Future Rally Media Coverage

**F1boat** · 6th Feb 12, 17:02

Originally Posted by N.O.T

LOL...

I am sorry if I have involuntarily amused the rally fans here with an uneducated question, but I admit that I follow circuit racing more closely than rally, although I do enjoy both WRC and IRC. I was not aware that IRC is in dire situation, as JAM said, I thought that the live coverage of the stages boosted its popularity, when the WRC clearly struggles with no promoter in the moment. Maybe I was wrong and I will be happy if someone has the patience to explain to me the situation with the two championships and their popularity.
As a fan of touring car racing however, I am not sure that the WTCC is in decline. Last year we had a highly entertaining championship duel between Muller and Huff and the races were fun, although not as much as the BTCC. Now new manufacturers are entering the series as well as new teams and drivers. IMO it is a bit early to write off the WTCC.
On the other hand, maybe in these dark days every series suffers except maybe the glorious child of Mr. Ecclestone, Formula One. Look what mess is the WEC turning into, after the exodus of Peugeot...
But I am blabbering and have gone off topic, for which I am sorry. Still, I needed to share my thoughts.

**Mirek** · 6th Feb 12, 17:22

The situation with IRC is not that it is going to die but that there have been talks between FIA and Eurosport to merge ERC and IRC to one championship having ERC name. The reasons are clearly logical - IRC covers mostly European events, has good media coverage and competition while European championship has an official FIA championship status (something IRC doesn't have) but almost no competition. Merging both into a strong European championship is a logical move but it needs to find agreement between FIA and Eurosport and I can imagine it can end same as with WRC.

**F1boat** · 7th Feb 12, 09:01

Originally Posted by Mirek

The situation with IRC is not that it is going to die but that there have been talks between FIA and Eurosport to merge ERC and IRC to one championship having ERC name. The reasons are clearly logical - IRC covers mostly European events, has good media coverage and competition while European championship has an official FIA championship status (something IRC doesn't have) but almost no competition. Merging both into a strong European championship is a logical move but it needs to find agreement between FIA and Eurosport and I can imagine it can end same as with WRC.

Now I see. Sounds like a great idea.

**Brother John** · 7th Feb 12, 09:32

Rally Sweden.
The rally got to get three million before lunch.
How much must the Swedish Rally Ltd have secured the revenues at lunchtime today that it will be broadcasting from the World Championship.
Almost three million dollars.
Source: Swedish newspaper.
Rallyt måste fixa tre miljoner före lunch | Värmlands Folkblad

**Miika** · 7th Feb 12, 09:41

Three million kronor says the article, is Swedish krona level with the dollar or?

**Franky** · 7th Feb 12, 09:47

Originally Posted by Miika

Three million kronor says the article, is Swedish krona level with the dollar or?

I'm pretty sure that at some point I read somewhere earlier the number 300k Euros. Tried to search for the news I read it but couldn't find that number any more.

**DonJippo** · 7th Feb 12, 09:51

Originally Posted by Miika

Three million kronor says the article, is Swedish krona level with the dollar or?

Yes three million kronor which is about 300k€.

**skarderud** · 7th Feb 12, 09:52

I think you can split with 7. Aprox 300.000 €!

**Miika** · 7th Feb 12, 09:53

OK then it is still the same 300k that was mentioned a couple of days ago, so no changes there then.
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**Brother John** · 7th Feb 12, 10:27

Rally Coverage this weekend in Sweden.

This Progam is already announced by SVT. Also found on this website Det blir tv från Svenska Rallyt! | Motorsport | Teknikens Värld

Thursday     February 9:
22:45 to 23:15 SVT1: Before the Swedish Rally

Friday, February 10th:
22:45 to 23:15 SVT2: Swedish Rally, summary

Saturday, February 11th:

11:40 to 12:00 SVT1/Play/Mobil: Swedish Rally (included in the Winter Studio)
18:45 to 19:00 SVT1/Play/Mobil: Swedish Rally (included in the Winter Studio)

Sunday, February 12th:
12:25 to 12:40 SVT1/Play/Mobil: Swedish Rally (included in the Winter Studio)
16:00 to 16:10 SVT1/Play/Mobil: Swedish Rally (included in the Winter Studio)
22:45 to 23:40 SVT1: Swedish Rally, summary

