Oulton Park BTCC/Brands Hatch WTCC clash in UK (was Genius)

[rdjones]

Alan Gow said before race 3 that it was the biggest BTCC crowd at Oulton for 10 years.

[touringlegend]

Thinking more about this, and considering TOCA / the circuits don't tend to announce crowd figures, it's a bit co-incendental this has come when the WTCC is in the country.

[chunder]

I dont think its the promoters who ahve any say in the tv thing

More like the sponsors, they pretty much run motor racing these days!

Looked like a good crowd at Oulton, but perhaps only average at Brands, full circuit though so hard to judge

Certainly not a patch on BSB or WSBK

[cos]

Originally Posted by touringlegend

Thinking more about this, and considering TOCA / the circuits don't tend to announce crowd figures, it's a bit co-incendental this has come when the WTCC is in the country.

Toca/BTCC haven't boasted about/released attendance figures for a few years, so the cynic in me thinks it's related to the WTCC clash. Any news on the Brands crowd? It looked fairly full..?

[redshoes]

TL, that was my thoughts exactly. Gow has even said in the past that he doesn't comment on attendance figures as TOCA are not in a position to release them.

I thought his comments in the recent press release about next year's calendar to be a bit petty as well : "By confirming our dates and venues in July, other major motor sport organisers now can plan their own events and avoid too many clashes with the BTCC - or at least be aware of where and when the BTCC will be headlining at venues close to them.” No suggestion that they should speak to or co-operate with other big series, just 'here's our dates, live with it'

Brands crowd is always deceptive as you can't see how many people are on the GP loop, but it certainly looked to be less than the equivalent BTCC meeting.

[snowen250]

I was at Brands and the crowd was ok, smaller it seemed tho than the BTCC round earlier this year. There was no queue to get in, and the crowd seems quite thin, granted there may have been more on the GP loop, but not that much more.
But then again the STUPID positioning of tall advertisment boardings in prime viewing locations did spoil the view for those of us wanting to spectate on the down slope from druids........
Simon

[Kelvin]

I had never been to a WTCC event before, and my son wanted go, so Brands it was. It's very unlikely I would have travelled up to Oulton Park this year for the BTCC

Anyway I think the crowd was on a par, if not slightly better that some BTCC meetings, the weather of course helped. Lots of trade stands, my son enjoyed the WTCC stand that had he WTCC game on PC's, a full grids worth of PCs. Two goes, geting pole both times, finished 3rd and 1st respectively

Because of TV schedules the two rounds were held back to back, with a very short gap between the two races, it must have been about 2.30 and it was all over!

After race two we left, and got home in time to see watch a recording of the 2 races we had just seen and then watched the 2nd and 3rd race from Oulton Park.

I did not enjoy WTCC as much as BTCC and wont be going again.

[the sniper]

Originally Posted by chunder

so avoiding date clashes to me (when your audience in this country is probly less than 2 million) seems futile.

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

But surely at least 1.5 million of those 2 million BTCC viewers would also watch F1?

The highest viewing figures the BTCC has had this year is 258,000, which was the first round at Brands.

FYI, WTCC normally only gets about 60,000 viewers in this country per event (not including the highlights on Eurosport or ITV4)

[snowen250]

Real shame you left (as did many others) after the two WTCC races, the Seat Cup was a brilliant race! Much better then the UK ones and even the Formula Master was eventful.
I thought it was a good meeting, with some brilliant racing.
Simon

[chunder]

The audience figure I was using was the rough estimetae of people who have Sky in the UK, not an actually viewing figure.

I fully realise that nowhere near that many people would watch a BTCC race.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by the sniper

The highest viewing figures the BTCC has had this year is 258,000, which was the first round at Brands.

FYI, WTCC normally only gets about 60,000 viewers in this country per event (not including the highlights on Eurosport or ITV4)

Its a lot more than that!
You seem to have forgotten the ITV1 highlights and the repeats on ITV4 etc. per event.

[the sniper]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

Its a lot more than that!
You seem to have forgotten the ITV1 highlights and the repeats on ITV4 etc. per event.

I wouldn't say a lot more, but with the highlights included each meeting probably gets a maximum of 500,000 viewers.

[safc_fan89]

Originally Posted by chunder

I really doubt somewhat that the televsision audience for F1 ebven knows what touring cars are to be honest!

They are not on mainstream toomuch anymore so I would imagine in most layman cases they ahve fallen off the radr to passing fans.

There is little proof that people who watch F1 watch anything else. They might follow a driver perhaps, but the majority are only interested in F1, so avoiding date clashes to me (when your audience in this country is probly less than 2 million) seems futile.

Where's your proof of that, then?

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by the sniper

I wouldn't say a lot more, but with the highlights included each meeting probably gets a maximum of 500,000 viewers.

LOL...even if your numbers were right, which are double the original figure quoted, then they are very obviously a "lot more" !

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by the sniper

The highest viewing figures the BTCC has had this year is 258,000, which was the first round at Brands.

FYI, WTCC normally only gets about 60,000 viewers in this country per event (not including the highlights on Eurosport or ITV4)

Brands had an audience of 411,000 for the live coverage on ITV4, and a further 263,000 for the three showings of the highlights, making a total of 674,000.


Rockingham had fewer live viewers (327,000) but a higher total (732,000).

Donington had 693,000; Thruxton 644,000; Croft 691,000 and Snetterton 908,000.

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by redshoes

You're right, it was the extra ballast that was introduced prior to Brands last year not the 'no points' rule. However the suggestion that it was brought in just to stop the regulars from being embarrassed still stands.

The Extra Ballast rule has applied since the beginning of the WTCC for anyone who is not a season-long entry (and still applies). The intention is to try and prevent late-season extra cars from being used as lightweight blockers, stopping championship contenders from other teams scoring points... the 'unguided missile' effect seen over the years in other championships

Turkington's car was not homologated to FIA S2000 regs (sequential 'box). It was allowed to race (like the Volvo in Sweden last year and the C30 in Brands) but not score points of take Race 2 pole, so as to add some interest but not adversely affect the championship

[the sniper]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Brands had an audience of 411,000 for the live coverage on ITV4, and a further 263,000 for the three showings of the highlights, making a total of 674,000.


Rockingham had fewer live viewers (327,000) but a higher total (732,000).

Donington had 693,000; Thruxton 644,000; Croft 691,000 and Snetterton 908,000.

I guess that you have access to the more in depth figures from BARB as I was only using the public ones which are on their site, I assume not these are not peak figures but averages or something.

Sorry for any confusion I caused, frankly I was surprised myself that the rating I quoted were so low yet ITV continued to put a decent budget towards it's coverage, I assumed they could not stop because of contracts that are already in place.

Do you know how many viewers WTCC gets from its live and highlights broadcasts?