Speed Channel and the IRL

[indyguy]

As a paying customer of the Speed Channel, I am extremely disappointed in the complete lack of coverage of the ICS. :mad: Is there some underlying rift between Speed Channel and the ICS that I am not aware of? It seems like they go completely out of their way to NOT cover it.
In terms of promoting the series, ICS needs to get some programming going on Speed to help keep the series in front of racing fans. I mean, I like all types of racing. I watch some of the NASCAR stuff, F1 stuff, bikes, road racing, etc., just enough to keep up with what is happening.

You would think with a name like SPEED, that they would have a little more coverage of the fastest racing in the world (with apologies to the NHRA).

Is there a RIFT?????

[sf-indy-fan]

A rift? Not that I know of.

Probably more a matter of SPEED being owned by FOX, FOX having a BIIIIIG TV contract with NASCAR, and the on-track product NASCAR presents not comparing favorably with the on-track product the IRL presents.

[OWNUT]

As a paying customer of the Speed Channel, I am extremely disappointed in the complete lack of coverage of the ICS. :mad: Is there some underlying rift between Speed Channel and the ICS that I am not aware of? It seems like they go completely out of their way to NOT cover it.
In terms of promoting the series, ICS needs to get some programming going on Speed to help keep the series in front of racing fans. I mean, I like all types of racing. I watch some of the NASCAR stuff, F1 stuff, bikes, road racing, etc., just enough to keep up with what is happening.

You would think with a name like SPEED, that they would have a little more coverage of the fastest racing in the world (with apologies to the NHRA).

Is there a RIFT?????

Champ Car pays for the coverage. So I do not think they want to have the IRL on also.

[SportscarBruce]

A rift? Not that I know of.

Probably more a matter of SPEED being owned by FOX, FOX having a BIIIIIG TV contract with NASCAR, and the on-track product NASCAR presents not comparing favorably with the on-track product the IRL presents.

That is one answer

Champ Car pays for the coverage. So I do not think they want to have the IRL on also.

there is the other.

[sf-indy-fan]

Champ Car pays for the coverage. So I do not think they want to have the IRL on also.

Yep, I'm sure that figures into it, too.

But give SPEED a couple of years and they'll flush all that open-wheel nonsense out of their programming schedule and be all NASCAR, all the time, with a teeny bit of Texas Hardtails & Barrett-Jackson thrown in for good measure.

[indyguy]

If Fox owns Speed Channel, then I understand all the NASCAR overkill crap.

So you saying that Champ Car actually pays the Speed Channel to cover their races and not vice versa? You have got to be kidding.

Does superbike pay Speed Channel to cover their stuff??

If this is the case then EVERY racing series in the world better watch out for NASCAR, or they are going to put everybody out of business (i.e. Wal-mart)

[Ken-Paul]

From strictly a "news" perspective, SpeedNews provides more thorough coverage of IndyCar than SportsCenter does, IMO.

[cheeseczar]

Have it on cable.
Don't watch it for the very reason stated in the first post.

[Racemind]

Champcar pays SpeedChannel to cover their races like Houston, Denver, Milwaukee, and Australia (to name a few). I'm not sure if they have to pay CBS and NBC as well.

[irloyal]

Indyguy and Race Mind,

You are joking right? CC/OWRS/CART has bought TV coverage for 6 years or more and you didn't know it??????

As for Speed, just click right on past when using the remote. I watch it for about an hour or so each week. Usually Early Sunday morning I catch the Muscle Car show, and the Canadian guys. I'll watch a truck race once in a while, and that's about it. To bad Dave Despain got stuck with the All NASCAR all the time channel. When speed first started it was OK, but it has really gone downhill. IMHO of course.

[Racemind]

...Race Mind, You are joking right? CC/OWRS/CART has bought TV coverage for 6 years or more and you didn't know it??????

That's exactly what I just said about Speed. Go back and re-read.

As for CBS and NBC, CCWS used to pay them as well, but I do not *KNOW* if they will have to pay for coverage 2006 as well, due to the different NASCAR coverage this season.

[WheelerDealer]

Indyguy and Race Mind,

You are joking right? CC/OWRS/CART has bought TV coverage for 6 years or more and you didn't know it??????

As for Speed, just click right on past when using the remote. I watch it for about an hour or so each week. Usually Early Sunday morning I catch the Muscle Car show, and the Canadian guys. I'll watch a truck race once in a while, and that's about it. To bad Dave Despain got stuck with the All NASCAR all the time channel. When speed first started it was OK, but it has really gone downhill. IMHO of course.

Way too much NASCAR, and I really don't have enough interest to watch that much. It is lamer than it used to be. Not enough variety, but that is driven by their need to program what their advertisers support. I'm sure if the ICS funneled ad time their direction, you would see a lot of ICS stuff.

[turnrightgoleft]

Dave Despain just started writing a column in NSSN. So if you take that newspaper, write a letter to the editor, maybe he'll see it.

His first column dealt with a short paragraph on how the blood shed needs to stop in OW, and a merger must happen. The remainder of the article dealt with NASCAR. So in other words, I won't be reading that column any more.

[jonovision_man]

They cover the IRL sometimes, when something's going on that the general racing public might be interested in.

CCWS gets a bit better coverage for the reasons mentionned, they have a closer relationship with them due to covering the series and the airtime deal.

The real question you should be asking is why doesn't ESPN do the same for the IRL. If they decided to give it a push they could probably help things tremendously.

jono

[Chris Paff]

The real question you should be asking is why doesn't ESPN do the same for the IRL. If they decided to give it a push they could probably help things tremendously.

Actually ESPN does give the Indycar a fair amount of coverage so far this offseason.. ESPN is a general sports network and face it.. Baseball, Football, and Basketball have a ton more fans then even NASCAR.. Speed is just for racing fans.. thats the big difference..