dollars for time and production and all that money goes into a black hole never to return. Actually the time sold on broadcasts offsets the cost, hopefully resulting in a profit. When last heard from about TV in 2004 Mr. Kalkoven said they were close to breaking even on tv costs. We know Mazda, Ford, Bridgestone and others purchase time, so I would imagine champcar does at least break even on tv or close to it.

The new deal is great because we have a broadcast partner and more visibility. We can't go wrong.

[indycool]

I doubt Oreowicz' accuracy. CC announced it as 11 races in '07 and a full schedule in '08. I, too, have heard it's a five-year deal, but the final three are option years -- to which side's option, I don't know.

I DO believe what Miller said in regard to the deal. ABC/ESPN probably took in about the same amount they pay the IRL for the rights, so it's a good deal for the mouse networks.

[NoGuts-NoGlory]

Originally Posted by indycool

I doubt Oreowicz' accuracy. CC announced it as 11 races in '07 and a full schedule in '08. I, too, have heard it's a five-year deal, but the final three are option years -- to which side's option, I don't know.

I DO believe what Miller said in regard to the deal. ABC/ESPN probably took in about the same amount they pay the IRL for the rights, so it's a good deal for the mouse networks.

I'm going to trust a guy who is employed with ESPN over a guy that works for the network that lost the Champcar package any day of the week. Miller doesn't have any proof of what he says, it's assumption.

Oreo, would definitely have contacts in ESPN that would provide him with details. He couldn't make the public statements he did if they were false or his ESPN bosses would cut him off at the knees!!

I can't count the number of times over the years that Robin Miller has got his "facts" wrong when speaking of champcar.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by indycool

I doubt Oreowicz' accuracy.

I'm sure you would. Oreo works for ESPN so I'm sure he has no clue what he is talking about. Why would he? Case closed.

[Flatspot]

Sounds to me like both are articles written over the win and loss of a client as told around the company coffee pots. Reality probably lies somewhere in the middle.

The only reality that seems to ring true to me is that Kalkhoven has a business with a business plan and he his taking the steps he sees necessary to achieve success. One day that may include a unification but he is obviously not going to hold his breath waiting for it happen.

To me it makes sense to get Champ Car out of the closet and more into the public view. Pay, or be paid to do it, doesn't matter to anyone but the owners of Champ Car and the networks. They know what they are doing and the returns they expect to achieve over the periods of time they have chosen for themselves and have made their selections. In the meantime I am looking forward to easier access to the programming.

[The Snout]

Most people are buying Oreo's take on the deal. I, too, have heard that if there is any option it is Champcar's way.

[norman-normal]

When I see all the little TG cheerleaders (AKA: CC detractors) scurrying around with "put down" stuff, I know KK has just belted a homer.
Miller is pretty predictable, this hatchet job is very much like the last time CC bolted from Speed. I'm looking forward to deleting that channel from my TV. Miller is entertaining, but it's not difficult figuring out who's signed his paychecks.

[The Snout]

Well Miller does seem a bit desperate in the article, Norm. Busy scurrying around, cutting and pasting 1996 figures in with some rough math, using "ballpark figure tossed around" in a attempt to make his article work.

[coyote9999]

Wasn't a bit desperate. It simply was a failed desperate attempt at proving nothing.

[indycool]

Believe what you want to believe....a sporting series that drew six 0.1s on SPEED, including a 0 share and only 54,000 households at the season closer in Mexico City, that was on a time buy for THAT network, is going to get a rights fee? How much sense does that make? A series that doesn't have its complete schedule yet but has a TV contract in place is getting a rights fee? How would ABC/ESPN even determine what to pay for it in that circumstance? On the other hand, ABC/ESPN can say it's "X" dollars an hour when our hours are available, sign the contract and collect the money.

[The Snout]

Originally Posted by indycool

Believe what you want to believe....a sporting series that drew six 0.1s on SPEED, including a 0 share and only 54,000 households at the season closer in Mexico City, that was on a time buy for THAT network, is going to get a rights fee? How much sense does that make? A series that doesn't have its complete schedule yet but has a TV contract in place is getting a rights fee? How would ABC/ESPN even determine what to pay for it in that circumstance? On the other hand, ABC/ESPN can say it's "X" dollars an hour when our hours are available, sign the contract and collect the money.

There's a rumour out there that ESPN already determined the worth of the currently confirmed schedule of events and arrived at a value. I assume once the rest are confirmed that the deal will be adjusted as per the worth of those events.

I agree though, believe what you want to believe.