V8 Supercars back to TEN in 2015!!!!! (Merged x6)

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by billybanana

The top 6 events: Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Townsville 500, Sandown 500, Gold Coast 600, Sydney 500 and the Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast live on FTA. These events account for 70% of the viewing audience across the season.

The deal with Foxtel was necessary to keep the series afloat. The last two years of the Ch 7 deal were a financial disaster for the teams and the series. Without this deal there would not be a series to telecast. End of story.

The deal with Archer was the disaster.

[Average Punter]

Originally Posted by Mixer

The deal with Archer was the disaster.

Not if your surname starts with C- and ends in -ochrane

[one five five]

Originally Posted by billybanana

The deal with Foxtel was necessary to keep the series afloat.

Complete utter rubbish

[billybanana]

Originally Posted by one five five

Complete utter rubbish

Says who ? You ? Ask the REC holders who will actually get a dividend again this season and get their opinion.

Seven paid $18m per year for the last 2 years.

Fox/Ten paid $241m over 6 years.

The maths are quite simple really.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by billybanana

Says who ? You ? Ask the REC holders who will actually get a dividend again this season and get their opinion.

Seven paid $18m per year for the last 2 years.

Fox/Ten paid $241m over 6 years.

The maths are quite simple really.

The championship has survived in the past without needing a bucket (or buckets) of money from a TV company to survive.

The championship would continue is some way, shape or form even if no TV channel bid on the rights.

There will always been people 'up' for trying to win the ATCC/V8SCS or Bathurst titles.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by one five five

The championship has survived in the past without needing a bucket (or buckets) of money from a TV company to survive.

The championship would continue is some way, shape or form even if no TV channel bid on the rights.

There will always been people 'up' for trying to win the ATCC/V8SCS or Bathurst titles.

Of course there will be touring car racing in some form continuing for the next 50 years+.What people are arguing is that the current economics of running a car in the Championship may not be sustainable except for a very small number of competitors.You only have to look at the employee numbers in a team compared to any other era of touring car racing to realise that costs must be out of control.This would have only been sustainable if the racing had broken into the big league of Australian sport(AFL,NRL,Cricket) which it has patently been unable to do.In the same way NASCAR has been unable to do this in USA.
Have a good look at the entry list and see how many of the drivers are there not because they are the best but because they can bring dollars.Compare this to the entry list from 15 years ago and you will find more pay drivers now and less paid drivers.
The current TV deal helps prop up this house of cards for another 5 years.Decisions by sponsors about the value of the deal to them will be made with more rational,statistical business analysis than the hypothetical stuff being posted on this forum.
The only real long term winner is a Queensland businessman who took over the sport,saw the fall coming,sold out at the top of the market(sweetening the deal by persuading the teams to give up control of their own business) and is no doubt laughing as he watches Archer and the teams fall into a financial black hole.
By the way fantastic coverage of Clipsal Day 1 on Fox today.

[TSR]

Originally Posted by Average Punter

Not if your surname starts with C- and ends in -ochrane

GOLD

[banksie]

Most rounds about 3% of the population watch the V8's race. At Bathurst, less that 10% of the population would tune in for the race.
This TV deal is significantly better for V8 fans, regardless of Foxtel penetration. Teams are better off, the Foxtel coverage is an incredible improvement and Ten will still be showing plenty of V8 racing.
TV numbers will be down, but that reflects all TV shows and the switch from 7 to 10.

Given that support categories now have TV exposure for all sessions, is that going to boost these categories and the health of Australian Motorsport?

[djr81]

Originally Posted by banksie

Most rounds about 3% of the population watch the V8's race. At Bathurst, less that 10% of the population would tune in for the race.
This TV deal is significantly better for V8 fans, regardless of Foxtel penetration. Teams are better off, the Foxtel coverage is an incredible improvement and Ten will still be showing plenty of V8 racing.
TV numbers will be down, but that reflects all TV shows and the switch from 7 to 10.

Given that support categories now have TV exposure for all sessions, is that going to boost these categories and the health of Australian Motorsport?

Well no, imho. Practice sessions are relentlessly dull and who other than a rusted on motorsport tragic is going to bother watching a bunch of cars trailing around on old rubber trying to dial in setups? Its not going to boost anything.

