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NBC Drops Out of Bidding for NASCAR After 2006

K

karaokelegend

Guest
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/racing/10/14/bc.car.nascar.nbc.ap/index.html

NBC is expected to be replaced by ABC/ESPN for NASCAR starting in 2007. Fox will retain the first half with ABC/ESPN taking over the 2nd. With NBC out of the picture, ABC/ESPN was the only other choice for the second half, with CBS and Fox both carrying the NFL in the fall. NBC was not willing to shell out the bucks that NASCAR wanted, but they do get the NFL in what turned out to be a trade with ABC. Next season NBC will have both NASCAR and the NFL.

Also Fox is going to get exclusive coverage of the Daytona 500. It talks about that in the Charlotte Observer. I don't agree with this, not sure why ABC won't split Daytona with them like NBC has done. And also that the Busch Series could get its own deal, though some of those races could end up on ESPN2. It does mention that TNT wants to stay involved. TNT would be a logical fit for the Busch Series.
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by karaokelegend on 10/15/05 04:43 PM.</FONT></P>
 
All and all, NASCAR on NBC wasn't all that great to begin with. Fox totally blew everyone out of the water with their coverage. All NBC looked like was a wannabe to Fox in their coverage if you ask me. I am also very glad that Fox gets exclusive rights to the Daytona 500. It was kind of confusing to some fans who one year saw the race on Fox and then the next season seeing it on NBC. Some thought that NBC would switch and get the first half of the season when they aired the Daytona 500.

Now that ABC/ESPN are getting back into the mix, I expect them to implement some of the stuff that they do for Indy Car races to NASCAR, including showing the race in one window while showing commericals in the other, which is similar to TBS's old "No Brakes Coverage" when they aired NASCAR races from Charlotte before the network deals of today.

TNT would be a logical fit for the Busch Series as long as they keep it the entire season and not split the coverage with anyone else. Currently, Speed Channel is the only place you can see the entire Craftsman Truck Series (maybe because no one wants the package).

I think ABC/ESPN doing NASCAR would be great for all parties involved.<P ID="signature">______________

Moderator of Charlotte Board</P>
 
> All and all, NASCAR on NBC wasn't all that great to begin
> with. Fox totally blew everyone out of the water with their
> coverage. All NBC looked like was a wannabe to Fox in their
> coverage if you ask me. I am also very glad that Fox gets
> exclusive rights to the Daytona 500. It was kind of
> confusing to some fans who one year saw the race on Fox and
> then the next season seeing it on NBC. Some thought that
> NBC would switch and get the first half of the season when
> they aired the Daytona 500.

I agree but NBC's coverage has gotten better over the years. It's not that bad has it had been when they first started coverage. The TNT relationship helped that out a great deal.

> Now that ABC/ESPN are getting back into the mix, I expect
> them to implement some of the stuff that they do for Indy
> Car races to NASCAR, including showing the race in one
> window while showing commericals in the other, which is
> similar to TBS's old "No Brakes Coverage" when they aired
> NASCAR races from Charlotte before the network deals of
> today.

I don't know about the ABC/ESPN coverage. I'm not liking the fact that some Cup races could be seen one week on ABC then the next week on ESPN. It confuses the viewers. If ABC had the exclusive rights to all the Cup races and ESPN to all Busch races then that would be fine. It's like NBC/TNT with the back and forth of the races on NBC and TNT and FOX with the back forth between FOX and FX. It's very confusing. It should be one network for each series. Like FOX for the first half of Cup series and then ABC the second half of Cup series.

> TNT would be a logical fit for the Busch Series as long as
> they keep it the entire season and not split the coverage
> with anyone else. Currently, Speed Channel is the only
> place you can see the entire Craftsman Truck Series (maybe
> because no one wants the package).

I also think TNT would be a logical and great fit for the Busch series. Just as long as they get the entire season and not have a split of coverage with anyone else. TNT does good NASCAR coverage and Turner Sports should be able to continue the tradition of broadcasting NASCAR.

