Your ideas to fix Indycar

**ICWS** · 17th January 2013, 05:34

Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior

When the IRL/ICS signed the TV deal (unless there's been some sort of more recent update), NBC had no connection to Versus. While it might sound like a better option than ABC/ESPN now, signing such a deal would have put the Indy 500 on a channel that most people had never heard of at the time. And since no one else wanted any races at all, it was either take what was being offered by ABC/ESPN and Versus, or pay for airtime on Speed or some other outlet. And with "the family" already trying to cut corners and pinch pennies, paying for anything more than paperclips seems to be an issue these days.

I like some of your other ideas though.

IndyCar signed an extension with ABC/ESPN in August of 2011 that keeps the Indy 500 and 4 other races on the network through 2018 (Sports Media Watch). In February of 2011, Comcast (the owner of Versus) acquired a majority share in NBC Universal and integrated Versus and their other sports channels into the NBC Sports division (Comcast renames Versus to NBC Sports Network - Philly.com). So NBC did have a connection with Versus by the time ABC/ESPN's deal was to expire with IndyCar.

**Wilf** · 17th January 2013, 06:32

Originally Posted by ICWS

IndyCar signed an extension with ABC/ESPN in August of 2011 that keeps the Indy 500 and 4 other races on the network through 2018 (Sports Media Watch). In February of 2011, Comcast (the owner of Versus) acquired a majority share in NBC Universal and integrated Versus and their other sports channels into the NBC Sports division (Comcast renames Versus to NBC Sports Network - Philly.com). So NBC did have a connection with Versus by the time ABC/ESPN's deal was to expire with IndyCar.

When did the deal clear the anti-trust folks and when did they announce VERSUS would become NBC Sports? What does NBC have scheduled for Memorial day?

**00steven** · 17th January 2013, 16:58

Originally Posted by Starter

When was the last time it worked?

1990's CART

**Chris R** · 17th January 2013, 17:23

Originally Posted by 00steven

1990's CART

yes, BUT, you cannot change two important variables that make that model not ork in today's world: 1. No cigarette advertising $$ 2. The internet and general decline of "traditional" media.....

This is why we can't "go back" to the all so successful CART model - no matter what we do there is no cash cow to milk and the media model of today does not work well for motorsports (at least nobody has figured out how to make it wok yet)

**FIAT1** · 17th January 2013, 17:57

Your ideas to fix Indycar ? Simple, open competition of inovation to build cars that people want to see. Spec garbage is hard to sell.

**bricarr2** · 17th January 2013, 19:26

As bad as ABC/ESPN coverage is , being on network garners 3-4 times the audience as NBCSN.

And having just got finished researching all this, IndyCar had little choice if someone was going to pay them for the TV deal. There is some hope for NBCSN expanding its scope, but I got to admit, its a reach.

**Starter** · 17th January 2013, 22:02

Originally Posted by bricarr2

And having just got finished researching all this, IndyCar had little choice if someone was going to pay them for the TV deal. There is some hope for NBCSN expanding its scope, but I got to admit, its a reach.

Agree. Long term it may be a winner, but right now it's nowhere.

**anthonyvop** · 17th January 2013, 22:38

Originally Posted by ICWS

I think IndyCar made a mistake in resigning with ABC/ESPN for 5 races each year in addition to NBC sports instead of signing with NBC and their cable networks (NBC Sports, USA Network, Universal) for the entire season. I think we can all agree that NBC Sports provides far better race coverage than ABC/ESPN, and so I don't understand why they didn't decide to sign with the NBC network due to this, and the fact that they wouldn't have to compete with NASCAR on the same network.

NBC Sports didn't even exist when the TV deal was signed. It was Versus Network that was owned by Comcast which later purchased NBC. Versus was the only other Network that actually offered any compensation. Everyone else wanted IndyCar to pay.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 17th January 2013, 23:11

Originally Posted by BDunnell

I don't actually believe this to be true. Name a successful sport in which the rules and regulations are constantly chopped and changed.

F1! About every three years they reinvent the series...maybe tweaks, but after another 3 the engine sizes change, the tires change, the wing sizes change. Indy car hasn't done anything so radical for almost a decade and then last year goes to a new plaform....that isn't why they are in trouble.

**bricarr2** · 17th January 2013, 23:12

Yes. I tried to point out in the article that the problem is not the TV contract, per se. The problem is IndyCar put itself in a position, where it had no choice but to sign on with Versus now NBCSN. The TV contract is merely a sympton, granted a very painful one, of a larger problem.