In terms of what is broadcast on fta it is a big backwards step. Highlight packages for motorsport dont work - they fail to convey any tension or how a race evolves and only ever appear to show the unsatisfying elements - pit stops, crashes, pointless fluff interviews with drivers wag's etc etc. In other words the bits that dont build and sustain interest.

The $40 million a year would be great if you are amongst those struggling for sponsorship but it will come at a huge cost to those in the market for $'s. It may be ok for niche companies who dont market to the masses (Say your Sargeant Security's or similar) but the likes of (To use some random, historical examples for the lol's) OXO Supercube or Blues Union or Coca Cola or any number of others would be unlikely to be more interested than before. How could they be?

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by djr81

In terms of what is broadcast on fta it is a big backwards step. Highlight packages for motorsport dont work - they fail to convey any tension or how a race evolves and only ever appear to show the unsatisfying elements - pit stops, crashes, pointless fluff interviews with drivers wag's etc etc. In other words the bits that dont build and sustain interest.

Disagree completely with you here although I think that you're right for the committed motor sports fan. People such as us want to see it all. However, the casual fan is VERY attracted to highlights packages and a concentrated program of action - for this type of person, highlights programs can really work.

If 10 schedule the highlights (as reported) at 5:00 on the day of the racing, there is real potential for the FTA ratings to be higher than has been the case, driven by the more casual fan who likes the concentrated action package of the highlights.

I'll use the BTCC as an example - back when people raved about it and how awesome it was on TV, it was all highlights packages and it really drove Supertouring forward.

We'll have to see how it pans out for the V8s but it may not be all doom and gloom.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Tourer

I'll use the BTCC as an example - back when people raved about it and how awesome it was on TV, it was all highlights packages and it really drove Supertouring forward.

Agreed, and the BTCC highlights packages were not shown until a week or so after the event either, yet the popularity skyrocketed.

By the same token Channel 9 & the NRL for years have copped criticism for the 4pm Sunday game being on only a 1hr delay, and this year the Sunday afternoon game is going live.

It will ultimatly come down to how well edited the Sunday highlights on Channel 10/One are, and whether the 'flow' of a race can be kept.

[djr81]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Disagree completely with you here although I think that you're right for the committed motor sports fan. People such as us want to see it all. However, the casual fan is VERY attracted to highlights packages and a concentrated program of action - for this type of person, highlights programs can really work.

If 10 schedule the highlights (as reported) at 5:00 on the day of the racing, there is real potential for the FTA ratings to be higher than has been the case, driven by the more casual fan who likes the concentrated action package of the highlights.

I'll use the BTCC as an example - back when people raved about it and how awesome it was on TV, it was all highlights packages and it really drove Supertouring forward.

We'll have to see how it pans out for the V8s but it may not be all doom and gloom.

People raved about the BTCC because of the enormous depth of the entries and variety of cars and the personalities involved - the races were short anyway and the success wasnt due to the tv package it was inspite of it. Importantly it is now a sad shadow of its former self - it is a long time since the early nineties when it peaked, when manufacturers were involved and homologating cars for it. Manufacturers then sponsors then crowds deserted it. Sound like a familiar trajectory?

An hours highlights package will be 15 minutes of adverts and opening/closing sequences (or more), cross promotion and fluff for another 10 or 15 minutes which gives you maybe 30 minutes to convey how many minutes of qualifying and racing? If a lap time runs to 1.30 for example you will rarely even get to see a complete lap in that.

I will be surprised if they can manage to convey anything much of what happens to a 20 something car field. Cant imagine the sponsors of the midfield are licking their lips in anticipation of getting their brands on the tellie. Which is/was my other point. The package as agreed will damage the sponsorship opportunites for the teams.

Bottom line is the channel 10 package is designed to be second rate and I cant understand why people are talking it up.

[Tourer]

Sorry, I wasn't clear - people (lots of them) used to rave about the BTCC TV coverage and used the action packed nature of it as an example of what could and should be done here. Not a reference to the series itself which of course is not as strong as it once was (in our eyes here in Oz).

