How to increase ratings

[MDS]

Per EagleEye's suggest I'm starting a thread on how to improve raitings. Basically last year's numbers show us that roughly 275,000 people on average watched race on versus, for a .24 rating. That's both a good and bad thing. Bad as in the ratings suck, good from the point of that' its easy to show improvement.

Basically we're at a point in history adding 150,000 fans saves the ICS. that would move us from a .24 average on verses to roughly a .45, still bad, but marked improvement, and all we really have to show is a start of an upwards trend. The Izod adverts, a DirecTV deal should get a good chunk of that, but a good portion will have to come through outreach

If you want the ICS to prosper its time that you became an ambassador for the sport. If everyone of the 200,000 die hard fans out there found one of their friends and converted them to a fan the problem would be solved. If you want to help Indy, hold watch parties. Bring your friends over for a Memorial Day BBQ on Sunday. I did it last year, invited 20 people, and one couple just bought tickets to the race at Barber.

Also take your kids, or your friend's kids to races. There have been a couple of times I've bought extra tickets, and therefore had "Extra tickets," and asked friends if the wanted me to take their kids along and if you hook their kids you typically start the family on it.

Just go to bars and ask them to put the race on the big screen and be friend. The success of this year's ratings rely entirely on you. I bought eight tickets to Barber and my BF and I are only using two of them. I'm giving the rest away to clients and friends, who hopefully will become fans.

[SarahFan]

I'm the irl I get on the horn with Honda and crank up the horsepower by 100....

Then I rent out Fontana on the mon and tues leading up to Long beach and I set a unofficial closed coarse record .....

Then I have evry last person associated with the irl ... Officials team owners pit crews racers etc..... Especially the racers! Talk up a new track record at Indy!


Then go out and set it

speed sells

[SUBARUTEAM]

get grid girls, on the oval and road course events - have a race day card of more then one indy car race,
& have lunch time entertainment such as drifting or a burnout competition.

and most important, get Chip to hire graham rahal

[Mark in Oshawa]

Raising ratings wont involve grid girls or setting lap records at Fontana. It will come when the racing is more compelling than a test pattern. Good looking cars going really fast but still able to race each other would be the best solution, but that new car is not on the immediate agenda so......

Crank up the power, give a push to pass maybe of 150 hp, take some of the wing out at places like Texas, take some away on the road/street courses as well, maybe give them less brake size to make brake conservation an issue on road courses ( skilled drivers will manage to get away) and maybe go to double file restarts. THAT would be a start.

For us fans, well try to encourage friends and family to take a greater interest in the sport, but lets face the hard reality if the show on track is like what we saw in Richmond and Iowa, we likely are wasting our time. IF my ideas don't make better passing, that's fine (Hoop will no doubt prove I am likely off now that I think of it) but I am not paid to make the racing better.I just know that it MUST be or we are dead. With 20 cars on track, you need a story to be compelling...

[garyshell]

Drastically reduced downforce. Drastically increased horse power. Much harder tires.

Gary

[MDS]

This thread was kinda supposed to be about what you could to raise ratings this year without the league or teams having to spend money. But whatever fanboys.

[SarahFan]

no trck record for 13 years

13 years of declineing ratings

I agree mark .... Gotta have compelling racing

but at this point there needs to be a reason for new (and old) fans to tune in

[SarahFan]

This thread was kinda supposed to be about what you could to raise ratings this year without the league or teams having to spend money. But whatever fanboys.

Then the thread would only have been 1 post long

[MDS]

Then the thread would only have been 1 post long

So this is going to turn into another thread of whining and fantasy ideas?

There's a time and place for that, but its getting a little dark outside.

[Scotty G.]

At this point, I don't think much of anything will increase ratings. America just doesn't like what passes for Indy Car/Formula Car racing these days.

IF any new fans would be interested, watching the first few 100 MPH parades ("fastest drivers on earth, my posterior Izod") will have them searching for something else to do with their time.

That's if, they even get Versus to begin with.

[Mark in Oshawa]

So this is going to turn into another thread of whining and fantasy ideas?

There's a time and place for that, but its getting a little dark outside.

