New TV Deal Done!?

[domaza]

From Espn.com:

CART parts ways with ABC, ESPN
By Robin Miller
ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- As promised, Joe Heitzler has finally secured a television package for Championship Auto Racing Teams and while it adds a new network in CBS it no longer contains longtime partners ABC or ESPN.

Following months of negotiation and speculation, ESPN.com has learned that Heitzler signed a three-year deal with CBS, SpeedVision, FX and Fox Sports Net.

CBS will reportedly carry eight races live in 2002, nine in 2003 and 10 in 2004, with cable outlets SpeedVision and FX airing the remaining races, in addition to practice, qualifying and special shows.

CBS carried Indy-car races, then under sanction by the U.S. Auto Club, in the mid-to-late 1970s and had the Daytona 500 from 1978 through 2000.

Fox, in its initial season of televising NASCAR along with NBC, recently purchased SpeedVision, a channel that currently carries Formula One, sports cars and motorcycle competition.

Heitzler, CART's chief executive officer since last December and a former employee of CBS Sports, could not be reached for comment but one of the perks is that the new package will provide the champ car series with many more hours of coverage.

It's believed that CART will produce all its programming in house but it's not known whether the races will be time buys or if CBS, SpeedVision and FX are paying a rights fee.

Additionally, CART's international TV rights, which generate a reported $5 to $6 million profit, will go back to the public company.

But this news clearly widens the line in the sand between the country's top two open-wheel organizations -- Indy Racing League and CART.

ABC, which began televising CART races in 1979, and ESPN, a TV partner of the champ cars for the past 16 years, will now exclusively cover Tony George's all-oval series - which obviously includes the Indianapolis 500.

Since the split in open-wheel racing in 1996, ABC and ESPN have covered both IRL and CART races. But, recently, ABC announced it would only air IRL events after the current CART contract expires this year.

"There are two horses in open-wheel racing and we felt that in terms of ratings and profitability, we would follow suit with ABC and go with the IRL," said Mark Shapiro, senior vice-president and general manager of ESPN Programming.

"Everyone knows the Super Bowl of open-wheel racing is the Indy 500 and if open-wheel racing is ever going to return to its success of the mid-80s than we feel it's going to have to be done on the backs of the IRL."

Besides Indianapolis, which garnered a 5.4 rating last May, neither IRL or CART generate anything approaching respectable ratings. Most telecasts hover around a 1.0.

But Shapiro said the uncertainty of CART's future played a big role in the decision.

"Between the engine manufacturers serious concerns, losing its most successful race at Michigan and its business strategy still undetermined, we just can't be sure of where CART is going," said Shapiro.

Burke Magnus, director of brand management for ESPN, said CART's steadily declining ratings also played a factor.

"We've been on the same contract since 1994 and this was the first opportunity since the split to change direction," said Magnus. "We do have CART races left on ESPN and we intend to honor that commitment.

"We had a good association and we wish them well. We've just decided to back Tony's horse."

Todue I'm not American I can't really comment it... Is this new TV deal good or bad?

[Ed G]

I think this will be better than another year of the coverage we have now... It has been rather obvious that CART was just second to infomercials on the ABC priority list. I think there were 3 times this yearwhen the start of the coverage (not the race, we just missed the start) was delayed because of GOLF coverage... once it was just listening to the commentators babble on while waiting for the winners interview.

If CART can get good quality coverage from Speedvision with qualifying, pre race and post race segments I think the appeal will greatly increase. In the NASCAR race I think they interviewed all of the top 10 finishers! that's the kind of thing that really helps create an audience following.

Regarding the Indy 500... so what if ABC still covers it. Are people going to start watching the IRL because Helio won or are they more likely to be interested in CART? If the CART boys go over every year and clean house it isn't going to be good advertising for the IRL no matter how biased the ABC coverage is. BTW they never mention what kind of ratings NASCAR pulls in... anyone know?

If CART can get its marketing act together and start to get people out to the races, add on good TV coverage and it may be that the CART vs. IRL battle may swing towards CARTs direction.

[Gregor]

All this means for us europeans is that CART won't be on eurosport or terrestrial TV. CART will be on skysports and nobody will be able to see it. CBS and SPEEDVISION will price eurosport out and other euro pay-channels will get instead of eurosport which is free.

[domaza]

Originally posted by Gregor
All this means for us europeans is that CART won't be on eurosport or terrestrial TV. CART will be on skysports and nobody will be able to see it. CBS and SPEEDVISION will price eurosport out and other euro pay-channels will get instead of eurosport which is free.

What? CART will go to PAID TV? Hope not - Eurosport must continue showing CART - that's the only change for me to see CART live Hope they will work it out!

