ALMS Media Schedule 2011

[JAG]

And for much of that time it was an Audi or two versus the underdog Dyson Lolas. The series is one major P1 entry away from being back to that level and maintaining that multiclass, race within race, competition which adds so much to the entertainment factor.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by JAG

And for much of that time it was an Audi or two versus the underdog Dyson Lolas. The series is one major P1 entry away from being back to that level and maintaining that multiclass, race within race, competition which adds so much to the entertainment factor.

false

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by JAG

The series is one major P1 entry away from being back to that level and maintaining that multiclass, race within race, competition which adds so much to the entertainment factor.

I don't think so, who would want to see Audi run away from the rest of the field in the R18 or even an updated R15?

There's no quick fix for the ALMS and that's why the future isn't exactly looking bright.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Acid09

I don't think so, who would want to see Audi run away from the rest of the field in the R18 or even an updated R15?

And yet, half of ALMS's history was exactly that...

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

And yet, half of ALMS's history was exactly that...

Yeah but most of the time there was at least some competition that could challenge them on a good day. First Panoz and then Dyson in the EX257 which had the advantage of being light and nimble.

With how today's rules are, I don't see any of the current ALMS privateers having at least a little shot at beating Audi, the customer Lolas are just too far off.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by JAG

And for much of that time it was an Audi or two versus the underdog Dyson Lolas. The series is one major P1 entry away from being back to that level and maintaining that multiclass, race within race, competition which adds so much to the entertainment factor.

The ALMS was built on the backs of the Porsche Factory LMP that won LM, the Porsche GT1 EVO, the Audi vs. Panoz, the Audi vs. Panoz vs. Cadillac, the Viper vs. Corvette, Porsche vs. Audi, Porsche vs. Audi vs. Acura...

It "survived" those years, where it was Audi vs. Dyson, with an all professional Dyson car. Those were the years that marked the beginning of the slippage of the TV ratings... the series has never recovered.

After the ALMS lost all the TV viewers from this period, they could never market those fans back to watch the Audi vs. Porsche vs. Acura battles.

Now we are faced with even poorer fields, and the probability is that the last remaining strength, the event attendance is about to suffer. History suggests, once you've lost those fans... there gone.

In the ILMC discussions you preach that manufacturers need to be pandered to.

Originally Posted by JAG

If the ACO had not addressed manufactuers needs we could be sat here bemaoning Audi, Peugeot and Aston Martin pulling out of the sport altogether.

Yet, when it comes to the ALMS, the manufacturers wants and needs aren't important!!!!!!! Why is that?

The GT manufacturers are unhappy receiving little TV coverage and being an underclass to spec Prototypes.

Think about this just a little.

[Speed-King]

After the ALMS lost all the TV viewers from this period, they could never market those fans back to watch the Audi vs. Porsche vs. Acura battles.

I find it hard to believe that going GT-only would get them back then...

History suggests, once you've lost those fans... there gone.

... and you appearantly agree with me.

Then the question is: how did the ALMS "get" these fans from the early years in the first place, and how can this be replicated?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I find it hard to believe that going GT-only would get them back then...

Yet, Trans Am was incredibly popular in North America in it's original form, as was IMSA during it's first decade... all GT's really.

Then the question is: how did the ALMS "get" these fans from the early years in the first place, and how can this be replicated?

Professional/factory teams at the front of the field, factory money to promote and televise the product, with cars that people are interested in.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Yet, Trans Am was incredibly popular in North America in it's original form, as was IMSA during it's first decade... all GT's really.

I am a) too young and b) too European to know all that much about that, but was IMSA in the 70s really that popular? From what I can gather it was largely a privateer series and even the teams at the top were pro-am at best.

Professional/factory teams at the front of the field, factory money to promote and televise the product, with cars that people are interested in.

What was missing in 07/08, then?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I am a) too young and b) too European to know all that much about that, but was IMSA in the 70s really that popular? From what I can gather it was largely a privateer series and even the teams at the top were pro-am at best.

IMSA GT was pretty popular. There was plenty of factory backing with those teams, and the sport as a whole has changed drastically. What was pro then, really looks amateurish by today's standards.

What was missing in 07/08, then?

Poor Marketing, poor TV broadcasts and inability to turn around the lost momentum from the Audi vs. Dyson days. Really, it is the ultimate in Marketing fail. Arguably the best field of factory backed prototypes in history in a series, and they can't sell themselves at all. More fans came to the track, but somehow that didn't translate to TV viewers.

