Versus will become the exclusive cable television home of the Indy Racing League

I think it can work well.
TG is getting paid at last which will in part be reinvested.
At last we will get a quality production rather than the crap I have been watching for the last four years covering both ChampCar and the IRL. Good commentators, ten hours of non racing coverage about the series.
VERSUS get free advertising from ABC for the races they do not cover,
I am sure they will sell the package to Eurosport or similar meaning the European fanbase will also get the improved coverage.
Interesting to see who gets the extra race or two in 2010 if the series expands to 20 races.
Bring it on and I reckon it will work as anything is better than the present coverage. If you have not got VERSUS, go get it as they are a top quality progamme company.

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Originally Posted by garyshell

Where are you located? Here in Cincinnati Time warner does not have Versus.

Gary

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Upstate NY (Binghamton).

I guess they don't have a counterpart in LatinAmerica right?

I hope ESPN can continue broadcasting it here

I suspect the coverage will be no better or worse to the viewers, since the release says ESPN will still be producing all of the coverage, it's just a question of how many viewers there will be. Will it actually get the cross-network promotion from Comcast. Clearly they laid down the cash to promote their national sports channel, even though they also have the regional Comcast Sportsnet, so I hope so. Will they be able to get advertisers to sponsor the side by side? Can we get Marty and Scott replaced?? Can we get real pit reporters???.

I have a MobiTV on my cell and still can watch races.

Versus? Sounds like Spike TV to me. This better not be a Kalkhoven influence. Oh well, I'll keep my MobiTV and watch Baskeball and Football....oh wait I see NASCAR too.

I have DISH in central Indiana. I will have to increase my package to get Versus. Cost increase of around $25/month for channels I am unlikely to view except Versus.

I fail to see how this will improve TV viewership when the economy is in a downturn. Why would anyone pay more money to watch 19 - 20 races a year? TV Viewership will go down IMO.

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Originally Posted by Cart750hp

I have a MobiTV on my cell and still can watch races.

Versus? Sounds like Spike TV to me. This better not be a Kalkhoven influence. Oh well, I'll keep my MobiTV and watch Baskeball and Football....oh wait I see NASCAR too.

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Funny you should mention the Kalkster since w/o Surfers at the moment, the Aussie Vineyards sponsorship disappears and probably Power does too. He's sold out on one series, put another team owner to the sidelines (Walker) and now a suggestion he is trying to put the ICS into more obscurity with this deal.

The contract is bad, no question about it, IMO.

Champcar did this with Spike. It was a disaster. VS. just shows a bunch of hunting shows right now!!

Hardly the market for Indycar.

And won't this just make Indycar have to spend more to promote it's product and bring people to a network that most people don't even venture to, let alone know exists??

Sounds like one of Champcars biggest mistakes!!

I think maybe staying with ESPN, and improving everything about the series first would be a better choice. Both would cost more money, but people would see it, and ESPN would pay more positive dividends IMO.

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Originally Posted by jimispeed

Champcar did this with Spike. It was a disaster. VS. just shows a bunch of hunting shows right now!!

Hardly the market for Indycar.

And won't this just make Indycar have to spend more to promote it's product and bring people to a network that most people don't even venture to, let alone know exists??

Sounds like one of Champcars biggest mistakes!!

I think maybe staying with ESPN, and improving everything about the series first would be a better choice. Both would cost more money, but people would see it, and ESPN would pay more positive dividends IMO.

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No they show a lot more than JUST hunting shows. Lose the hyperbole. They also have the Americas Cup, the Tour de France, NHL etc.

Stay with ESPN and continue to play second or third fiddle to NASCAR, why?

I am not at all happy with the choice of Versus. But I am happy with telling ESPN to take a hike. What has the mouse network done for the series? Very damn little.

Gary

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Originally Posted by jimispeed

Champcar did this with Spike. It was a disaster.

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Except...

- The ICS is actually getting PAID by Versus. Champcar had to pay Spike for airtime.

- Champcar had a one hour MAXIMUM timeslot for races on Spike. The ICS will have a 3 hour MINIMUM timeslot for races.

- Champcar was secondary programming on Spike that got no promotion at all and the network hardly cared how well it did. The ICS will be primary programming on Versus and will be promoted to death by a network that actually wants to succeed and has the potential to become the next ESPN by providing an alternative for sports fans who are sick of ESPN's love of Spelling Bee's and Poker instead of actual sports.

- Versus is actually a sports network that shows the NHL, the Tour de France, College Football and Basketball, Rugby, other motorsports, among other things. Spike has Pros v.s. Joes and UFC mixed in with their endless re-runs of video shows filled with gas station attendants protecting their money from robbers.