<P ID="signature">______________
Dawn H</P>
 
One of the thoughts going around with ABC/ESPN bids was that the Busch Series would be shown full season on ESPN and the Craftsman Truck Series would be shown on ESPN2.

What I find amazing about some of the comments regarding the coverage by NBC and TNT is that many people disliked the NBC shows but liked the TNT shows. Other than the physical equipment vehicles, I was led to believe that the majority of the crew (on-air, pit reporters, camera operators, engineers, technicians) were the same. It only was broadcast on a different channel.
 
> One of the thoughts going around with ABC/ESPN bids was that
> the Busch Series would be shown full season on ESPN and the
> Craftsman Truck Series would be shown on ESPN2.
>
> What I find amazing about some of the comments regarding the
> coverage by NBC and TNT is that many people disliked the NBC
> shows but liked the TNT shows. Other than the physical
> equipment vehicles, I was led to believe that the majority
> of the crew (on-air, pit reporters, camera operators,
> engineers, technicians) were the same. It only was
> broadcast on a different channel.
>

The technical crew and on-air talent for the broadcasts are the same for both NBC/TNT. Actually, I prefer it when they're on NBC, because you don't have to sit through 90 seconds of promos for whatever TNT's latest Movie of the Whole Damn Weekend or off-network acquisition is.

This season, the NBC/TNT crew has done a much better job than in the previous 4 years. No more annoying graphics explaining even the most obvious of technical terms. Swapping Weber and Bestwick was a good move, IMO. They're actually better than Fox now, mostly because the weekly Darrell Waltrip Comedy Hour has become tiresome. Even Madden and Vitale (who I'm not that fond of either) put a little substance behind their catchphrase festivals.

I'd rather see the whole season on one network and have that network be ABC/ESPN. The job they do with the IRL is far superior to any NASCAR telecast of the past 4 years.
 
>
> This season, the NBC/TNT crew has done a much better job
> than in the previous 4 years. No more annoying graphics
> explaining even the most obvious of technical terms.
> Swapping Weber and Bestwick was a good move, IMO.

The NBC/TNT graphics are hard to read.
The white ring that surrounds the drivers pics look like a toilet bowl.



They're
> actually better than Fox now, mostly because the weekly
> Darrell Waltrip Comedy Hour has become tiresome. Even
> Madden and Vitale (who I'm not that fond of either) put a
> little substance behind their catchphrase festivals.

I would like to see them reel in Waltrip just a tad. But Darrell is a three time Cup Champion and Daytona 500 winner, so he gets a longer leash. Vitale has friends in high places. Aside from a brief stint as an losing NBA head coach...among literally hundreds of others dating back to the leagues beginnings, hes been given way too much leeway.


>
> I'd rather see the whole season on one network and have that
> network be ABC/ESPN. The job they do with the IRL is far
> superior to any NASCAR telecast of the past 4 years.
>

I"m sticking to my guns on this one. Every pro sport that ESPN touches, they eventually try and ruin. "Playmakers" with the NFL..they short sheeted hockey fans with their lethargic coverage of the 2003 NHL finals. They've even turned on the NBA...well, that league always deserves criticism.....

While the play by play from ESPN in the 90s was great..its their 'news' and 'entertainment' divisions I'm most fearful of.
 
> Also Fox is going to get exclusive coverage of the Daytona
> 500. It talks about that in the Charlotte Observer. I don't
> agree with this, not sure why ABC won't split Daytona with
> them like NBC has done.

Fox has agreed to pay an additional sum for exclusive rights to the Daytona 500. That agreement was a MAJOR reason why NBC dropped out of the bidding, from what I was told.
>
 
If ABC does air NASCAR won't that bother with indy car racing that they air? I also don't think ABC will be a good home for NASCAR, CBS would be better as they used to air NASCAR and they did a great job with coverage. If anyone should get NASCAR its CBS. Viacom could also get Spike TV into this. CBS/Spike TV.