[domaza]

This is from 7G page and this version is totally different:


CART TV Confusion Continues



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Murphy
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Could the CART television package be forming on the horizon? According to entertainment industry magazine Variety, Los Angeles-based New Regency Entertainment has entered into an agreement to televise CART. Fox Sports and Puma are mentioned as partners in the agreement, with Fox Sports owning the domestic broadcast rights while New Regency retains the international rights.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A spokesman for New Regency was able to confirm their involvement but was unable to comment further.

Contrary to the Variety article, Fox Sports today reaffirmed what many believed all along, that FOX’s over-the-air broadcast schedule is fully committed with NASCAR and has no further room for CART programming. This would leave Fox Sports Net as the alternative outlet.

Fox Sports Net also denied having entered into any agreements to televise CART.

New Regency Productions was founded in 1991 by Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. Milchan is best known for his film Pretty Woman staring Julia Roberts. New Regency has produced films such as Oliver Stone’s JFK, Free Willy, and Natural Born Killers. In 1997 they produced L.A. Confidential.

On the TV front, Regency currently produces Fox’s Malcom In The Middle and they own the independent Restless Records label.

Regency owns the broadcast rights to the WTA woman’s professional tennis tour, and has recently acquired the international rights to the U.S Open Tennis Tournament thourgh 2004.

In 1998, Fox purchased a 20% interest in Regency, while Regency itself owns a 32% stake in the German sportswear label Puma. Puma’s involvement in the CART television arrangement is not clear.

CART races have been televised in recent years by ESPN with an agreement to show a specified number of races on its sister broadcast network ABC. With declining ratings over the past several seasons, CART engaged with ESPN in a war of words over the production quality and level of promotion. The period of exclusivity, designed to allow ESPN the right of first refusal on a contract renewal, passed last year with barely a word being spoken between CART and ESPN.

ESPN’s contract expires at the end of this season.

CART’s negotiating posture for a new TV contract included demands that they receive a significant rights package and that they would produce the show “in house,” controlling the production themselves.

CART has been considering a broader package of television shows beyond just race broadcasts. New Regency may actually be involved with producing a magazine-style show or other supporting productions, similar to the old Inside CART.

Looks like something is going on and I hope CART will have BEST TV deal and Eurosport will be included!

[f1manoz]

I just hope us Aussie fans of the series can continue to watch the series on Channel 10. As for our cable, it will probably go from Optus (who have ESPN) to the Fox Network, while us Optus Cable TV people will get the IRL. I'm not a happy camper!

[Liz]

I'd say the bottom line is "nobody knows" until Champ Cars announces the deal it's all speculation.

Seventh Gear is adamant that Speedvision is going to become a 24 Hour NASCAR Station (which would make it virtually unwatched in Canada, for one thing, as they don't race up here) - and nobody watches Brand X Racing that I know about, even when there isn't anything else to watch.

So I'll wait and see, but I hope we do get it on Speed and get the qualifying and other benefits that are only available on USA Stations and also get a complete event broadcast, not just flag to flag.

[Gregor]

If CART is on FOX i am 100% sure it will go to skysports in the UK. Sky and FOX are both owned by Rupert Murdoch. I would also suggest that Premiere world would get the german rights. If CART went to pay tv (thats subscription) hardly anyone would be able to watch it. It would kill the sport in europe.

[KC]

I have nothing against Speedvision, except that it would cost me an extra $15 a month and an ignorant digital tuner to get it. Personally I already get Fox Sports Net and hope it goes there. If CART goes to half their season on Speedvision it would mean two things would change. Speedvisioin would do a much better job of the program. More in car cameras and better pre-race and post-race shows. The downfall is that Speedvision is not available in many markets and is on a extended pay scheduale in most. They will lose too many fans in going to Speedvision I think.

[Liz]

Conversely, Fox isn't available in Canada. Neither is ESPN or ESPN2.

[KC]

Liz, is TSN affiliated with ABC Sports and ESPN? I know ESPN uses a lot of TSN footage for their hockey news.

[Emfa]

The following quotes were published by the Associated Press today (emphasis mine):

CBS Sports has signed a three-year deal with Championship Auto Racing Teams Inc., to televise a portion of the Champ car schedule.

Rob Correa, senior vice president of programming for CBS, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "CBS does have a deal with CART to try to do seven races per year for the next three years, schedule permitting."

and

CART, in the final year of contracts with ABC Sports and ESPN, is expected to place the rest of its 22-race schedule for 2002 and beyond with Fox, which would spread the races over its Speedvision, FX and Fox Sports Net outlets.

"We have had discussions and are very optimistic it will be done in the very near future," said Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio.

