Per NY Times: Versus will become the exclusive cable television home of the Indy Racing League next year with its agreement to a 10-year deal worth an estimated $60 million. Versus, which will take over from ESPN and ESPN2, will carry 13 races. ABC will continue to broadcast the Indianapolis 500 and four other I.R.L. events. The agreement also gives Versus the rights to carry all of the Indy 500 qualifying. Scott Guglielmino, a vice president for programming for ESPN, said shedding the 13 I.R.L. races was not connected to the network’s holding Nascar rights.


VERY BAD MOVE Indy racing is now dead to me as we do not get Versus on our cable package and I am not paying extra for premium channels. Nobody gets Versus. Arch rival UCLA put a couple of games on Versus and only 1 out of 10 fans at best could find it - it was a disaster. At least Spike and Speed are basic cable - Versus is digital premium channel only - I doubt even your favorite sporta bar gets it.

If the IRL wants to be invisible to the general sporting public, broadcasting on Versus assures that !!!! Hello, anonimity...

Thank god USC football starts in less than a month - Go Trojans !!!