TV coverage and it's impact

I just watched the NASCAR Nationwide series race. (The TAD/TAFC of NASCAR)

I noticed they have fairly poor attendance in the grandstands. Dad compared it to a high school football game. 5000 people max!

I got to thinking, I wonder how much these guys get for these races?

Looked up last year's Pheonix Purse. (Not Daytona, because that's a huge purse compared to the other 20 something races they run. IE an outlier.) The winner gets $64,000 and the total purse is approximately $784,000.

If the track were trying to pay for this purse they would've had a very hard time accomplishing this because the ticket prices for Saturday are $15-$50. Let's estimate an average of $30*5000=$150,000. A net loss of $630,000!?! That doesn't even include opperating costs. Why would any track want a Nationwide event with those kind of numbers? (I'm not sure how the payout in NASCAR works. Do the tracks pay the purse? Does the series pay the purse and the track pays NASCAR?...)

Now back to the original point! This event was on ESPN2 (Just like us) for approximately 3 hours. I would have to assume that the monetary value of holding this race doesn't come from the couple thousand people in the grandstand paying $30ish to get in, but the couple hundred thousand people (Maybe millions?) watching at home for free instead. The money from the broadcast's sponsors is where the real value must be.

Now I don't expect to attract a million dollar purse for alcohol races anytime in the near future... But, could we attract sponsor $ for Lucas and our purse by increasing our exposure through TV coverage of Regional events perhaps through Lucas Oil on the Edge on Speed or another outlet?

The ADRL seems to be growing and thriving. Their idea wasn't to make money at the gate, but to put on a good show that produces an entertaining TV show.

Can the PSA do anything in that department? Contact Lucas about filming Regional events next season perhaps? The Lucas family is already doing alot to help our series, would they benefit even more by utilizing the entertainment value of the Alcohol classes that the PSA is hard at work trying to promote?

Even the BANGSHIFT.com coverage that the march meet is getting this weekend is much better than anything a Divisional has done in years in terms of exposure.

Just some ideas,
Flash

 

TV is definitely the great equalizer, but one has to ask why the Nationwide Series gets the exposure it currently receives?

Is it because some of the teams are owned by Sprint Cup teams? If Force or Schumacher owned a few TAD/TAFC teams, Would the coverage increase?

Is it because some of the Sprint Cup drivers compete? Some of the nitro drivers have competed in TAD/TAFC in the past, did it help?

How different are the Nationwide cars from the Sprint Cup cars? Are TAD and TAFC too different from their nitro counterparts?

Sorry. No answers, just more questions.


The PSA has put out some great racer features since its inception, but I'm not sure their effect has been felt as of yet. Bringing the individual teams into the public's eye will go a long way to the success of TAD/TAFC. Adding a few TAD/TAFC to the NHRA Blogs would be a nice addition.

 

Ashley, Courtney and Britney Force all drove for Jerry Darien in A/Fuel with JFR $$.

 

Everyone else must be happy spending thousands to run in front of 12 spectators for a few hundred bucks.

I guess ill just embrace that this class is dead and move on like the rest of you.

I've got lots of stuff for sale.

Flash

 

I'm shocked that your topic didn't get more comments flowing. Maybe the internet is broken in most of the TAD and TAFC world?

 

Pat,

I think YOU can see that the direction the world is headed, doesn't promote the actual attendance of events. ($4.00-$5.00 Fuel prices not helping.) However, every person on the planet seems to have an HD TV with satelite/cable and a DVR.

I'm just a dreamer thinking that we want to reach those people with our brand of entertainment...

Let's just stick to targeting the hardcore drag racing fans who are willing to spend over a hundred bucks to bring their family of 5 out for a day at the track where they will happily pay $5 for a hot dog and $8 a beer.... There are millions of those people lining up the gates to do that!

Forget I mentioned anything. Keep up the status quo!


Flash

 

I think you are correct that TV brings in the Money. The problem with dragracing is it is not a TV sport. Same problem hockey has. Drag racing needs to be seen in person.
Sponsors want to see their cars on tv and want impressions and air time.
You need the neilsen ratings and viewer share in each market to support bringing that money in.
Another thing that brings viewers to nascar is fantasy leagues and gambling. Not easy to do with dragracing. Also keep in mind these are live telecasts. Would you really watch a 6 hour regional race. Can you put together a live alcohol race that will be complete start to finish in under 3 hours, Thats what the networks are looking for, live 3 hour shows.

 

Well yes, I've done alot of racing. Every year we would go to the Kingdome in January to mud race.

50,000 seats filled at $10 a piece. The sound of the crowd was louder than the blown alcohol engines. It was a circus with Monster trucks, Demo Derby, Motorcross. Then on Saturday or Sunday mornings later on (Not live) they'd show the races. That was the height of that form of racing.

Then the TV went with the monster trucks only, and mud racing died. It's still around, but not at the level it could be if the TV coverage would've continued. Look at Monster Trucks. They're big because of the TV coverage. Hell, back then Dennis Andersen with Grave Digger would have his wife and friends set up some tables around the arena by the beer and hotdog stands. They said they would sell out off every hat and T-shirt they brought, usually around $25,000-$40.000, that was a two night show.

BOB

 

Live video is a great idea. I watched the march meet online, they list the number of viewers at the bottom of the window and it was over 2300 on sunday. They also run advertising on their feeds. I think 1320 go and bangshift do video some of the divisional races already, maybe you can work with them.

 

Will,

I understand that you're busy, Im glad you guys are looking into it already.

You're right that a streamed HD internet feed would be a great step in the right direction. Hooking the audio to the announcer feed makes for a great broadcast.

It is very frustrating running the divisionals because even if you win the whole thing, you lose money, which would be ok if there was reasonable exposure to be able to attract a sponsor. Right now, there's not.

I know we don't see eye to eye on everything. Perhaps because you make money off alcohol racing, while I spend all my money alcohol racing.

I hope that out of anything the PSA accomplishes, hopefully NHRA starts treating the alcohol cars like they're something the fans came to the track to see. Its pathetic when first round of top alcohol at the Gatornationals gets ran 4 classes after Top Fuel final qualifying! (Comp E2, Super pro time trial?, Sportsman time trial?, ET motorcycle time trial?) Who is making that decision?!?!? That's just enough time for every spectator to leave the grandstand. These are simple little things that NEED to change! I know you're focusing on the divisionals, but I would hope that the PSA can influence these things as well.


Flash