I'm going to wait and see how the highlights programs go before I assume that they'll be no good etc. If they ARE no good, it might be Foxtel time.

Again, I'll say that the highlights packages may well not satisfy committed motor sport fans but MAY suit casual fans who don't care about seeing every lap, every subtle nuance etc.

No point in talking anything down when no-one has seen it to understand it.

[peckstar]

so so far the media package has been awesome. two days on foxtel and an hour highlights package on ch ten

last year on ch 7, we had nothing at this point (Thursday of Clipsal) By the end of the day (friday) we will have had 3 days of live on foxtel, 1 day live on ten and a 1 hour highlights package. Equivalent last year - None (maybe a news highlight if there was a crash)

Curse that sponsorship under exposure (note dripping in sarcasm)

[rustyinsthoz]

Originally Posted by peckstar

so so far the media package has been awesome. two days on foxtel and an hour highlights package on ch ten

last year on ch 7, we had nothing at this point (Thursday of Clipsal) By the end of the day (friday) we will have had 3 days of live on foxtel, 1 day live on ten and a 1 hour highlights package. Equivalent last year - None (maybe a news highlight if there was a crash)

Curse that sponsorship under exposure (note dripping in sarcasm)

And if you don't have Foxtel, pretty much the same as last year.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by rustyinsthoz

And if you don't have Foxtel, pretty much the same as last year.

you didnt read my post did you?

ch ten by the end of the today will have exceeded ch 7 at the equivalent point (Friday of Clipsal)

[rustyinsthoz]

Originally Posted by peckstar

you didnt read my post did you?

ch ten by the end of the today will have exceeded ch 7 at the equivalent point (Friday of Clipsal)

Are we talking about actual v8 coverage or just the general coverage of the meeting?

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Sorry, I wasn't clear - people (lots of them) used to rave about the BTCC TV coverage and used the action packed nature of it as an example of what could and should be done here.

Probably a case of 'the grass is greener on the other side'. We always went mad over the coverage of Bathurst with interesting camera angles and all the in-car stuff.

[chavez]

Originally Posted by peckstar

you didnt read my post did you?

ch ten by the end of the today will have exceeded ch 7 at the equivalent point (Friday of Clipsal)

True, but it is the races that are only shown live of Foxtel that may see a nose dive in viewers from last year.

But looking forward to getting home from work to watch today's coverage.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by rustyinsthoz

Are we talking about actual v8 coverage or just the general coverage of the meeting?

you can choose. true about both

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by chavez

True, but it is the races that are only shown live of Foxtel that may see a nose dive in viewers from last year.

But looking forward to getting home from work to watch today's coverage.

But they may achieve an increase also. We dont know yet

[rustyinsthoz]

Originally Posted by peckstar

But they may achieve an increase also. We dont know yet

In general, when a sport goes to, mainly, pay tv, the viewership and popularity declines. Added to the fact that motorsport has suffered a general decline as well it will be interesting where the V8's are at in 5 years time.

[djr81]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Sorry, I wasn't clear - people (lots of them) used to rave about the BTCC TV coverage and used the action packed nature of it as an example of what could and should be done here. Not a reference to the series itself which of course is not as strong as it once was (in our eyes here in Oz).

I'm going to wait and see how the highlights programs go before I assume that they'll be no good etc. If they ARE no good, it might be Foxtel time.

Again, I'll say that the highlights packages may well not satisfy committed motor sport fans but MAY suit casual fans who don't care about seeing every lap, every subtle nuance etc.

No point in talking anything down when no-one has seen it to understand it.

Yeah fair enough to wait and see.

My reaction to the prospects of the highlights package was as much about not liking them and their shortcomings as much as the baseless positivity being spruiked by some.

Unlike the Lego movie everything is not awesome. Imho.

[rustyinsthoz]

Sitting here watching the Foxtel coverage. Must say the coverage is very good with a good selection of commentators for the various categories and the lack of ads is most welcome. The picture quality of the HD channel is fantastic.

[Umai Naa]

For the racing to be anything like the BTCC was back in it's hey day, the driving standards and the rules in relation to it would need to change.

But we're talking about how it's portrayed on the telly here, so it's kinda irrelevent.