So we all hold hands with out friends and make them sit and watch the dreck at a show like Richmond last year? Dream on MDS, you wont get them there by all of us making friends watch the IRL. Any of my friends who are NOT watching are not going to be swayed by this product. I saw 10 compelling NASCAR Cup races at least last year. THAT is REALLY DAMN GOOD RACES. 20 more were decent entertainment and maybe 6 just sucked. I cannot tell you more than 2 races I watched of the IRL last year that I can remember for anything memorable entertainment wise. Toronto and Watkins Glen...the rest was just there...

Other than the Indy 500, I don't hardly get into the oval races anymore if they are on the banked tracks like Texas or Kentucky. I just don't find it compelling to watch. Maybe I am wrong, but it has been lost on me, and understand, and Iknow Scotty might be shocked, but I LIKE Ovals. But I love flat ovals where you have to DRIVE the car. Indy, they have to really DRIVE that car. Nothing about racing at Indy is foot to the floor easy although they are perilously close.....So give them more power (that wont cost radically more), give them harder tires and take some wing away. If that breaks the budget for some teams, then this deal is dead either way.

[Lousada]

Perhaps a good analysis would be why the ratings drop so hard during the season? If I remember correctly the first races on Versus last year scored .5 or thereabouts but after Indy it all tumbled down.
Also I wonder if it's a good idea to have two blocks of roads and two blocks of ovals, instead of mixing it all.

[EagleEye]

Per EagleEye's suggest I'm starting a thread on how to improve raitings. Basically last year's numbers show us that roughly 275,000 people on average watched race on versus, for a .24 rating. That's both a good and bad thing. Bad as in the ratings suck, good from the point of that' its easy to show improvement.

Basically we're at a point in history adding 150,000 fans saves the ICS. that would move us from a .24 average on verses to roughly a .45, still bad, but marked improvement, and all we really have to show is a start of an upwards trend. The Izod adverts, a DirecTV deal should get a good chunk of that, but a good portion will have to come through outreach

If you want the ICS to prosper its time that you became an ambassador for the sport. If everyone of the 200,000 die hard fans out there found one of their friends and converted them to a fan the problem would be solved. If you want to help Indy, hold watch parties. Bring your friends over for a Memorial Day BBQ on Sunday. I did it last year, invited 20 people, and one couple just bought tickets to the race at Barber.

Also take your kids, or your friend's kids to races. There have been a couple of times I've bought extra tickets, and therefore had "Extra tickets," and asked friends if the wanted me to take their kids along and if you hook their kids you typically start the family on it.

Just go to bars and ask them to put the race on the big screen and be friend. The success of this year's ratings rely entirely on you. I bought eight tickets to Barber and my BF and I are only using two of them. I'm giving the rest away to clients and friends, who hopefully will become fans.

MDS is spot on and has some great ideas about what WE can do to help spread the word. There are many good ideas floating around, and if we could devise five or six and put them into action, it cannot hurt.

GTG’s with friends is a great idea. Maybe rotate the location of where you watch the race with each different GTG having a theme. You match the theme with the location of the race. Invite someone from the local paper, or local TV station. Brazilian BBQ for race one!

Have a local bar give you discounts on food and drink if you bring a group to watch the race. Put up some race banners, and have a ball. Call your local ABC affiliate and have them come out and do a piece on the group. Hey, if they say not what does it hurt to ask? you would be amazed at what they might put on the air on a slow news day!

With the good news coming out today (if it proves true), we could pass the story on to the major papers, websites so that they can post or carry the story. One winning driver and a young gun on a team that is looking to move up the grid just do not get better than that! Pass that around and make sure the paper/new site keep on posting stories and results from the season.

We should do this throughout the season. Some news and sports websites allow comments to be posted after an article. I have noticed some people do nothing more than advertise items for sale from their website. Maybe we can post a tasteful blurb about an upcoming race?

The focus on the effort should be on things we can do like MDS has pointed out, not things beyond our control.

[F1boat]

Perhaps a good analysis would be why the ratings drop so hard during the season? If I remember correctly the first races on Versus last year scored .5 or thereabouts but after Indy it all tumbled down.


It's a bit like a LMS race after Le Mans, less interesting.