[Félix]

I don't give that much importance to the series' TV ratings, especially since we're moving towards a future where traditional TV is disappearing fast. I know I haven't paid for cable or anything in the last 3 years and I'm not going back (but I'm young and not exactly a Porsche owner so the series might wanna look at others too).

TV ratings have been going down but attendance at the track is steady or even going up. The cars raced by the manufacturers and the type of racing in general appear in other medias (especially video games) and are quite prominent on the internet. Fans can watch and find ample information about the series online; it's not the good old days where I imagine fans had to rely on magazines and TV broadcasts if they wanted to know anything about the last IMSA race.

Now I understand that more is needed and that the existing media exposure has to be optimized and made more useful to the series and its entrants. But what I'm asking is: What is really needed? A new manufacturer in P1; but what wouldn't we lose the competitive racing we saw this season? What should the series be, what's missing and what would proposed moves like making GT the headline do to it overall? How should it market itself and why should entrants want to race in it?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Félix

I don't give that much importance to the series' TV ratings, especially since we're moving towards a future where traditional TV is disappearing fast. I know I haven't paid for cable or anything in the last 3 years and I'm not going back (but I'm young and not exactly a Porsche owner so the series might wanna look at others too).

TV ratings have been going down but attendance at the track is steady or even going up. The cars raced by the manufacturers and the type of racing in general appear in other medias (especially video games) and are quite prominent on the internet. Fans can watch and find ample information about the series online; it's not the good old days where I imagine fans had to rely on magazines and TV broadcasts if they wanted to know anything about the last IMSA race.

Now I understand that more is needed and that the existing media exposure has to be optimized and made more useful to the series and its entrants. But what I'm asking is: What is really needed? A new manufacturer in P1; but what wouldn't we lose the competitive racing we saw this season? What should the series be, what's missing and what would proposed moves like making GT the headline do to it overall? How should it market itself and why should entrants want to race in it?

TV ratings are VERY important when trying to sell the series to new manufacturers and sponsors. They want to know, what is my ROI (Return on Investment)

Manufacturers bring the money, marketing and fans. If there are privateers out front, attendance at the tracks will start to decline.





My opinion is that the series is/was a professional sportscar series, an elite "world class" series. There is nothing "world class" when your top three categories are populated by privateers, and all but one team has gentleman drivers.

The manufacturers are interested in GT's. That is fact. Their money is going to GT's, and there is plenty of backing. Yet, they will play 4th fiddle, and the TV productions over the years back this up.

You want professional racing, manufacturer entries, you will need to be flexible enough to go where they want.

[WolfsburgRS]

I can't help but think that the internet plays at least some part in the inability of the series to recapture lost TV viewers after those lean years. Audiences / media consumers are fractured, and while the die hard fans such as ourselves may stick with it through thick and thin, search for the feeds, the video, the broadcasts, there's a lot of stuff competing for the casual fan's attention...

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Please explain how the ALMS can afford to go with this method?

Since nobody has tried PPV racing in America (just in the UK), it hard to tell. But since the infrastructure is already there (Cat/Sat), why can't the fans pay a subscription fee for a single race or a season?

[Félix]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

TV ratings are VERY important when trying to sell the series to new manufacturers and sponsors. They want to know, what is my ROI (Return on Investment)

What does 200k, 1 million or 5 million viewers for 10 broadcasts in a year really mean these days? Is it really that important? What capital exposure does it give to manufacturers when they can buy ads in mainstream or almost mainstream media? Or when their ALMS cars are featured on the cover of a video game selling 5 million+ copies or used everyday by fans in various mainstream race sims where they are featured prominently. (to me that's way more exposure)

TV can be important, but the ALMS has to figure out what it wants to offer and how it's valuable to entrants and itself. Privateers have to have a reason to want to be there too and manufacturers will come/stay if it makes enough sense (and if they can in the first place). TV is not the be-all-and-end all and I guess they know it...

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Félix

What does 200k, 1 million or 5 million viewers for 10 broadcasts in a year really mean these days? Is it really that important? What capital exposure does it give to manufacturers when they can buy ads in mainstream or almost mainstream media? Or when their ALMS cars are featured on the cover of a video game selling 5 million+ copies or used everyday by fans in various mainstream race sims where they are featured prominently. (to me that's way more exposure)

TV can be important, but the ALMS has to figure out what it wants to offer and how it's valuable to entrants and itself. Privateers have to have a reason to want to be there too and manufacturers will come/stay if it makes enough sense (and if they can in the first place). TV is not the be-all-and-end all and I guess they know it...

