Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Just curious, do you think Knoxville not broadcasting the Nationals (either live or via delay) is costing or is going to cost them sponsorship dollars?  Just wondering.  If so, it may be a wash anyways as I was under the impression that they paid Speed to be there. ?   Just wondering though if FVP was willing to shell out the same sponsorship dollars as the title sponsor did in years past knowing that they would not be watched nationwide on a taped-delay.

I don't think the lack of one TV event each year has the least bit of sway in a potential and/or existing sponsor's mind.

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN 
YOU'RE COLD?"

  You don't think you could use national exposure as a selling point to a sponser even if it's just for the big show?

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

I doubt it makes a difference as FVP isn't marketed directly to the end consumer (they are marketed to automotive shops, who in-turn use their products when someone needs a new battery, air filter, or an oil change).

From a TV standpoint, the last $$ figure I heard was it cost $400,000 the last time the Nationals were televised LIVE on TV ($200,000 the last time it was tape delayed).  So, that means a sponsor that WANTS and NEEDS TV for thier product is actually going to have to shell out more $$ than they currently do to be that sponsor if the track has to pay for TV themselves.

I'll also use another example of TV not necessarily caring about the track sponsor.  When NASCAR signed their contracts with Fox and NBC (when they went to 2 networks roughly 12 years ago), the tracks would have a sponsor for the event such as Hendrick Auto (example only), but when it was televised it became the XXXXXXXX 400 presented by UPS or FedEx or whomever was paying Fox or NBC.  The track sponsors got no benefit until NASCAR re-negotiated the contracts a few years later.

I think FVP, Racing Junk, and SpeedSport were well aware of no TV being part of the deal when they signed their contracts with the Raceway (and if not, they need to read the contracts closer).

You don't think you could use national exposure as a selling point to a sponser even if it's just for the big show?

Kenny, we're not talking the Indy 500.  If we were I would say yes but for one TV program each year and mostly on a second or third tier cable channel I stand by my comment.

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN 
YOU'RE COLD?"

Makes sense--I know if I were Goodyear (or a similar sponsor from years past) , I would pay a lot more if my name was going to be plastered all over the television for 2 hours--even if it was a taped-delay.  But what you are saying makes sense with the type of sponsors involved this year and the last couple of years.

Paying Speed to be there (or whatever network might replace it)? Forget that noise. I don't care what happens as long as I NEVER have to see that Super Clean commercial (the one with the water going down the drain) ever again, Haha!

Remenber the days of a 10 to 15 set TV races like ESPN Speedworld's Thursday & Saturday Night Thunder or TNN's Slick 50 Winter Heat Series? The midgets and 410 drivers/teams were landing some big sponsors.

You can stand where you want Leon but if I fielded a car anywhere near Knoxville or Penn, I'd use it as a selling point for a little extra help. The talk about the big dogs on the national level is one thing, but a set of tires for a spot on a car would come in handy for more than a few.

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Just how big do you think the national level was? The numbers were not there to suport it. That was why rhey had to pay to broadcast it. Would cost less to give you tires

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

The time it was televised live was the time when the attendance went down at the Nationals.... Since it has not been televised the crowds have gotten bigger....  It is certainly better for the fans who actually come to the Nationals since we don't have all the delays waiting for commericals, etc... Makes it a better event to attend when there is no TV and since ticket sales are the reason the event exists, I'm very happy there is no TV....  The teams like to attend because it is by far the best paying Sprint Car event in the World and it pays well a long ways back through the field.....  

Too bad they couldn't broadcast it live and have a certain blackout radius--say 200 miles.  The reason the crowd is so big on saturday is all of the folks 1-3 hours away that cruise into town for the finale.  I think the die hards that go to the 4 day show, will still go regardless of the live broadcast.  I wish they would broadcast live for the rest of the country on Saturday night and just black it out for anyone within reasonable driving distance. 

I think the bigger problem was those that live more than 200 miles away were the ones that came We/Thursday, left for home Friday morning and watched Saturday on TV for FREE.

Within 200 miles might have been some people, but the # of butts in seats on Wed or Thursday exceeded Friday and Saturday a couple of those years (so obviously some of those folks watching on TV made the trip, they just didn't buy tickets and watched on TV).

They can't do that with an internet broadcast as it would have to be blocked by every internet provider within that radius.  There are so many ways that people connect to the internet nowdays and each ISP, cable, satellite and phone provider would have to block it.  I don't see how that would be possible based on my feeble understanding of how the internet works.

Stan Meissner

I think Perris in CA does it on their PPV by the zip code of the credit card used to buy the show.

Phil Taylor

home-theater-systems-advice.com

American Sports Cavalcade

Thursday Night Thunder

Live Outlaws Races  

I'm a huge fan but the live races never worked for me. I can watch reruns of American Sports Cavalcade all night but fall asleep during the live shows. It's just not made for live TV.

I don't think the lack of television is costing sponsorship dollars since Sprint car racing has always been limited when it comes to national tv. I do think that if it was on national television and presented the right way you might gain dollars though. Only issue with the Nationals on television is that it does not have the same affect as it does in person I'm sure. The bad part/great part of the Nationals is that it takes a while to complete all of the features that night. Great for fans, bad for tv. Personally I will watch any sprint car race on tv no matter how long it takes but several people, even some hardcore fans may have an issue sitting at home watching it on TV. I think every sprint car fan would love to go to the Nationals every year but its just not feasable for all of us who live several states away to travel that distance year after year due to money, time, and or family. I wish it would be on TV live but in our day and age today, I doubt it will happen soon.