[anthonyvop]

This thread was kinda supposed to be about what you could to raise ratings this year without the league or teams having to spend money. But whatever fanboys.
Without spending money? Impossible.

[anthonyvop]

It's a bit like a LMS race after Le Mans, less interesting.

Not less interesting.

Both series do the same thing. They rely too heavily and put the emphasis on a single event.

[Scotty G.]

With the good news coming out today (if it proves true), we could pass the story on to the major papers, websites so that they can post or carry the story.


Sorry, but I don't see major papers, websites or Americans in general being all that moved about Justin Wilson and Mike Conway getting full-time Indy Car rides.

A nice story for D&R (and likely a bad one for Coyne) and for the couple of hundred thousand Indy Car followers out there, but that's about it.

[Scotty G.]

They rely too heavily and put the emphasis on a single event.

There are good reasons for that.

Without Indy, there is no Indy Car racing.

[Chris R]

To improve ratings:
1. Better TV presentation
2. Better racing
3. Better promotion
4. More "real" human drama/intrigue/interest. The sport lacks characters these days...
5. Better race management - too many yellows, yellow are too long..... need more filler ready to keep audience into it when the unavoidable long yellow occurs (preferably action pieces, not soft stories)

[Mark in Oshawa]

There are good reasons for that.

Without Indy, there is no Indy Car racing.

That may be true Scott, but without a series, Indy isn't viable. The one lesson that is clear of the last 16 years is the series cannot do without Indy, and the 500 isn't economically viable wihtout a series.

[Chris R]

There are good reasons for that.

Without Indy, there is no Indy Car racing.
true but it is still a two way street - Indy will not be too far behind if there is nowhere else to race the cars and I think Indy is really magnified by events that bring the cars to the people who cannot get to Indy. I do not dispute that Indy is the king - but a king is nothing without good minions.....

[the bro]

How about trying to capture some of the excitement of actually being at the race. Maybe some different camera angles, but nothing gimicky like "digger cams". The speed really doesn't translate too well to TV. Try to get the Wow factor, like when you see the cars in person. Doesn't have to be expensive, just some different placement of cameras.

[anthonyvop]

There are good reasons for that.

Without Indy, there is no Indy Car racing.
That is what you think.

[Mark in Oshawa]

How about trying to capture some of the excitement of actually being at the race. Maybe some different camera angles, but nothing gimicky like "digger cams". The speed really doesn't translate too well to TV. Try to get the Wow factor, like when you see the cars in person. Doesn't have to be expensive, just some different placement of cameras.

Put the cameras where? On the cars? Done. On the wall? Done. On a blimp? Done. On the helmet of a crew member? Done. IN short, the only place they haven't placed one is on Ashley Judd the whole show....in which case we are talking girl watching, not racing.

Not sure your wow factor is going to come out no matter where you think the cameras should go. I know people who work in TV, and we are of the opinion that most of the ideas are pretty much out there now....you cannot reinvent the wheel with current technology, and the really neat stuff costs money. If the series had the money, they could do it...but alas, that is the problem isn't it?

[NickFalzone]

Put the cameras where? On the cars? Done. On the wall? Done. On a blimp? Done. On the helmet of a crew member? Done. IN short, the only place they haven't placed one is on Ashley Judd the whole show....in which case we are talking girl watching, not racing.

Not sure your wow factor is going to come out no matter where you think the cameras should go. I know people who work in TV, and we are of the opinion that most of the ideas are pretty much out there now....you cannot reinvent the wheel with current technology, and the really neat stuff costs money. If the series had the money, they could do it...but alas, that is the problem isn't it?

It is a matter of money. There are a lot of things visually they could do for the IRL that could make it more attractive to younger viewers while also keeping the current fans appeased. While many of these ideas could easily be transferred over to other series like NASCAR or ALMS/GA, I do think the racing 200+ mph on ovals, side by side through traffic, still has a visual component that the drivers perceive but the home viewers do not. A variety of camera placement could make a ho-hum race like Texas or Homestead into something that's more exciting, and take an already good race like 2009's Kentucky and make it into a bigger spectacle. I do think that the presentation is something that the IRL has mostly been lacking, although VS has picked up the ball on this to some degree. But yes, it all comes down to $$ and currently the IRL & VS probably doesn't have the budget to do these things. NBC might however. And I have some hope that the new CEO will look into these ideas once he settles in. On the other hand, I agree with the others that there's a 50/50 shot 2011 or 2012 is going to be the season that never happened.

