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Yep. You only need one world championship to be a megastar. A computer game helps, but you are more likely to have a police officer tap on your window and utter the words “who do you think you are, Colin McRae” rather than “Sebastian Loeb”Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
But rallying is not in the media like it was once upon a time so we are not likely to see a superstar anytime soon.
Of course, if you were driving like Sebastien Loeb, the police officer wouldn't have caught you ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Norm75
Unless driving on 3 wheels and Elena hanging out the window to balance the car :DQuote:
Originally Posted by ouvreur
Cool times :D
...but they are "nothing" compared to Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Ronaldo, Messi, T.Woods, Nadal.... And these guys are also "nothing" compared to Madonna, Freddy Mercury, Beatles, Elvis etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
And when you include the generational gap, these guys are "nothing" compared to current artist (???) who are also nothing compared to current social media influencers stars (pewdiepie???????????? hahah I dont know the names??). Its a never ending loop, mate.
WRC is just a niche sport, we will probably never produce mega-stars the way we imagine. F1 is the top thing and Valentino Rossi is probably bigger than MotoGP itself somehow, but its just a niche thing between all motorsport fans (and bikers who dont actually watch MotoGP).
I remember someone suggesting more "propaganda" with the cars, doing Gymkhana-like videos with Evans, Breen, Lappi, Ott, Neuville and yeah, that would be so rad and I THINK it could reach WAY more people... HOWEVER, millions (maybe Billions) of $ are invested in marketing every year and if they are NOT doing Gymkhana-style videos with WRC cars and drivers is because its not that usefull after all..... So, there you go. WRC cannot produce the type of superstars we are imagining inside our hardcore fan's head. Cheers
Have you been listening to sinead O’Connor on loop ��
Part of the problem also is advertising in the local community when a rally is on. If a circus was in town you see big posters flyers stuck everywhere for miles around in every nearby town. If a rally is on you have to know when it's on where to go to and then probably try multiple shops in different towns to get a programme to actually go and watch the rally. Unless you really want to go to or follow rallying it's not spectator friendly you can't just buy a ticket see what time the show starts roll up 10mins before it starts take your seat and enjoy it for the next hour and a half. You have to research the location where the rally is based research stage times and viewing locations figure out how many stages you will get prepare for all kinds of weather then stand in a field waiting for the action. And then maybe have a stage cancelled due to idiots standing in the wrong places who think they are rally fans It's for hardcore enthusiasts and no superstar will change that
If the two Sebs somehow could be encouraged to co-ordinate what future rounds they do, a savvy Promoter could push their rivalry as 'Revenge of Champion', 'Clash of Titans', etc, etc.
This is really not a long-term way to build popularity of rallying...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rally Hokkaido
Totally agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by wia5958
True! But wrc fans are not onboard with changing the format too. Like "fine, lets use friday and saturday as it is today but these 12 stages will only pay points to the manufacturers/teams. Sunday will be only one stage, the fastest wins. Points only for the driver's championship. A time attack finale, decided in these 45 min - 1 hour(?), broadcasted live."Quote:
Originally Posted by wia5958
That would be way easier to promote, broadcast, to showcase. Just watch ONE uci mtb dh on red bull tv. Try one of the women's race, which is shorter. They know how to present the riders, put you inside the event, explain the rivalities, make you curious about the riders... I cant stop thinking about thia format since I watched last years season (uci mtb dh)
DH is such a different sport...it's like a rally with only a super special stage, the tracks last for just a couple of minutes. It's much closer to a conventional sports event where you can see everything at one sitting. Rally will never be like this, it's an endurance sport where the event lasts for several days. The power stage is the best attempt at making a "one-off" event for Sunday television, but you can't start changing the overall results of the rally based on the last stage (like Jost Capito suggested)Quote:
Originally Posted by lmmjvss
I've kept thinking about this superstars and media training idea, but I think it's not that simple. Rossi barely spoke english when he appeared but was an instant hit with the fans, in an era where you have other famous riders as well, even italians. Raikkonen is even less talkative than Tanak but until recently he was one of the most popular drivers. I don't think there is a recipe as each is unique. What you can do is provide the context where such a star can appear. That means low cost to entry to have a large selection pool and widespread access. One of the advantages of F1 is it's almost a habit, every couple of weeks at the same time on Sunday. Maybe they should do a short review + free live stage on each day (TV, Youtube, Twitch, wrc-live free, just show it everywhere), could be last stage of the day, maybe even give 3-2-1 points for the top 3. Sure WRC-Live may be less enticing but it's not like the championship is going to get rich from our subscriptions. More eyes on the product, more chances for sponsorship, have a growth mentality not a restrictive one.
So:
1. low cost of entry -> big selection pool of competitors
2. easy access to content -> more eyes, more sponsorship
3. support when a natural star pops up
just my 2c
I think the president agrees with you.Quote:
Originally Posted by seb_sh
Cost must come down.
I think seb_sh meant the cost of following the sport at home. President meant cost of participating on top level.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Then WRC fans (me included) will have to stop thinking about things like "need more fans, more sponsors, more manufacturers, more free to air tv..." Cuz its simply not happening :/Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
It is not that attractive in this modern world.
Both, it has to be easy to access and cheap to participate at least at lower levels. Top level is more about cost/benefit.
Talking bout "stars", Donut Media did an "Up to Speed" with McRae. We all know these little stories but I find these guys funny...
https://youtu.be/T_aVuaotTz8