So the Fox deal is still on the table and the CBS deal is done - for what it's worth! It sounds like any given race could be on CBS, Speedvision, FX or FSN (at the whim of the broadcasters) if you are in the USA - anywhere else, who knows. I'm sorry, but I'm not very confident about this working out to be a good situation for fans of the series. Is there anybody with inside info who can reassure us?

I also await with eager anticipation CART's announcement.......

[Liz]

I think TSN is a job shop. That is, they buy their programming from everybody.

And anyone who wants to weep, wail and gnash their teeth should please do it quietly; some of us want to be upbeat, cheerful and optimistic for a change!

[SevenGrain]

CART has scheduled a press conference with Joe Heitzler and the principals regarding the 2002 domestic TV package for tomorrow, August 16th at 1pm Eastern Time...

And then we'll all know

[Joey Jo Jo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by domaza
[B]From Espn.com

"There are two horses in open-wheel racing and we felt that in terms of ratings and profitability, we would follow suit with ABC and go with the IRL," said Mark Shapiro, senior vice-president and general manager of ESPN Programming.

But Shapiro said the uncertainty of CART's future played a big role in the decision.

Burke Magnus, director of brand management for ESPN, said CART's steadily declining ratings also played a factor.

"We had a good association and we wish them well. We've just decided to back Tony's horse."


This son of a **tch has the nerve to to think the IRL is going to be profitable. I hope CART gets it stuff together and burries the IRL and this BOZO looses his job. Politics are ruining openwheel racing Tony is ISC's and Frances wipping boy without the help of the US Grand Prix and France the IRL would not even still be a factor.

[KC]

I think this will not be that much of a help for CART going to Speedvision. In most markets Speedvision is not part of the extended cable service, it is grouped with premium channels like HBO and other PPV channels. I know the FIA has been quite unhappy about slow ticket sales for Indy this year as compared to last and I think the loss of F1 on Fox, which is received in most cable TV homes in America, and the exclusive viewing on Speedvision has contributed to this.

I do think that Speedvision and the Fox group will do a 100% better job than ABC Sports has done and that part of the broadcast will be much improved, but I also think it will not help CART in its ratings battles.

ABC Sports must continue to support the IRL. They have no choice. They are 3 years into a 10 year contract for the Indy 500 and they have spent a huge sum of money for the rights and must protect their interest. At least they won't be propping the IRL at the expense of CART for the most part.

[Liz]

http://www.speedvision.com/pub/artic...s/010816a.html

To deal with the side issue of the Formula One race, has it occurred to the FIA that the culprit may not be television coverage in this case, but the fact that the International F1 Crowd does not want to go back to Indianapolis (nothing to do there and not an interesting raceourse), and the Americans who went there simply didn't like the value they got for their money? A lot of the people I know who went said they were disappointed because they could not get anywhere near the drivers and in fact never saw them at all the entire weekend - not like they are used to with Champ Cars and NASCAR. Also the prices were high and there was nothing to do except attend the race (Indianapolis has no night life) and the traffic was bad.

So the FIA should consider that it could be that the product itself is at fault and not the coverage before they make any judgments.

As far as the Champ Car coverage on Speedvision, I am delighted with the idea that now we Canucks are going to get the chance to see qualifying, practice, and more than simply "flag to flag and get out of town" coverage -- and I am also informed that we may have a new, objective, non-partisan broadcast team as the current lot's contracts are up at the end of this season. While I think Sam Posey is a little bit too inclined to the poetic, neither he nor anyone else at Speedvision (okay, except Dorsey Schrader) are inclined to shriek like teenaged girls at a Backstreet Boys concert when somebody makes a good pass.

Overall I think this will be good for Champ Cars, especially if CBS gives us anything but a halfwitted 'delayed by football' time slot for the races they will 'try' to carry.....

[Jay]

Actually Liz, Fox is available with most cable and satelite companies. I get it from Buffalo and almost every Nascar race is broadcast with a huge pre and post races show. I think Espn and Espn2 have some agreement with TSN...not sure though...

Anyhow, this can only be good for Cart. Another thing about Fox is that they marketed Nascar very well for this upcoming season, and it has been a huge success. Granted, Cart doesn't have the same fan base that nascar does in the US, but it will still hopefully help Cart's struggle.

Hopefully now the North Americans will at least have equal coverage with the Europeans! lol...

[domaza]

Cart.com Announcemant

Sounds really good... US people should be really happy. Now what about us Europeans? Hope CART manage to make a deal with Eurosport...

[Liz]

Jay, you get Fox Sports? What channel do you get it on? I get Fox on 29, but that's not Fox Sports.

[macdaddy]

Southwestern Ontario doesn't get Fox Sports.
Not even available on cable. Only satellite.
But we do get CBS and TSN.
When I first read this thread this morning, I immediately emailed TSN to inquire about what this might mean to their programming. No answer quite yet but I'll let you know.