[Scotty G.]

That is what you think.

No, that is the reality. ;)

[anthonyvop]

No, that is the reality. ;)

That is your reality.

Hard to find any other series or sport centered on one event. An event that does not decided a championship, start or end their season or has any reason at all to be of such importance aside from the most intangible of reasons....tradition.

[SarahFan]

That is your reality.

Hard to find any other series or sport centered on one event. An event that does not decided a championship, start or end their season or has any reason at all to be of such importance aside from the most intangible of reasons....tradition.



Kentucky derby
Michigan vs Ohio state
university of Utah vs byu
Olympics
tour defrance

I'm sure there others

[Mark in Oshawa]

It is a matter of money. There are a lot of things visually they could do for the IRL that could make it more attractive to younger viewers while also keeping the current fans appeased. While many of these ideas could easily be transferred over to other series like NASCAR or ALMS/GA, I do think the racing 200+ mph on ovals, side by side through traffic, still has a visual component that the drivers perceive but the home viewers do not. A variety of camera placement could make a ho-hum race like Texas or Homestead into something that's more exciting, and take an already good race like 2009's Kentucky and make it into a bigger spectacle. I do think that the presentation is something that the IRL has mostly been lacking, although VS has picked up the ball on this to some degree. But yes, it all comes down to $$ and currently the IRL & VS probably doesn't have the budget to do these things. NBC might however. And I have some hope that the new CEO will look into these ideas once he settles in. On the other hand, I agree with the others that there's a 50/50 shot 2011 or 2012 is going to be the season that never happened.

Nick...NBC aint coming. Get that right now. They don't draw enough to justify it unless it is a time buy. Furthermore, the variety of camera placement?They have cameras all over the the cars. Almost every car has a camera. I have been in a TV truck..believe me, this aint cheap putting camera's everywhere and somehow you have to get all the useful footage organized with the director and put on air. THAT isn't simple.

The presentation of what VS is putting on air is fine, and the broadcasts I enjoyed, it was the RACING Nick. Get it into your head, the product HAS to be where it starts. It is the reason why the XFL bombed and the NFL is the big dog. THe product is compelling and the best in what they do. Same goes for racing. IF the racing is compelling, then people will buy into and watch. Hardcore fans watch no matter what. THAT is what is showing up on the ratings, us guys who love racing. The casual racing fan went to NASCAR when he got tired of the political craphole of the last 15 years and he now likes THAT product. You have to put a product on the track that is a) different form NASCAR and b)as compelling as NASCAR. IF the racing is dull, I don't even think a camera on every car, helmet, and fence post on the wall is going to make a difference.

[Mark in Oshawa]

As for the assertion you cant build a sport around one event, gee, Horse racing builds it around 4 in the US, Tennis builds it basically around 4, one of which is played on US soil, Golf is everywhere, but it is wallpaper except for the 4 majors, and one event stands out in NASCAR to the extent that making that race can begin or end careers.

Indy's role has diminished greately in the last 15 years, but in proportion with the series. That said, if you are going to get anyone to invest serious dollars in OW in the US, you better have a plan for Indy. IT is the only race moving the needle on ratings on TV. Pretty simple to grasp for those who don't want to, but I can tell you quite safely that it is the only race that might get the lost to NASCAR crowd to watch Indycar racing again...because it will be the only one they find on Network TV, and it will be the only one they can remember unless the IRL is in their backyard one weekend.

[anthonyvop]

Kentucky derby
Until recently The Derby wasn't a part of any series. It was a stand alone event that some people banded together in a mythical triple crown. it is only the past few years has it been an "Official" Triple crown. Either way the Derby is the Start



Michigan vs Ohio state
A regional event that gained importance because it usually meant the winner of the game also won the conference Championship and a Bid to the Grand-daddy of all bowl games.
Today it is of lesser importance and still a regional event. yea I know it is huge in Mich and Ohio. But it hold no more attraction in Florida than the Miami/F.S.U. game does in Michigan or Ohio.


university of Utah vs byu
Nobody cares outside of Utah. I don't think it is nationally broadcasted.


