It's Monday as I belly up to this keyboard, and already two major announcements have come down today, each among the topics I suggested over the weekend. First up, and first on the minds of most race fans that don't give a flip about Front Wheel Drive, is the deal with SPEED, which of course, entails far more than just the loss of that one channel. Today, NASCAR and FOX announced a renewal, extension or whatever pleases you, of their marriage supposedly made in heaven through the year 2022. Is it just me or does just reading that date seem as though it could be in yet another century... or millennium? Something just doesn't look right about that to someone born in 1938. Put down the pencil; I'm 74 and counting.
The entire deal comes in at circa $2.4 Billion with a "B" and has FOX paying NASCAR a 33% increase of the present rate, starting in 2015. That equates to some $300 million per year for the length of the contract. That seems to be one he!! of a lot of money to pay for the rights to cover about a third of the season of a sport that has shown major drops in both attendance and TV ratings for an extended period of time. (Some 8 years of steady decline. Look it up) The numbers alone leave me a bit shaky. I tend to lose track of the 0s after about the seventh digit.
From the esteemed leader of NASCAR, Brian France, we hear, "NASCAR has been in very good hands and has enjoyed tremendous success the last 12 years in large part because of our fantastic partnership with Fox and Fox Sports Media Group." OH, really? Are those your own hands Brian? "This extension with Fox Sports Media Group helps position the sport for future growth as NASCAR continues to be an anchor with one of the world's largest and most influential media companies", France continued. [It is not my usual policy to interrupt in the middle of a column, but has this man been watching the same sport, with the same empty seats increasing at each and every race, that the rest of us have gentle readers?]
So what, exactly, does FOX get for all those dollars? First, they get the rights to televising the first 13 races of the season, including of course, the prestigious Daytona 500 complete with Speedweeks. (Be alert to changes coming there soon as well, as Anheuser/Busch (Budweiser) will apparently trade rights to the Shootout for rights to the dual qualifying races) FOX will also assume broadcasting rights to the entire Camping World Truck Series.
The additional and probably important component to the deal for NASCAR is the inclusion of "TV Everywhere" rights, which allow Fox to live stream its races online beginning with the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500. Fox can also stream pre- and post-race coverage, race highlights and in-progress race highlights. That part comes courtesy of NASCAR reacquiring control of its digital platform, which goes into effect next year. There has been a lot of speculation that the live streaming would be shown on nascar.com, NASCAR's own website, but until the beginning of 2013, operated under the control of Turner Broadcasting, who held all digital rights and quite literally sat on them.
And what of SPEED? Whenever FOX chooses to unveil its brand new FOX Sports 1 channel, SPEED will cease to exist. That could happen most anytime in 2013, but seems certain to be in place for the start of the MLB season. So far, we know that FOX has rights to the Truck Series, including all pre and post-race broadcasting. How much or little of that they choose to show on television is entirely their call... and NASCAR doesn't care one way or the other.
Also, we must remember gentle readers, that this is only the beginning. There are still 23 more races on the current schedule to be discussed... and of course, that infernal "Chase" thing. If I'm out of step by still abhorring that thing after eight years, I really don't give a furry little rodent's rear. I like my drummer and I'm sticking with him. Turner should be out of the equation, as I believe they relinquished their rights as of the end of this past season... just after the great "Mac & Cheese/Mashed Potatoes & Gravy" debacle aired. That of course, leaves ABC/ESPN in the running, but strong rumors indicate that NBC, with their new all-sports channel, NBCSN, will once again be bidding on all or part of the new deal for 2015 and beyond.
What part or parts of programming now showing on SPEED would those channels pick up? Well, we already have the answer with ABC/ESPN, and that would be none. That network is far too busy kissing football butt to worry any longer about being the "World leader in Motorsports." Those days are long gone, and in reality, never really existed. While advertising themselves as such, we were being served up taped races necessitated by things such as the NFL draft... back in the time when it took three days to run it. They were also very good at leaving the air at the appointed time for whatever was next up on their schedule, but never very good at ending programming of what was showing just prior to a racing event. That problem exists to this day, as conflict after conflict has College Football eating into almost every prerace show for the Nationwide Series.
Seeing what was coming and stepping up to the plate early was NBC, which signed the F1 Series to a contract beginning with the 2013 season. Other networks will be following suit on whatever programs are considered desirable and/or marketable. No matter which are continued and which are not, someone, or perhaps many someones, will be left unhappy. We tend to be creatures of habit, and we don't like it when someone messes with our schedules... especially those of us that are older and "set in our ways", which is a nice way of saying stubborn as mules.
The second thing confirmed today is that Sprint, series sponsor for NASCAR, was taken over, appropriated, bought or whatever the correct term might be denoting the fact that 70% of it now belongs to SoftBank, a Japanese telecommunications company that ponied up $20.1 Billion with a "B" for the privilege. In the interest of your writer partaking of sustenance (eating supper) before our radio broadcasts tonight, that topic will keep for another day. I don't think Japan will sink into the sea before we get back to it.
Right now, it's time for me to back off and relinquish the soap box to you, dear readers. The first shoe has dropped; now we wait for the next. Please, tell Mr. France how happy you are... or aren't, with the direction taking shape concerning a sport we used to love... back in the time when it was a sport. Mr. France, Sir, I have to hand it to you. At least on the surface, it appears that you put lipstick on that pig and managed to sell it for a good price... but that Sir, only makes me want to look deeper beneath the surface.
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay
Email: nas3car@etcmail.com
Twitter: @MamaPKL
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