**Viking** · 7th Feb 12, 12:14

Decision put on hold a few hours more

Utökad tidsfrist om TV-produktion « Rally Sweden

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 7th Feb 12, 21:20

Rally Sweden finalises its own deal to keep event on international TV

By David Evans Tuesday, February 7th 2012, 16:53 GMT

'The organisers of this week's Rally Sweden have confirmed there will be international television coverage of the event.
Event CEO Glenn Olsson concluded a deal on Tuesday afternoon to ensure that the second round of the World Rally Championship will be filmed with footage available across the world.
Motors TV is expected to screen the footage in the UK, with nightly reports and a round-up on Sunday afternoon.
Olsson said: "We are doing this for all our fans to save the championship and its organisers and teams, and not least for our own sake and our sponsors. This is a multi-million [euro] project and, as we are not ready with the economics, this is very hazardous for us."
Scandinavian fans are well-covered this year. Terrestrial deals are already in place for Sweden, Norway and Denmark, although these will have to be renegotiated now with each round of the series.
This is the first time in 20 years that an individual round of the WRC has negotiated its own television rights. The FIA stated late last week that events would have to do this following the break down in negotiations with Eurosport - the French firm which had been expected to film and distribute WRC footage throughout 2012.'

Great news that there will be coverage

, but a shame its not gonna be on Eurosport with its better commentators and HD channel

**danon** · 7th Feb 12, 21:55

The FIA is now calling for expressions of interest to identify candidates interested in getting involved as an agent, a promoter or an investor in the promotion of the Championship with a view to concluding a multi-year contract.

**GigiGalliNo1** · 8th Feb 12, 00:51

See below

International TV coverage of the 2012 Swedish Rally will go ahead, though there is still not enough money to cover the costs.
The Rally had called for support from the FIA, manufacturers and sponsors as it sought to create the TV package, following the decision by the FIA to hand back responsibility for television to the events on Friday night.
The Finnish Filmworks company will now produce the TV highlights and news feeds, and distribute these around the world.
The go-ahead comes after 4 days of frantic work by the organisers, led by Glenn Olsson, Chief Executive of Rally Sweden.
Other rallies in the series will breathe a sigh of relief: if the Swedish TV coverage had not happened, broadcasters might have given up altogether on the WRC.
But Sweden is still seeking commitments on all sides, and it is being stressed that this is being done in the interests of the sport.

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 14th Feb 12, 22:02

Tue, 14 Feb 2012

The FIA is confident that it will nail down international television coverage for the World Rally Championship this week.

Following the loss of North One Sport as promoter and the subsequent collapse of talks with Eurosport, there had been grave concerns for footage from this year's series. Eurosport agreed a deal with the organisers of the Monte Carlo Rally and Finnish firm Filmworks did the same with last week's Rally Sweden.
The ideal scenario is the central distribution and sales of television coverage of the whole WRC. It's known that a deal had been made with ITV4 for more comprehensive coverage of WRC in 2012 and it's this kind of deal that the FIA is hoping it can achieve again for this season. Individual events have now been told to stop working with local broadcasters.
With an FIA-sanctioned deal ready to be signed this week, there are fears that, having been told by the FIA that the television rights to their events belong to the rallies, some event organisers will complete multi-year agreements with local stations and weaken the FIA's position to attract a series-wide promoter.

WRC Commission president Jarmo Mahonen told AUTOSPORT: "The television should be okay. I can't go to details, but we are working to the plans to have central distribution - we should come out with these plans in the next few days."

Mahonen admitted that the production of television wasn't a concern, adding: "That's the small part on this game. The big thing is about the distribution and maintaining the broadcasters [around the world]. Our aim is to plan and find a system very quickly for the central distribution of footage."

Asked if the FIA could distribute footage, Mahonen replied: "That is one possibility or you put it out to agencies there are several agencies around the world who can do this."
Rally Sweden distributed the coverage it underwrote at a cost of 300,000 to 30 broadcasters, ensuring the Jari-Matti Latvala's victory on the Karlstad-based event was seen in more than 120 territories last week.

**bt52b** · 16th Feb 12, 02:13

IMG McCormick, Extreme Video, Al Jazeera, any other hats rumoured to be in the ring?
AUTOhebdo.fr | Promotion du WRC bientôt assurée ?

The IMG McCormick link is interesting considering the amount of money blown in end of year big prize golf tournaments