Club Racing on TV

[jonathanc]

Okey dokey, lets here you views on this little issue:


Managed to get free filming and production of a club level single seater formula in the UK for 2004. Even managed to get some potential interest from broadcasters.

Then only find out that the political nightmare with regards to TV rights, racing clubs and track owners rules out any financial viability.

Eg. a previous quote from said club to permit filming a weekends racing at one of the souths BIGGEST tracks = £25k

So even if we wanted to and managed to stump up the cash, there would still be a loss as a broadcaster probably wouldnt pay anywhere near that amount for the end product.

I'd love to see a series of 1/2 hour programs on various club race meets from all over the UK. But when there is such greed out there I can see why UK motorsport is going down the pan.

Ho hum.........

[Smokey 6 litre]

it'd be great to see some coverage of the stock hatch on TV, or maybe Formula honda.

25K for a filming permit is rediculous, dont tracks and cluns understand the value or free promotion? or are they determined to run themselves into the ground.

[darcym]

It doesn't matter to them

a.) they get the cash anyway from racing
b.) If they don't do it...your not going to boycot the track are you ??
c.) I wonder how much hassle is involved on their part eg media passes, insurance, camera positioning, technical stuff such as power, radio frequencies etc etc.
d.) Most of the races that bring in big bucks (F3 for example) brings their own TV crew and kit - and I imagine are happy to pay up 25K.

The only thing that could possibly tempt them would be the sponsors around the track - if they are local then TV coverage would be good as they could charge more including TV coverage into their package

The bottom line is - its probably more work for the, so they put up a silly fee - if you pay this fee, great its money for old rope, if not well tough. As a club racing circuit they should make things easier for the drivers/teams by giving or offering cheap broadcast rights - it doesn't hurt them, but championships and drivers would have more possiblity to get sponsors and perhaps race without the cheque book turning to rubber.

[jonathanc]

I was thinking a compromise on their part would be good, something like:

£1000 fee per race series/championship to film for weekend. (this way they could make 3-5k a weekend if several were interested)

Then have a standard contract whereby the club owns the tv rights and any sale of content to a broadcaster would be subject to a percentage comission. (clubs arrange their own deal with the individual tracks).

This way they make cash up front then even more if there is successful broadcast on TV or satellite channels.

Another plus is that of course they would actually make more money in the long run as more championships/series are likely to do it and sell on to the likes of Motors TV, Channel 4 & 5.

Im not sure, but I reckon if people see more racing on TV they are more likely to pop along to race meets and experience first hand the racing experience, especially for the lesser known but fun to watch series etc.

[greenamex2]

I think it's all a good idea but I reckon the TV companies would only want a very small number of series before they would be saturated.

Unfortunately motor racing isn't football which is why car related companies are more likely to have an advert/box at Manchester United etc than putting something into motorsport.

All the computer related suppliers I know would much rather bribe customers with football or golf matches than anything motorsport related.

We just aren't a very big or desirable market.

[JohnMiller]

I am pretty sure that such lower level / national / club racing on the box is where the broadcaster is paid to broadcast it, not vice versa. This is on the basis that such exposure makes the product more saleable to sponsors etc.

[ss_collins]

If low level clubbie meeting were televised it would be superb, imagine Vee, Stock hatch, Hot hatch or the minis televised - would be mega... far better than F1 for example and could revitalise the sport.


Jonathan e-mail me with the details I have contacts who might be able to help get rid of the 25K

[HiRich]

You're absolutely right in all respects. If you were ready to do the entire job (carrying all costs of production, editing and marketing), assigning percentages to venue, organiser and others:
- you are offering them money for doing nothing, what's more new money where there currntly is none.
- Whilst the broadcaster has costs (that's why they sometimes seek payment for broadcast), they might be interested in free/cheap footage, especially for late night slots. Especially if it can deliver better audiences (live and video'ed) than some repeat for which they have to pay rights).
- Added exposure will aid sponsor finding (teams and clubs)
- There is potential for a small cult following, which would drive spectators (= more money, and happier sponsors). As an example, I've hooked into Motorsport UK, late night on ITV, this season, and record it religiously.

I wish I could help, but my current work has taken me too far away from the broadcasters (and access to BARB figures, which might have helped). So all I can offer is encouragement. Keep us posted either way. In the future I might be able to offer more assistance.

[matt_tentenths]

I've been thinking very much along similar line. I've had several camera men around various tracks filming this year, with several cars with in-car cameras and the end result was some excellent, exciting coverage of club racing. Purely for personal use and all edited at home.

I've made tentative approaches to broadcasters, I even have a friend who has just setup a new channel on Sky digital. He was initially interested - but I am not going to bother now. £25k for permission to film/use the footage for broadcast is a joke.

Please, let us all pray that the new owners of BHL are not money-grabbing, narrow-minded idiots with short-term vision who can't see the benefit of this kind of free promotion.

[Sheila M]

Quite frankly I would prefer to see LESS motorsport on telly - that way people would have to come to circuits if they wanted to see good racing!

I am convinced that there is so much motorsport on TV these days that this is one of the reasons that we are short of marshals and spectators. I mean, would you come out on a cold wet day to see cars racing if you could slump in front of the telly with a glass of something cold and alcoholic in your hand?

[jonathanc]

Sheila,
What channels are you watching??
As far as Im concerned there is hardly any racing on TV apart from F1 and rallying.

I dont think having some club racing on TV would stop people coming to the circuits. Its more likely to have the opposite effect. Eg. If people havent heard about certain club series, then how are they going to know to come along and watch them at the track??