Well for NBC to drop out is kind of foolish. NASCAR races get good ratings so I don't see why NBC would want out. What NBC should do is stick with NASCAR and dump the NHL maybe hand back to ABC.

My idea of a deal:

CBS: Nextel Cup (2nd half)
NBC: Nextel Cup (1st half)
Spike TV: Busch Series
ESPN2: NASCAR Truck Series
TNT: (special races that NBC or CBS can't air)
(FOX/FX out of NASCAR)
 
CBS is out due to their commitments to golf and the NFL. They aired NASCAR back when only a handful of races were on network TV.
 
> CBS is out due to their commitments to golf and the NFL.
> They aired NASCAR back when only a handful of races were on
> network TV.
>

Not only that but CBS covered what are now only first half races.

When CBS last broadcasted NASCAR in 2000 this was what they televised

Daytona 500- February
Texas 500- April
Pepsi 400- early July
Michigan 400- later July

Plus ABC only televised the NHL from 2000-2004 because ESPN exclusively won the US NHL TV rights so ESPN handed sister network ABC a handful of regular season game on Saturdays, Saturday playoff games, and Games 3-7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the same thing that ESPN is doing with the NBA only difference is TNT also bid for Cable rights along with All-Star Weekend.

I don't think Daytona 500 was the main factor because all NBC had to do was turn right back and bid for exclusive rights to the Pepsi 400 which if it weren't for a 4 hour rain delay this year would be up there in ratings. I think that NBC really wants to get back into the NFL game more extensively after the 2006-2011 NFL contract is up, so I'm figuring they are going to try to load up profit from Sunday Night Football to bid for the NFC or AFC side of the NFL package. Plus what did ESPN do to ruin NASCAR coverage when they had it? I think NASCAR was the only sport ESPN didn't ruin coverage of and unfortunately didn't see newcomers FOX and NBC coming when it was time to bid for the new NASCAR TV contract back in 1999. ESPN may have dirt bagged the NHL royally for the NBA but at least ESPN does Baseball and NASCAR better than FOX.
 
> > Also Fox is going to get exclusive coverage of the Daytona
>
> > 500. It talks about that in the Charlotte Observer. I
> don't
> > agree with this, not sure why ABC won't split Daytona with
>
> > them like NBC has done.
>
> Fox has agreed to pay an additional sum for exclusive rights
> to the Daytona 500. That agreement was a MAJOR reason why
> NBC dropped out of the bidding, from what I was told.

There have been rumors that some affils were unhappy with local news preemptions and delays and low ratings in some major markets.<P ID="signature">______________
WCBS = We're Crazy Buffoons and Schmucks
<a href=http://chuck.spotteddogs.org/tv/>Spotted Dog TV Talk - for all your non-news TV Talk</a></P>
 
Believe it or not, I can see Fox and FX bidding for the entire NASCAR Nextel Cup (or Sprint Cup, as it will be known as starting next year) starting in 2007.

How could Fox fit it in, with the network having half of the Sunday-afternoon NFL package??

From September through the end of the season, Fox could get NASCAR to run a few races run on Saturdays over the last few weeks of the season.

At tracks that have lights, Fox could air races in prime-time on Saturday nights during September, or schedule all their regional baseball telecasts to start at 1:20 P.M. ET on some weeks with a short pre-race show running aproximately 4:30-4:45 P.M. ET with the green flag being waved at around 4:45.

FX could also broadcast a few races, mainly those in early-to-mid October where Fox's program schedule does not have any room for NASCAR due to baseball playoffs and NFL games.

As it is, there are a couple of Saturdays in September where Fox does not air baseball games; perhaps NASCAR races at tracks without lights could be run on those weeks.

