Broadcasting idea 2005

[luke]

Autoweek:

The Champ Car World Series’ 2005 television package seemed to devolve before the season finale in Mexico City, but officials promised an announcement with full disclosure before the end of November.

What’s certain is what we’ve known for some time. The package remains a time-buy, and at least six races will be broadcast on CBS. Yet Champ Car is now expected to add four races on NBC, including the season-opening Long Beach Grand Prix, to ensure that key dates are aired on a broadcast network. The NBC races are likely to be in the first half of the year, before that network begins its NASCAR coverage midseason. The remaining issue is which cable channel will carry the remaining four to six races. Speed, CART’s former cable partner, is not necessarily in. It’s just as likely to be a CBS/Viacom affiliate such as USA or Spike.

Nor has a production company been signed. It’s clear that Betelgeuse Productions, the New York-based company chosen as an experiment this season, won’t be back. Few in Champ Car were happy with the company’s work, and the series had to step in and pay Betelgeuse contractors when the company stopped mailing checks two-thirds of the way through the season.

However the details pan out, Champ Car is going to pay more for television in 2005, presumably with more potential upside in advertising revenue. With ratings as low as they’ve been (compared to CART’s heyday), improvements are likely to be measured in fractions of Nielsen points rather than full points. The increased cost of television coverage might be viewed as an indirect subsidy for teams. Champ Car will be within reach of every home in the United States (theoretically, at least), and teams can leverage that in their sales pitches (theoretically, at least) to sponsors.

Good news