If they saw them on TV it is more likely to get the interested in something they didnt know about and get them visiting tracks to see the action for themselves.

[matt_tentenths]

That's a good point Shelia. There is a dearth of Motorsport on the telly - well, only if you have Sky Digital actually.

But the problem is it is mainly all rubbish! Who cares about some desert rally thousands of miles away or Formula Nippon or even Brazil Formula 3 ?? See "World Motorsport" on sky on any day and it is full of trudge. It also appears that most of these production companies have never heard of an in-car camera either.

The problem is we don't have that much quality british (club) motorsport on television. It is not packaged very well and thus has a lack of coherence. And I agree with the point that if we had more quality coverage, that would generate more fans of our sport who would want to get more involved, through either spectating, marshaling or driving etc. I don't think it diminishes the appeal of turning up at a track on a Sunday to watch, rather it adds to it.

Finally something decent on World Motorsports next week. From Monday they'll be showing the September Thruxton round of the Britcar race.

[Rob29]

Brazil F3? where can I see that?
Seriously the problem started when John Webb retired.Apparently he used to pay the BBC to show racing rather than v.v. ! saw lots of F3,FF2000,FF,Rallycros ,etc ,on the sat & sun afternoon Grandstand shows.

[matt_tentenths]

Well, some random South American F3!

John Webb was the man. And that proves the point - he was willing to pay to have the coverage, because he knew he'd get it back through better promotion etc.

[johneturbo]

I think i would be fantastic to see any club racing on tv
stock-hatch would be good bit biased
i do remember a few years back not sure what channel but you could see mini miglia caterhams far more interesting than F1
also i think it would inspire people to go watch even get involed
good luck to anyone trying to get club motorsport on tv

[Redracer77]

You can get Richard Hay's (British GT driver & TVR) production company - Hay Fisher to do the whole thing for between £3,000 and £4,000 a race weekend. They will sort out the circuit rights, flim it, edit it and voice over it and then arrange with Sky. It will normally be on World Motorsports but can sometimes get on Motors as well. They do most of the racing on TV at the moment.

PM me if you need his contact details

[simon drabble]

this weekend I was able to cure my racing winter cold turkey by watching classic footage of F3000, truck racing and Transam I reckon that is pretty good!
To be honest I would prefer to watch that rather than some clubbie meeting from some obscure club circuit. Although I race I think most club racing is pretty dull to watch to anyone who is not directly involved with that club

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by jonathanc
Sheila,
What channels are you watching??
As far as Im concerned there is hardly any racing on TV apart from F1 and rallying.

We watch all the sports programmes on satellite. You can watch motorsport of some description just about every day. Admittedly not all of it is GOOD motorsport but that could well discourage people from going to their local circuit to watch a clubbie meeting. Personally I would far rather watch (or marshal at) a 750 MC meeting at Mallory than F1 because the racing is so close and so good.

[simon drabble]

At the risk of sounding contrite I completely disagree!
I stumbled across truck racing on Sky and when it next comes to Thruxton, I will probably go and watch it. However I would not bother going to watch a club meeting as I do not want to pay to watch MG Maestros racing!
The harsh reality is that most club events are only interesting to those taking part. Even when I am racing its unlikely that I will watch another race unless I know someon in it or I like the cars competing!

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Sheila M
Personally I would far rather watch (or marshal at) a 750 MC meeting at Mallory than F1 because the racing is so close and so good.

Me too! The same goes for just about any club meeting anywhere......

[ss_collins]

Simon - if you saw it on tv (thinkin stock hatch here) you would would be gagging to go to brands

[simon drabble]

hhhmmmm.....
I remian to be convinced!
I would watch Truck Racing as it looks so mindless! but I can see stock hatch racing every Friday and Saturday night in most parts of Andover!!!!
Unless you are involved in the actual race there needs to be some glamour which by the very nature of it being club it is unlikely to have - however if I found it on TV I would probably sit down and watch it as I am a sad petrolhead!

[Jon Gray]

It would be nice to see more club racing on TV providing it is entertaining to watch, the championships like FPA, Formula ZIP etc. have contracts to cover all races on TV that’s great for them but some races can be boring to watch, this is no fault of the drivers or championship sometimes circumstances make a race that way. These are the ones that should not be shown or if they are put them to the back of the program. As a driver I tend to watch any type of racing on TV but a lot of my friends say that some of it is like “watching paint dry”.
Regarding the original question of costs for TV production if sky sports are at the event filming a championship that they are contracted to, they can cover your race and show it on TV for a negotiated price that is not £25K.

[HiRich]

On the subject of whether TV is good or bad for attendance, the evidence is pretty positive.
Club rugby benefits enormously form TV (and someone at the RFU will be wondering which idiot let the Heineken Cup go back to Sky, wasting so much of the World Cup euphoria).
When football first went to Sky 10-odd years back, attendances did drop. From memory it took two years to recover, and now they exceeed the figures of the eighties.
Other, relatively minor sports (athletics, snooker, swimming, etc.) can track interest and attendance directly to media coverage. TV would not only generate interest, but provide background for the events they cannot attend. When the series comes nearby, they are more likely to spot it in the paper (and consider attending) but also they have a beeter idea what to expect, and which cars & drivers to look out for.

[johneturbo]

Originally posted by simon drabble

I would watch Truck Racing as it looks so mindless! !

I could just drive on the M25 anytime to see that!!!