Olympics
Not part of a series. Only once every 4 years. Win in your event and you are the best. It is a championship.


tour defrance
Stand alone event. Not part of a series.


I'm sure there others

[anthonyvop]

As for the assertion you cant build a sport around one event, gee, Horse racing builds it around 4 in the US, Tennis builds it basically around 4, one of which is played on US soil, Golf is everywhere, but it is wallpaper except for the 4 majors, and one event stands out in NASCAR to the extent that making that race can begin or end careers.


Sorry Mark but none that you have mention follow the formula that the IRL does.

Horse racing doesn't have the "Kentucky Derby Series". Tennis doesn't run the Wimbledon tour. It isn't the Professional "Masters" Golf Association. And it isn't the race for the Daytona Cup.

None of those series you mention rely on and hitch themselves a ride on a single event that hold no special meaning besides tradition. You even stated that Golf and Tennis have more than one Marquee event.
Even Sports like the NFL and Baseball have their big match-ups. When the Yankees play the Red Sox there is rarely a seat available but they call it the American League. Not The Yankees vs. Red sox league.


Currently The ILR names their series after the City where the Indy 500 takes place.
That event doesn't start the season like the Daytona 500.
It doesn't decide the championship like a Super Bowl

It can best be compared to F1's Monaco GP. It isn't the best race. It is part of the tradition, It is it's most famous event, Financially it is one of the most successful race on the schedule, and it would be hard to imagine F1 without it.

But

It is called the Formula One World Driving Championship.
Not the Monaco Racing league racing in Monaco-Cars.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Sorry Mark but none that you have mention follow the formula that the IRL does.

Horse racing doesn't have the "Kentucky Derby Series". Tennis doesn't run the Wimbledon tour. It isn't the Professional "Masters" Golf Association. And it isn't the race for the Daytona Cup.

None of those series you mention rely on and hitch themselves a ride on a single event that hold no special meaning besides tradition. You even stated that Golf and Tennis have more than one Marquee event.
Even Sports like the NFL and Baseball have their big match-ups. When the Yankees play the Red Sox there is rarely a seat available but they call it the American League. Not The Yankees vs. Red sox league.


Currently The ILR names their series after the City where the Indy 500 takes place.
That event doesn't start the season like the Daytona 500.
It doesn't decide the championship like a Super Bowl

It can best be compared to F1's Monaco GP. It isn't the best race. It is part of the tradition, It is it's most famous event, Financially it is one of the most successful race on the schedule, and it would be hard to imagine F1 without it.

But

It is called the Formula One World Driving Championship.
Not the Monaco Racing league racing in Monaco-Cars.

You love splitting hairs don't you? Call it whatever you want, but the series doesn't survive without Indy, and Indy isn't viable without the series. If an OW series WAS viable without Indy, CART wouldn't have folded its' tent.

The marquee event is the Indy 500 but it isn't the only event. The rest of the series may not match Indy, but the only race that gets decent TV numbers and is hence worthy of side pod support for a lot of teams IS Indy.

It is a symbiotic relationship that was screwed up by a greedy and vain man...

[SarahFan]

Until recently The Derby wasn't a part of any series. It was a stand alone event that some people banded together in a mythical triple crown. it is only the past few years has it been an "Official" Triple crown. Either way the Derby is the Start



A regional event that gained importance because it usually meant the winner of the game also won the conference Championship and a Bid to the Grand-daddy of all bowl games.
Today it is of lesser importance and still a regional event. yea I know it is huge in Mich and Ohio. But it hold no more attraction in Florida than the Miami/F.S.U. game does in Michigan or Ohio.


Nobody cares outside of Utah. I don't think it is nationally broadcasted.


Not part of a series. Only once every 4 years. Win in your event and you are the best. It is a championship.


Stand alone event. Not part of a series.

your silly....

