February 21, 200521 yr NASCAR TAKING LEAD IN TALKS WITH TV 'NETS By HOLLY M. SANDERS February 15, 2005 -- Hotter than ever among advertisers, Nascar is primed to negotiate its television deals with broadcast networks Fox and NBC. Advertisers are paying an average of $375,000 ? a 10 percent jump from last year ? for a 30-second spot during Nascar's Daytona 500, set to air Sunday on Fox. At least a dozen companies, including big names like Coca-Cola, Office Depot and UPS, will debut new ads during the race. The higher ad rates are more evidence of Nascar's marketing clout, which will bolster its position when it shops for a more lucrative contract, marketing experts said. While Fox and NBC both have time left under their current deals, Nascar officials have already opened talks, according to sources. "It really strikes me that they are poised better than probably any league other than the NFL," said David Carter, a principal at the Los Angeles-based Sports Business Group. Last year's Daytona 500 drew an average of 17.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. While that's a far cry from the Super Bowl's 86.8 million average viewers, it's in the ballpark of the World Series with 25.4 million viewers. ? Nascar officials have started preliminary talks with Fox, which along with cable network FX airs the first half of the racing season before it switches to NBC. Fox has a contract that runs through 2006, though Nascar has the option to renew it for another two years. News Corp. owns both the Fox and The Post. Spokesmen for Nascar and Fox declined to comment on the contract negotiations. NBC, along with cable network TNT, has a contract that is also set to expire in 2006, but there is no option to extend it. Nascar has held off on talks with NBC after Dick Ebersol, NBC's Sports Chairman, survived a plane crash in November, according to sources. An NBC spokesman wasn't available to comment. At the same time, ABC and ESPN, both owned by the Walt Disney Co., have expressed interest in airing Nascar races and are rumored to be bidders for the second half of the season now carried by NBC. "ESPN and ABC are interested in Nascar if it would deliver value for the rights fee," said Dan Quinn, a spokesman for ESPN. An ABC spokesman declined to comment. Fox and NBC each pay about $200 million a year for the rights to broadcast the races. Both networks lose money under their current six-year contracts, though the losses have lessened in the past couple of years, according to sources. "Up to this point the economics have been challenging, but we're cautiously optimistic that they will improve," said Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox Sports. Still, Nascar is showing steady growth through a rabidly loyal fan base that started in the South and since expanded. Nascar is intent on attracting a truly national audience by opening tracks in places like Los Angeles and Phoenix. Officials also are pursuing expansion plans in New York and Seattle. In addition, the sport is reeling in bigger advertisers and sponsors in top-spending categories like financial services, telecom companies and beverages. Nascar is also getting a boost by finally accepting liquor sponsors, such as Diageo's Crown Royal, which is airing TV ads during Nascar races. "They are seeing an opportunity there to tell advertisers and sponsors that they are national property that can demonstrate major growth," said Sports Business Group's Carter. http://www.nypost.com/business/40539.htm FOX and NASCAR have a deal through 2008, however NASCAR can end it in 2006 if they wish to renegotiate or let another partner get the FOX package. This is highly unlikely. FOX currently has races the first half on FOX and FX along with coverage on FSN and Speed. FOX gets the Daytona 500 every other year. NBC/Turner Sports have a deal that ends in 2006. Turner Sports runs NASCAR.com. It is expected that ABC/ESPN will challenge NBC/Turner Sports for the rights to run NASCAR.com, the Daytona 500 every other year, the second-half rights, the "playoff" races, and Championship Weekend coverage.
February 21, 200521 yr Cape: Do you know if there is any chance FOX tries to get a piece of the last 10 races after 2006?
February 21, 200521 yr I would love to see ESPN cover NASCAR again! 691620[/snapback] Agreed....I want ESPN to become the Sports Monopoly.
February 21, 200521 yr Well it would just be better than the garbage coverage on NBC and Fox. 691647[/snapback] I dont mind Fox.
February 21, 200521 yr I can't stand DW and his shameless favoritism. Did you hear him scream "WAY TO GO JUNEBUG!" and half a lap later, nobody even noticed that Jeff Gordon had taken the lead? I'd rather see NBC anyday.
February 21, 200521 yr Author Cape: Do you know if there is any chance FOX tries to get a piece of the last 10 races after 2006? 691632[/snapback] FOX is booked with MLB and NFL rights and they will likely only keep the first half. NBC will battle it out with ABC/ESPN. I would prefer that FOX and NBC/TNT keep it as is. ABC/ESPN failed in their previous attempt along with CBS/TNN. FOX has brought NASCAR to the forefront and NBC is the only thing stopping Championship Weekend from leaving Miami. ABC/ESPN make no guarantee they won't support moving the Weekend from Miami to another track.
February 21, 200521 yr Author If anyone wants a taste for ABC/ESPN's modern race coverage, check out the Indy Races. http://racing.honda.com/schedule/index.aspx ABC and ESPN are the exclusive American rightsholders. First race is March 6th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
February 21, 200521 yr ABC and ESPN do a really great job with IRL coverage and I'd be happy to see them replace either FOX or NBC. For y'alls sake I would like to see the Championship weekend stay down in Miami.
February 21, 200521 yr Author ESPN has grown up a bit since they had it before.... 691683[/snapback] FOX and NBC run laps around them. ESPN's graphics just cannot keep up with the modern NASCAR guys. The Indy races have improved, but the coverage is still not on par for what NASCAR fans are used to now.
