Where are the IRL commericals?

[CARTDM15]

I have been watching ESPN for the last three weeks and have not seen one ad for the IRL.Don't they know the season starts next week.I know they are paying tons of money for NASCAR but they are paying for the IRL too.Don't they want good ratings for their races.I am so sick of the NASCAR is life commericals.As a open wheel fan this is unacceptable.How can open wheel racing grow without a TV partner that is willing to help?

[Jonesi]

There's a one hour program scheduled on Espn2 today at 4pm PDT.

[Jonesi]

There's a one hour program scheduled on Espn2 today at 4pm PDT.

and it was a one hour infomercial for IRL with regular IRL commercials in between.

(BTW it sounds like 1/4 of the IRL field got ingauged during the off season.)

[Mark in Oshawa]

Gee...no IRL commericials? Could it be that the IRL and Champ Car combined don't draw more viewers than a test pattern put up by accident in the middle of a NASCAR race? Listen, in case anyone has noticed, OW racing isn't a big deal with the networks anymore. Save the Indy 500, no one race in OW is drawing ratings that the networks get excited about....

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Will someone please rid us of that I AM INDY song. OMG it sucks !

[call_me_andrew]

Does that Sports Center commercial with Danica Patrick count?

[CARTDM15]

Gee...no IRL commericials? Could it be that the IRL and Champ Car combined don't draw more viewers than a test pattern put up by accident in the middle of a NASCAR race? Listen, in case anyone has noticed, OW racing isn't a big deal with the networks anymore. Save the Indy 500, no one race in OW is drawing ratings that the networks get excited about....

I know the rating sucks thats what I'm asking? ABC is paying for the rights for the IRL why aren't they promoting the races.Don't they want good ratings?This seems very strange to me.

[BenRoethig]

Gee...no IRL commericials? Could it be that the IRL and Champ Car combined don't draw more viewers than a test pattern put up by accident in the middle of a NASCAR race? Listen, in case anyone has noticed, OW racing isn't a big deal with the networks anymore. Save the Indy 500, no one race in OW is drawing ratings that the networks get excited about....

Believe me, if it wasn't for the Indy 500 and the faint hope that TG and KK might grow brains and figure out the chances of them surviving as separate series are close to nill are the only reason either had any kind of T.V. contract. The casual fans, that make up the vast majority of the viewership have moved on to NASCAR or out racing all together for the most part.


I know the rating sucks thats what I'm asking? ABC is paying for the rights for the IRL why aren't they promoting the races.Don't they want good ratings?This seems very strange to me.

They're paying for the rights to the Indy 500. The other 16 races came in a package deal.

[Jag_Warrior]

I know the rating sucks thats what I'm asking? ABC is paying for the rights for the IRL why aren't they promoting the races.Don't they want good ratings?This seems very strange to me.

Think about what the networks typically do when a (once) popular show begins getting lower ratings. I was a HUGE fan of Hill Street Blues way back when. What a show! But it was set to be cancelled, because it had such a small following in the beginning. Through promotion (much of it word-of-mouth, by loyal fans of the show), the show found its audience and is now considered to be a TV classic. But most low rated shows just get the axe. ABC/ESPN has promoted the IRL in the past. Howie Katz walked out on a limb and laid a path. It didn't work. As Mark said, people don't care anymore. You cannot push a string. Why would ABC spend its own money on that when it now has NASCAR onboard? But now, if Honda, Tony George or any of the sponsors want to pay for spots, I'm sure ABC will be fine with that. During other programs, ESPN is now doing plugs for next week's race, but I don't expect much more than that.

But ABC/ESPN has a good amount of IRL/Indy 500 programming planned for most of May - from May 7th or so, I think it's everyday.

[Easy Drifter]

We need "Belker" to convince them or bite their ankles.
Only a Hill Street Blues fan will understand that.

[Jag_Warrior]

I'm with ya, Easy Drifter! An order of Belker, and some Joyce Davenport for dessert. He could scare them into some spots... while she could charm them into the same.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Nice FULL PAGE AD in the March 23 USA Today sports section. Back page.

[CARTDM15]

That was Honda not ESPN.

[DJRaverXtreme]

It was an IRL ad nonetheless....