[SarahFan]

but the series doesn't survive without Indy, and Indy isn't viable without the series. I.


wasn't Indy a stand alone event until leveraged by the IRL?

it seemed to be doing just fine up until then

[anthonyvop]

wasn't Indy a stand alone event until leveraged by the IRL?

it seemed to be doing just fine up until then

Was a part of the CART Championship since CART's inception.


I think you guys are not getting what I am saying.

Pretty much everyone in the US knows what is the Indy 500.
It's popularity, attendance and TV ratings has been in a decline for some time.

Why is naming your series after it a good thing?

[SarahFan]

Was a part of the CART Championship since CART's inception.


I think you guys are not getting what I am saying.

Pretty much everyone in the US knows what is the Indy 500.
It's popularity, attendance and TV ratings has been in a decline for some time.

Why is naming your series after it a good thing?

I dont think your getting mine.... I never said it was

[F1boat]

Without Indy we saw what happened. Everybody knows that the series is Indycar. CART is a ridiculous name. Champcar even more. Indycar has a ring in it.
Like Le Mans series.

[Scotty G.]

Was a part of the CART Championship since CART's inception.




Wrong. The Indy 500 was NEVER a part of CART and the term "CART" was NEVER a part of the month of May, if you ever went to the track. CART used the Indy 500 to give its series relevence and importance and the Indy 500 used CART's participants to add teams and drivers to the race.

Without the Indy 500, there would be NO teams, NO sponsors and NO sport. Period.

[garyshell]

Why is naming your series after it a good thing?

For a "reporter" you seem to be rather clueless as to the business model of AOWR (or most professional racing). The business model runs on cash from Madison Ave., plain and simple. Like it or not, without the Indy 500 the number of Madison Ave. firms interested would drop like a rock. Witness what happened to CART/ChampCar after the split. They left in drove. And as the prestige of the Indy 500 has wanned, so to has the interest of Madison Ave. Take the 500 out of the picture and the cash flow all but disappears.

For the other side of the coin, the cost of putting a team together has grown so much over the years that the idea of doing so for a single race doesn't make much financial sense. Sure there are a handful who do each year but most seem to partner with an exiting team. But fielding 33 one off cars if it is the only race of the year would be a VERY daunting task.

Gary

[methanolHuffer]

I think if IRL really wanted to embrace viewership and prestige, they wouldn't alienate the common fan so well. What is the Indy 500 anymore? I know what it used to be: The Indianapolis 500 used to be a month long, international, multi-cultural mardi gras of anticipation and drama. I don't think it was always contrived, it just happened.

Having lead-up events on the road course and oval would be something. Karts, Vintage racers and an auction in early May (SPEED and HDtheater keep showing these beautiful cars - could easily have something like that at indy). Use this IMS facility for many things. as much as possible in May and throughout the year.

Have a celebrity triple crown races: Long Beach, Indy, and Australia or Brazil maybe. (logistically very difficult - but america loves that TMZ, entertainment tonight junk. people do follow celebrities' interests).

There are people that don't know how many wheels are on a Dallara - but they know who Ashley Judd is married to. The read the celebrity gossip mags.

[anthonyvop]

Without the Indy 500, there would be NO teams, NO sponsors and NO sport. Period.

Right! If you say so.

[the bro]

Part of the problem is having your your series on two separate networks, it is a bit fragmented. Ideally it would be great if you could promote the other races during the 500. You have a large group of open wheel racing fans tuning in, who disapear after the 500. If you could get some of those viewers to tune in to the other races, it would all be golden.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Wrong. The Indy 500 was NEVER a part of CART and the term "CART" was NEVER a part of the month of May, if you ever went to the track. CART used the Indy 500 to give its series relevence and importance and the Indy 500 used CART's participants to add teams and drivers to the race.

Without the Indy 500, there would be NO teams, NO sponsors and NO sport. Period.

It was a symbiotic relationship that Tony George thought he could replace. He was WRONG.....well...he replaced it, but he killed the sport fighting for the quality teams the public recognized....

CART always gave points for the race for their championship in spite of not running the event. As we saw when USAC ran the first few years of the IRL, we know now WHY CART was formed. USAC was in over their heads....