And for some tracks that have lights, Fox could ask the NFL to schedule all of it's games on a couple of "singleheader" Sundays between September and November to start at 1:05 P.M. ET, with a short postgame show from 4-4:15 P.M. ET. Then, a short pre-race show starting at 4:15, with the green flag coming around 4:30-4:35 P.M. ET. Unless there are rain delays or red flags, races should end by 8 P.M. ET, so much of Fox's popular Sunday-night schedule can run as usual. Thus, a couple of NASCAR races can air on Sunday late-afternoons/early-evenings during September or November.

Yes, Fox can easily squeeze-in (with help from FX for two or three races) the second-half of the NASCAR season and become the exclusive home of NASCAR's (and North American auto racing's) most popular series.

I find Fox's coverage of NASCAR slightly better than NBC's, and I think there is a real possibility that when all is said and done, Fox/FX could be the exclusive home of NASCAR Sprint Cup (formerly Nextel Cup) Racing.
 
BRice 16 comments:

> Fox has agreed to pay an additional sum for exclusive rights
> to the Daytona 500. That agreement was a MAJOR reason why
> NBC dropped out of the bidding, from what I was told.

With the Daytona Speedway having lights, it is my understanding that starting with the new exclusive Fox deal for the race starting in 2007, the Daytona "500" will be held under-the-lights in prime-time, probably on it's current date of the third Sunday-night in February.

I suspect a live Sunday-night prime-time telecast of the Daytona "500" will draw at least 50% more viewers than the race has in recent years on Sunday afternoons, and would probably be no worse than the third highest-rated sports telecast of the year (behind the Super Bowl and World Series).

A prime-time Daytona "500" on it's current third-Sunday-in-February date would also result in a live special event on network television in prime-time on each Sunday of the February sweeps: the Super Bowl (first Sunday of February), the Grammys (second Sunday night of February), the Daytona "500" (third Sunday night of February) and the Academy Awards (last Sunday night of February, although in 2006 and 2010, the Oscars will be held in early March to avoid conflict with television coverage of the Winter Olympics).
 
> At tracks that have lights, Fox could air races in
> prime-time on Saturday nights during September, or schedule
> all their regional baseball telecasts to start at 1:20 P.M.
> ET on some weeks with a short pre-race show running
> aproximately 4:30-4:45 P.M. ET with the green flag being
> waved at around 4:45.
>

Well then, Dover International Speedway had better get lights. Is Rupe going to underwrite any light construction at tracks that lack them? Talladega IIRC is 2.67 miles around. That's a lot of track to light. Dover BTW is 1 mile long.

ixnay
 
Problem with ABC is some of their local affliates. One weeks that ABC shows races in the later part of the season (ie, the cut chase), KATV (Little Rock, AR--DMA #57) currently pre-empts ABC sports programming on sunday afternoons to show informercials and "The Houston Nutt" coach's show (a relic of the 1960's if you ask me) opposite the NFL on other networks.

BTW, does this occur with other Albritton ABC stations?

gx
 
> BRice 16 comments:
>
> > Fox has agreed to pay an additional sum for exclusive
> rights
> > to the Daytona 500. That agreement was a MAJOR reason why
> > NBC dropped out of the bidding, from what I was told.
>
> With the Daytona Speedway having lights, it is my
> understanding that starting with the new exclusive Fox deal
> for the race starting in 2007, the Daytona "500" will be
> held under-the-lights in prime-time, probably on it's
> current date of the third Sunday-night in February.
>
> I suspect a live Sunday-night prime-time telecast of the
> Daytona "500" will draw at least 50% more viewers than the
> race has in recent years on Sunday afternoons, and would
> probably be no worse than the third highest-rated sports
> telecast of the year (behind the Super Bowl and World
> Series).
>
> A prime-time Daytona "500" on it's current
> third-Sunday-in-February date would also result in a live
> special event on network television in prime-time on each
> Sunday of the February sweeps: the Super Bowl (first Sunday
> of February), the Grammys (second Sunday night of February),
> the Daytona "500" (third Sunday night of February) and the
> Academy Awards (last Sunday night of February, although in
> 2006 and 2010, the Oscars will be held in early March to
> avoid conflict with television coverage of the Winter
> Olympics).
>


NASCAR has indicated to Fox that during the new contract, the Daytona 500 can start at Fox's discretion at any time before 4:00 PM eastern.
 