I think part of that problem is, that TV can measured in cold hard numbers, whereas exposure via video-games and "street cred" can't.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Félix

What does 200k, 1 million or 5 million viewers for 10 broadcasts in a year really mean these days? Is it really that important? What capital exposure does it give to manufacturers when they can buy ads in mainstream or almost mainstream media? Or when their ALMS cars are featured on the cover of a video game selling 5 million+ copies or used everyday by fans in various mainstream race sims where they are featured prominently. (to me that's way more exposure)

TV can be important, but the ALMS has to figure out what it wants to offer and how it's valuable to entrants and itself. Privateers have to have a reason to want to be there too and manufacturers will come/stay if it makes enough sense (and if they can in the first place). TV is not the be-all-and-end all and I guess they know it...

Actually, when looking for sponsors, TV IS the be-all-and-end all. Sponsors are looking for ratings approaching a one share, or above. TV IS critical.

Perhaps the ALMS has concluded that their ratings aren't good enough to matter anymore, and they've given up... can't really say.

The other items, such as video games, etc.. are nice, and help build awareness, but don't bring the money in.

[extramundane]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

Since nobody has tried PPV racing in America (just in the UK), it hard to tell.

NASCAR dabbled in PPV back before the $mega-zillion TV contracts it has now, and when its fandom and appeal were A) really starting to take off B) already far bigger than what the ALMS has now. Their choice of current broadcast outlets should tell you how well that worked out.

But since the infrastructure is already there (Cat/Sat), why can't the fans pay a subscription fee for a single race or a season?

There's no reason they can't. However, there are plenty of reasons why they won't- if the FREE streaming broadcasts last year didn't crack 10K, how many paying customers do you think they'll attract? Further, and perhaps most importantly, that does NOTHING to address the need for additional, new eyeballs.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

Since nobody has tried PPV racing in America (just in the UK), it hard to tell. But since the infrastructure is already there (Cat/Sat), why can't the fans pay a subscription fee for a single race or a season?

Really?

As was mentioned, Nascar tried this early in the 2000s with their incar feeds and commercial-free broadcasts. Basically 9 channels of incar and a tenth with the race on a "sunday ticket" type model. It tanked. That was with a multi billion dollar empire backing it, large advertising dollars and a good economy. If you recall, F1 tried this as well in the late 90's and early 2000s, it also tanked.

PPV numbers are in the crapper, even for MMA & Wrestling stuff, which has always been the backbone of the service. The ALMS barely pulls test pattern numbers on TV and its streaming service was well below the 10k cap, what makes you think PPV would even have a snowball's chance?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Really?

As was mentioned, Nascar tried this early in the 2000s with their incar feeds and commercial-free broadcasts. Basically 9 channels of incar and a tenth with the race on a "sunday ticket" type model. It tanked. That was with a multi billion dollar empire backing it, large advertising dollars and a good economy. If you recall, F1 tried this as well in the late 90's and early 2000s, it also tanked.

PPV numbers are in the crapper, even for MMA & Wrestling stuff, which has always been the backbone of the service. The ALMS barely pulls test pattern numbers on TV and its streaming service was well below the 10k cap, what makes you think PPV would even have a snowball's chance?

Stop right there Mister.

It is simply one of the written rules of the forums, that you are not allowed to post anything that I agree with. Obviously the world is about to end or something.

[JAG]

I recall back in 2006-8 the ALMS was considered the best thing since sliced bread by all of todays biggest critics, stats were rolled out about fan attendance, TV ratings, sponsorship and manufactuer interest in all classes when comparisons were made with the LMS and GA.

Now the claim is even that wasn't enough for the ALMS to fullfill it's potential and make it's business model work so quite how things are going to go down with a handfull of GT manufactuers I don't know.

Let's look at these manufactuers, Corvette competed virtually alone for years in GT1 and have never had more TV or media coverage than this year. BMW are the other big hope, a manufactuer who has left the WTCC in the learch and is actively pushing for a rival series to the ALMS.

Then we have Porsche and Ferrari, both are customer programs with semi-factory teams in numerous series across the world.

Over the past 18 months there have been numerous rumours spelling doom for the ALMS/ACO. Audi and Peugeot pulling out of prototypes becuase GT racing is apparently what manufactuers are interested in, claims constructors will not be able to make cost-capped P2's pay, claims some of the best events in the series are to be dropped and lately the PLM/ILMC debate.

All have been used as the basis for the weekly 'let's bash the ALMS/ACO' thread yet how many have actually proved to be correct?

This very thread was orignally about how awful the ALMS's (yet to be known publicaly) TV package is with Indycars experience raised as an example of what horrors to expect. It just so happens Indycar has had one it's best close seasons for years with Cheverolet entering so it's impossible to say with any confidence what the future holds, momentum plays a big part.