February 21, 200521 yr Author Oh BTW, The IRL and ABC/ESPN are under contract until 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/indy2004/news/story?id=1810233
February 21, 200521 yr ESPN has grown up a bit since they had it before.... 691683[/snapback] FOX and NBC run laps around them. ESPN's graphics just cannot keep up with the modern NASCAR guys. The Indy races have improved, but the coverage is still not on par for what NASCAR fans are used to now. 691685[/snapback] What NASCAR fans are used to sucks. FOX and NBC try to turn it into a movie-like, electrifying, dramatic thing, and while that may draw in more fans, I'd rather see the kind of coverage ABC and ESPN can provide: racin
February 21, 200521 yr ESPN doesnt put in any real effort with IRL in terms of technology, its essentially what they used a few years ago with nascar, just with differnet bells and whistles.
February 21, 200521 yr Author NASCAR won't take bland production values from ABC/ESPN. They want the bells and whistles that FOX and NBC/TNT bring. ABC/ESPN is too much of a European-style race broadcaster and that bores most NASCAR fans. ESPN may also try to take over MRN and PRN with ESPN Radio. That may cause chaos if they try to do that. I predict NASCAR will stay status quo, maybe moving a few races back to TBS from NBC/TNT if needed.
February 21, 200521 yr Author Another thing is ESPN International will seek to take over NASCAR's International TV branch....NASCAR does a better job than ESPN can ever do. Posted on Thu, Feb. 12, 2004 NASCAR on TV in 150 countries and in at least 23 languages ThatsRacin.com Report NASCAR's booming popularity apparently isn't limited to the United States. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing begins the 2004 season with a global reach that includes weekly TV broadcasts in more than 150 countries and in 23 languages. In 2004, the company's international broadcast partners will air more than 4,000 hours of NASCAR-related programming outside the United States. NASCAR renewed 13 broadcast partnerships and added 10 new TV partners. They will bring new and expanded coverage to Canada, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Italy, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and throughout the Middle East. Fan demand, combined with the NASCAR brand, has fueled an increased interest in stock car racing by broadcasters around the world. NASCAR now has 30 broadcast partners outside the U.S. They include TSN, Sportsnet, Craig Media Group, Bell ExpressVu, Speed Channel, Televisa, SporTV, TV Globo, Fox Sports Latin America, Fox Sports Middle East, Fox Sports Australia, Eurosport, Channel 5, ITV, NASN, AB Moteurs, Motors TV, Viasat, Sportmania, Showtime, NTV, G+, Indosair, Cineplex, SKY, SOLAR Sports, Dubai Sports Channel, SNTV, Reuters and TWI. "By partnering with world class TV networks outside of the U.S., NASCAR is growing the worldwide fan base and reaching new fans around the globe," said Robbie Weiss, NASCAR's director, nternational. "Our international focus is expanding our reach and increasing overall opportunities for the industry. Expanding our worldwide TV distribution and developing partnerships in individual markets form the engine driving the growth. "For teams, drivers, and sponsors with global interests and who do business outside the U.S., and the auto manufacturers in our sport, NASCAR?s growing international television distribution is providing significant increases in the exposure and value they receive." Collectively, the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events are distributed to more than 150 territories around the world. More than 800,000 service personnel and their families can see NASCAR via the American Forces Network in 170 countries and on aircraft carriers at sea. NASCAR?s international partners and reach: ? Broadcasting NASCAR in Canada are TSN, Sportsnet, SPEED Channel, Craig Media Group, BellExpressVu; ? Televisa covers NASCAR in Mexico and SPEED Channel broadcasts NASCAR in Mexico and the Caribbean; ? In Europe, ITV and CH 5 cover the sport in the UK, NASN broadcasts in the UK and Ireland, Sportmania in Spain, SKY in Italy, Viasat in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, AB Moteurs in France, Eurosport provides Pan European coverage, and Moteurs TV broadcasts throughout Europe and parts of Africa; ? The Asian/Pacific Rim countries of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand experience NASCAR through NTV/G+, Fox Sports Australia, SKY, Solar Sports, Indosair and Cineplex, respectively; ? Dubai Sports Channel, Showtime, and Fox Sports Middle East provide coverage in the Middle East; ? The American Forces Network, SNTV and Reuters provide worldwide coverage and TWI provides in-flight broadcasts. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7937296.htm
February 21, 200521 yr I hope MRN and PRN stay the same, their coverage is outstanding. I find myself muting the TV and turning on the radio a lot.
February 21, 200521 yr Author I see FOX possibly starting a new channel for sports to go head-to-head with ESPN. NFL, MLB, and NASCAR events will be on it. Fox Sports Channel is the project name. ABC/ESPN's Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football packages may be lost to this channel. Then in 2007, FOX hopes to win over MLB by offering to place ESPN's MLB package on this channel and launch a Fox Baseball Channel similar to the NFL Network, SPEED, NBA TV, or the Fox Soccer Channel. Then FOX hopes to sway NASCAR into allowing this channel to replace the local Fox Sports Nets and fx as the main carriers of NASCAR programming nationwide.
February 21, 200521 yr if we see ABC/ESPN, they will not stay with the IRL graphics that are around today. there is no question theyll try to copy what NBC/TNT/FOX have now
February 21, 200521 yr Author if we see ABC/ESPN, they will not stay with the IRL graphics that are around today. there is no question theyll try to copy what NBC/TNT/FOX have now 691806[/snapback] ABC/ESPN still has not discovered that the scorestrip and smaller scoreboard are better. Look at their basketball coverage compared to CBS or FSN. It looks 2 years behind.
February 22, 200521 yr all i gotta say is, i'd rather watch hockey. 691812[/snapback] Playoff hockey > a nascar race at say, Las Vegas
February 22, 200521 yr If anyone wants a taste for ABC/ESPN's modern race coverage, check out the Indy Races. http://racing.honda.com/schedule/index.aspx ABC and ESPN are the exclusive American rightsholders. First race is March 6th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. 691681[/snapback] There isn't many other options for a race in late November.
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