> If ABC does air NASCAR won't that bother with indy car
> racing that they air?

Indycar will be featured mostly on Saturday nights in the late summer/early fall, with Sunday races on days when NASCAR aired a Saturday night race. They try to do this now.

I also don't think ABC will be a good
> home for NASCAR, CBS would be better as they used to air
> NASCAR and they did a great job with coverage. If anyone
> should get NASCAR its CBS. Viacom could also get Spike TV
> into this. CBS/Spike TV.

Did you ever watch CBS races? They were horrible and a half. Bad announcers, bad pit reporters, horrible production. Fox's coverage is far superior to anything CBS ever put out.

CBS did not make a bid in this process.

> CBS: Nextel Cup (2nd half)

Ugh.

> NBC: Nextel Cup (1st half)

Not much better than the old CBS races. They do an ok job, but it is inferior to the production of Fox and the old ESPN/ABC production.

> Spike TV: Busch Series

Spike TV is not in enough homes for NASCAR to consider an offer involving them as a major player. This was made known to Viacom/CBS early on in the procss and is a reason that CBS did not make a formal bid.

> ESPN2: NASCAR Truck Series

May end up there, more likely to stay on Speed, as a part of Fox's renewal.

> TNT: (special races that NBC or CBS can't air)

TNT is getting left out here because they can't bid for a whole package (and NASCAR didn't give them a chance, as going back to cable after experiencing such huge growth on network was not something they were interested in), yet the only network willing to partner with them decided to throw a tantrum when NASCAR wanted some guarantees about what would happen if a race ran over into the NFL Pre-game show.
 
> > If ABC does air NASCAR won't that bother with indy car
> > racing that they air?
>
> Indycar will be featured mostly on Saturday nights in the
> late summer/early fall, with Sunday races on days when
> NASCAR aired a Saturday night race. They try to do this now.
>
>
> I also don't think ABC will be a good
> > home for NASCAR, CBS would be better as they used to air
> > NASCAR and they did a great job with coverage. If anyone
> > should get NASCAR its CBS. Viacom could also get Spike TV
> > into this. CBS/Spike TV.
>
> Did you ever watch CBS races? They were horrible and a half.
> Bad announcers, bad pit reporters, horrible production.
> Fox's coverage is far superior to anything CBS ever put out.
>
>
> CBS did not make a bid in this process.
>
> > CBS: Nextel Cup (2nd half)
>
> Ugh.
>
> > NBC: Nextel Cup (1st half)
>
> Not much better than the old CBS races. They do an ok job,
> but it is inferior to the production of Fox and the old
> ESPN/ABC production.
>
> > Spike TV: Busch Series
>
> Spike TV is not in enough homes for NASCAR to consider an
> offer involving them as a major player. This was made known
> to Viacom/CBS early on in the procss and is a reason that
> CBS did not make a formal bid.
>
> > ESPN2: NASCAR Truck Series
>
> May end up there, more likely to stay on Speed, as a part of
> Fox's renewal.
>
> > TNT: (special races that NBC or CBS can't air)
>
> TNT is getting left out here because they can't bid for a
> whole package (and NASCAR didn't give them a chance, as
> going back to cable after experiencing such huge growth on
> network was not something they were interested in), yet the
> only network willing to partner with them decided to throw a
> tantrum when NASCAR wanted some guarantees about what would
> happen if a race ran over into the NFL Pre-game show.
>

I thought Spike TV was in as many homes as USA Network and TNT. As Spike TV used be known as TNN so I would think they would be in the same amount of homes.
 
> I thought Spike TV was in as many homes as USA Network and
> TNT. As Spike TV used be known as TNN so I would think they
> would be in the same amount of homes.
>

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I do know that Spike is not one of the top 20 cable networks in terms of distribution.
 
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