I find it strange how stability has been the watchword for so long yet now a revolution is apparently needed at a time when prototype and GT regs have gone through a major overhaul and an economic crisis is still being felt.

If the alternative stood-up to scrutiny I may have gone for it but flimsy GTE manufactuer support and the prospect of 3/4's of the grid consisting of GTC/Cup cars doesn't look particularly exciting or have solid foundations.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by Félix

What does 200k, 1 million or 5 million viewers for 10 broadcasts in a year really mean these days? Is it really that important? What capital exposure does it give to manufacturers when they can buy ads in mainstream or almost mainstream media?

So you're arguing they shouldn't be racing to start with?

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

PPV numbers are in the crapper, even for MMA & Wrestling stuff, which has always been the backbone of the service. The ALMS barely pulls test pattern numbers on TV and its streaming service was well below the 10k cap, what makes you think PPV would even have a snowball's chance?

Picchio here is correct as I follow these "industries". Wrestling has declined severely. PPV buyrates are down something around 25% in 2 years for the WWE in North America.

There is one wrestling company called Ring of Honor which is small by design because it's all they can afford and they know their place (they have television with a small channel, HDNet). They're experimenting with internet PPVs. They did their first iPPV last December to try and develop that medium for themselves, they had 1200 people pay $15 to buy the iPPV, so they grossed $18000. Their broadcast partner took half, the costs of producing the show were $1500, so they netted $7500 (this is not counting site revenues such as gate money from live ticket sales or costs like building rent). They've done a couple more since then but I don't know how they did.

MMA is in good shape but that's because MMA itself is still a growing business. However, "MMA doing well" is only one company, the UFC. Other companies have tried and failed. The key to doing MMA, in North America as well as Japan (the other big MMA spot in the world) is being on television. UFC only got big once they got on Spike TV. Japan's biggest MMA company Pride failed once it was discovered they had yakuza (Japanese mafia) involvement and their TV partner dropped them because of that and then the money disappeared and when the money disappeared so did Pride.

Boxing also has severely declined in North America outside of a couple names that can move the needle (Pacquiao, Mayweather).

I only know of one time a race was done on PPV in the U.S. and that was the Chili Bowl a couple years ago. I have no idea how good or bad it did. But that was with the Chili Bowl not being on TV prior.

The problem for the ALMS if it went such a route is:

1.) they'd have much higher production costs than the ROH example I stated above
2.) unlike ROH, ALMS actually has sponsors that help cover the operating costs for the teams, and they wouldn't like such a setup and so the teams that actually do have commercial sponsorship would lose that
3.) how many people out there are really going to buy an iPPV to watch an ALMS race?

[dj4monie]

Seems to me most of you are arguing against yourselves and provide no solutions, other than staying the course, which seems to be economically untenable for the ALMS and unpopular with about half of the paddock (GT2).

For Flying Lizard to commit, for BMW to commit for another season, for Corvette to make the changes they are making and for all the other teams to commit to GT2 without an announced TV deal, means one of two things.

Either they like what's going to happen or it will be largely the same maybe with a change in what channel its on.

I offered PPV as a solution and citing previous attempts that have failed. I would argue that NASCAR Sprint Cup is not a niche sport and that fans expect to find it on normal channels offer Over The Air for free or for a nominal fee as apart of your basic cable package. I'm very familiar with NASCAR Hot Pass which is still offered by DirecTV. TNT (Tuner) also streamed its races online along with the over the air broadcast this season.

Most of you just say, what the ALMS shouldn't do, how about some suggestions about what they should do.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

I offered PPV as a solution and citing previous attempts that have failed.

By the way, heard on a show last night that for PPV (the broadcasted kind that goes on your TV, not the computer streaming kind), you typically have to produce $50000 up front to get put on PPV not counting production costs, and it's a rule of thumb that the PPV partner takes half of the price the consumer pays. So if you're going to charge people say $20 to watch a race, ALMS in order to break even just on the up front costs would require 5000 people to buy it. And the real break even number would be higher than that because of all the production costs as far as cameras all around the track, a pit reporter or two, your analysts in the booth, hotels and meals for all them, etc. So if they're not getting 10000 to watch their races on the internet for free over a stream, how could PPV ever work?

Most of you just say, what the ALMS shouldn't do, how about some suggestions about what they should do.

When in doubt, be inclusive.

My response to you is more just a critique on why I think your solution is a horribly bad idea.

Just remembered another race that's been done on PPV: Tony Stewart's annual Prelude to the Dream at Eldora.