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In an effort to increase ticket sales, Bruton Smith, Chairman of Speedway Motorsports, says NASCAR should black out the races in local markets to help tracks sell all their tickets. NFL games are not shown in a home market unless they are sold out about 72 hours before the game. Thus, if Smith had his way, if Lowe’s Motor Speedway couldn’t sell out for a Cup race, then Charlotte would not be shown the race on TV. Or if Richmond did not sell out, then that market would not get to see the race aired live. Smith says a blackout could help ensure more tickets being sold. Smith notes that TV does too good of a job broadcasting the races, so it’s easier for a fan to decide to stay home and watch it on TV instead of going to the event and paying for tickets, concessions and other items |
The above came from the jayski.com and stockcargazette.com webpages.
The Formula One grand prix in Delhi will definitely take place in 2011 despite fears over delays in the construction of a new circuit, according to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Construction work on a new circuit on the outskirts of Delhi with Indian company Jaiprakash Associates, Ltd. was scheduled to begin in October 2008 but has been delayed to this summer, with completion expected at the end of 2010. A preliminary deal made in 2007 between the Indian Olympic Association and Formula One Management had anticipated India would host its first race in 2009.
President and CEO of the FOA Ecclestone, responsible for the exploitations of the sport’s commercial rights, said all the parties involved are “fully committed” to the project. “Of course we will deliver… otherwise we wouldn’t have entered into an agreement,” Ecclestone told the BBC Asian Network. “It’s a large, large country with a big population and it’s good for the sponsors, car manufacturers and everyone involved in Formula One.”
Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan, who raced for Jordan and tested for Williams, cast doubt over the project last month, saying he didn’t believe “anyone would want to invest in motorsport” during the current global economic crisis. This came from the widely distributed SportsBusiness.com newsletter.
Bank Credit Suisse has announced it is terminating its sponsorship of Formula One team BMW Sauber, having sponsored the team since 2001. Switzerland’s second-biggest bank paid an estimated €17 million a season for its logo on Sauber cars and drivers, the contract for which ended last year. The bank said it was choosing instead to concentrate on sponsoring regional events and institutions.
“The team is on the right track. Therefore, this is the right time to say farewell,” Credit Suisse spokesman Matthias Friedli told the Swiss Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick. BMW Sauber are due to unveil their 2009 car last week having had a successful 2008 season winning its first race and finishing third overall, 55 points clear of Renault in fourth.
MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with energy drink Monster, worth a reported €2.5 million. Under the terms of the deal, Rossi will earn an extra €500,000 should he win the 2009 World Championship. The Monster-Rossi accessory range has been released, with hat and helmet adorned with the three-scratch “M” logo.
Monster has moved its athlete endorsement from American rider John Hopkins, a sponsorship deal which helped reduce the cost a team had to incur to have Hopper riding with them. It is believed Monster’s defection to Rossi means Hopkins is going to have to take a significant pay-cut. Hopkins raced for Kawasaki in 2008 but is yet to secure a ride for the 2009 MotoGP season. This came from SportsBusiness.com.
Here’s some highlights on TV this week. On Monday Speed offers more SCCA Runoff action from Topeka, KS at noon and 1 p.m. then NASCAR Pre-Season Thunder at 7 p.m. There’s another episode of that program at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday’s action is all Speed with a noon airing of NASCAR 39/10 a review of NASCAR’s 60th season then NASCAR Pre-Season Thunder at 7 p.m. Ditto for Thursday with the same programming. The gearhead action returns on Sunday at noon with the AMA SuperX from San Francisco at noon with a redo of that same program on CBS at 1 p.m. (END)
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
About Burton Smith’s suggestion to black out races in local areas – that hammering sound you hear is yet another nail being driven into NASCAR’s coffin. I mean, is he out of his mind? With the cost of tickets and travel, NASCAR’s only hope is for improved TV ratings, black out a market like Charlotte or Richmond or pretty near any other and the ratings will, of course, drop.
this is the reason i stopped watching football because they got tooooooooo greedy, just like mr smith. I WILL NOT WATCH NASCAR AGAIN IF THEY DO THIS, AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE … GO AHEAD MR SMITH SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT… THIS IS A SPORT EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW IF THEY DONT GET GREEDY…..
Racing has gotten to be all about the MONEY. Stopped watching MLB because games got too long and players get paid too much to afford to attend. Racing has gotten the same way. 10 laps 10 commercials. BORING. So black out the races. Replay on Speed. We’ll record and condense racees to 90 minutes and sponsors won’t get seen. And then NASCAR will go public and die
I am tired of every jerk in NASCAR trying to figure a way to squeeze another buck out of fans. I think I’ll give up on the greedy NASCAR money grabbers.
If NASCAR blackouts occur the sport will suffer both sponsor wise and fan wise. Why would a sponsor want to black out their logo in certain areas to get more fans in the seats that can’t afford to attend. The sponsors willget wise like they did in Indycar and CART and say to **** with it and then where will NASCAR be?? Huh? Without the money and teams they are trying to increase. They’ll be stepping on their own ****…..AGAIN….
I hope they do black out some of the races like the 600, its to long anyway.
They only race the first 80 to 100 mile and last 100 or so miles, rest of the time they are riding. Some races shouldn’t be broadcast anyway. There are some race tracks that are just flat out boring to look at with nothing happening. Shoot, what was there 12 different winners this pass year, and its going to be worse this coming year, maybe 8 or 10 different winners and all from the big buck teams. So if they do a black out that will just put something else on the tube. But before they do all that blacking out somebody better call those sponsors of the track (race) and the car owners and tell them their sponsor will not get any TV time that weekend.
So, Bruton Smith thinks it should be that way. And who would that benefit the most, Mr. Smith of course. If he has trouble selling out one of his race tracks, maybe he should do a better job of promoting the race, or lower tickets prices. Nascar already has a hard enough time with sponsors. Lets not give them another reason to stop backing the sport.
So Bruton thinks the TV networks do to good of a job broadcasting the race. What channel is he watching I would like to know.
Is Burton crazy? Sponsors are hard enough to land and this move will make it even harder!
Wow, Bruton Smith’s statement has caused quite a stir! Even though I understand how most of the fans feel about this, Smith is the chairman of a publicly traded company. He has stockholders to answer too. If you read the blackout carefully, like the NFL, it’s only the local market that will be blacked out, So if they don’t sell out at Daytona, then that market would be blacked out but it would be aired in every other market in the US and Canada. Lou Modestino
Good grief don’t give him the idea to go PPV on the races. Darn, I just did!
I’m with you Keith, he’s not watching the same race we’re watching.
Hey, Bruton, you need us more than we need you. Someone needs to pop that rich little man in the mouth.