[opendtv] Value of Broadcast to NASCAR
- From: dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2013 16:37:14 -0700
So I found the recent NASCAR events to be interesting, where TNT and ESPN
did not bid on NASCAR so NBC bought the rights:
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/07/29/Media/NASCAR-NBC.aspx
I wonder if the sag in NASCAR ratings isn't related to the fact that it is
not on a broadcast channel for the second half of the season. Take a look
at the last graphic, comparing FOX, TNT, ESPN and ABC viewership. Fox is
always broadcast while TNT and ESPN are not. ABC is broadcast but only a
few races a year and they are during the ESPN portion. I usually miss the
ABC broadcasts because I forget.
Then, there are several sentences in the article that suggest the value of
a broadcast:
"But NBC still made its pitch. It promised NASCAR more promotion, more
storytelling, more broadcast TV and, perhaps most importantly, a return to
the Fox-NBC days when the sport posted its highest ratings in history."
"But where others saw danger, France saw opportunity. He trusted Lazarus
and believed the upside in promotion and broadcast exposure for NASCAR
outweighed the downside of leaving ESPN."
"And they will hope that NBC will be able to fulfill its promise that a
return to the broadcast pairing of Fox and NBC will bring a return of the
ratings growth the sport last saw a decade ago."
I, personally, think that the downward turn had much to do with taking
NASCAR off broadcast. But that is based on my own viewing habits. It
will be interesting to see if NBC puts the NASCAR productions on broadcast
or their new NBC Sports Network cable channel. And then it will be
interesting to see if ratings go back up.
Dan
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