Discontent with Nascar

[Skoalbandit33]

Any financial give-back relative to broadcast revenues will be easy to track.

As a publicly traded company, Speedway Motorsports publishes its financials quarterly. Revenues derived from the TV contracts are shown as a line item separate from ticket sales and other streams.

In 2014 there were 6 races that attracted less than 4 million viewers including the rain postponed spring Texas race and there were no races with less than 3 million viewers. Not including rain delayed/postponed races there have been 5 races with less than 3 million viewers so far this year and 16 that have attracted less than 4 million onlookers. If current trends hold 2018 should be the first year we see less than 2 million viewers for select Nascar races and I think it will be at that time the networks start hollering. We will see.

 

[aunty dive]

We will see.

Thank you, Kimi Raikkonen.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

all in all in NASCAR is still better than the NBA

It is for me too but not for advertisers as the NBA has a younger demographic. Demographic means everything as sometime TV shows are cancelled that have a large number of viewers but because they are an older audience they are not attractive to advertisers. Sometimes these shows migrate to a paid subscription streaming service where advertisers don't come into play.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

Thank you, Kimi Raikkonen.

I am really interested in seeing how long Nascar can write the sequel to "The Emperor & His New Suit of Clothes" to the networks. My guess is that FOX is happy as they have the cream of all the races but NBC is taking it up the wazoo. At times this stuff is more exiting than what happens on track!

 

[oldschoolnascardude1]

NASCAR's problems lie in not all, but many of the following:

1) Oversaturation.
2) Personalities/Egos.
3) The Cha$e.
4) Engineering/Computers.
5) Rules.
6) Money.
7) Boring racing.
8) Car styles.
9) Schedule.
10) Turning its back to nostalgia.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

NASCAR's problems lie in not all, but many of the following:

1) Oversaturation.
2) Personalities/Egos.
3) The Cha$e.
4) Engineering/Computers.
5) Rules.
6) Money.
7) Boring racing.
8) Car styles.
9) Schedule.
10) Turning its back to nostalgia.

I think you bring up many valid points and I believe over saturation is one of the most ignored reasons. Most of the remaining Nascar fans are of the diehard variety so having 5 or 6 races a week would be fantastic for them but overall sometimes there can be to much of a good thing. You can watch 3 different series plus qualifying and practice and if you live a couple of hundred miles from a track you can wake up Sunday morning and drive to where the race is being held and easily get tickets.

Viewership bears out the fact that more and more people don't even think Nascar programming is worth the investment of time to watch at home for free let alone pay to go to the track. I have watched less NFL programming this year compared to last as with games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights plus 3 games from England that are on at 9:30 am plus a bye week for each team their is a dilution of product and good match ups. I love football but watching Indianapolis and Jacksonville play doesn't excite me nor does Tampa and Cleveland.

 

[LouieLouie]

NASCAR's problems lie in not all, but many of the following:

1) Oversaturation.
2) Personalities/Egos.
3) The Cha$e.
4) Engineering/Computers.
5) Rules.
6) Money.
7) Boring racing.
8) Car styles.
9) Schedule.
10) Turning its back to nostalgia.

1) I think you mean Length of Season. NASCAR is difficult to find on tv and is only on 3 times a week at most, but the season lasts all year long.
2) I would argue that there are no personalities in NASCAR. Everything is so vanilla it has become boring.
3) The Chase. Some like it, some hate it but I don't see it killing off the fan base.
4) Engineering/Computers - Definitely too much money going toward engineering, especially the aero package.
5) Rules - I think this is more about consistency in enforcing the rules rather than rule changes but I agree, too many rules in general.
6) Money - NASCAR is big money as are the rest of major sports. I don't see this as a problem except that the fan base can't afford to go to the races anymore which is a big problem.
7) Boring racing - agreed. It has gotten better this year but is still not where it needs to be.
8) Car Styles - I've said it 1000 times, this is a major problem and in my opinion should be #1 on the list.
9) Schedule - Other than replacing certain tracks the schedule isn't terrible except for the summer session where it goes Kentucky, NHMS, Indy, Pocono (talk about snoozefest). It could certainly use more short tracks and road courses.
10) Nostalgia - not sure what you are referring to here but HOF was a good idea.

 

[oldschoolnascardude1]

1) I think you mean Length of Season. NASCAR is difficult to find on tv and is only on 3 times a week at most, but the season lasts all year long.
2) I would argue that there are no personalities in NASCAR. Everything is so vanilla it has become boring.
3) The Chase. Some like it, some hate it but I don't see it killing off the fan base.
4) Engineering/Computers - Definitely too much money going toward engineering, especially the aero package.
5) Rules - I think this is more about consistency in enforcing the rules rather than rule changes but I agree, too many rules in general.
6) Money - NASCAR is big money as are the rest of major sports. I don't see this as a problem except that the fan base can't afford to go to the races anymore which is a big problem.
7) Boring racing - agreed. It has gotten better this year but is still not where it needs to be.
8) Car Styles - I've said it 1000 times, this is a major problem and in my opinion should be #1 on the list.
9) Schedule - Other than replacing certain tracks the schedule isn't terrible except for the summer session where it goes Kentucky, NHMS, Indy, Pocono (talk about snoozefest). It could certainly use more short tracks and road courses.
10) Nostalgia - not sure what you are referring to here but HOF was a good idea.

1) I mean the amount of NASCAR programming found on television. Two different stations have a one hour show devoted to NASCAR five days out of the week. Basically, every Camping World truck and Xfinity practice is televised and every Sprint Cup event is televised, weather permitting. Heck, there's even a radio station dedicated to it.
2) That was my point. It seems like over the years, drivers have developed huge egos. With a social media platform, it seems they all put themselves onto a pedestal.
3) I'm not a fan of the Cha$e, but it's not an end-all deal for me. I do think the constant tinkering and changing of it make the original idea far worse.
4) The evolution of computers will continue to become relevant in NASCAR. Its part of my bias reasoning for not wanting a computer product to be the main sponsor of NASCAR.
5) The constant changing of rules and regulations is confusing and always puts NASCAR into a box which they either enforce or have to make a new set of rules up to cross out the originals.
6) The sponsorship aspect is the necessary evil, I guess, but you can look at the current crop of driver and look at those drivers' background. Money overrides talent right now, unfortunately.
7) As noted by Dr. Eric Warren from RCR, the aerodynamic package has already been made up 80-90 percent from where it started in Daytona back in February. Bottom line, until these cars get off the ground, any fix will be temporary.
8) N/A.
9) More in terms of the actual cookie cutter tracks and similarities. Personally, I wish they could loop off a week at the beginning of the year and at the end, and add a few more bye weeks during the year. I would be fine with 28-30 races a year, though it isn't feasible with track contracts.
10) I mean in terms of cutting fans off. This has a lot to do with current media, too. For example, you rarely ever hear stories pre 2000's when NASCAR dedicated programming is doing lists of achievements. You'll have your Richard Petty memories, along with the '78 500, but most things are all crammed in over the past 15 years. Its like the first 50 years of the industry has been omitted.

 

[LouieLouie]

Its like the first 50 years of the industry has been omitted.

I'm sure this has something to do with one of the sponsors. My guess is the auto manufacturers because Toyota wasn't involved and the cars back then are so different from today's cars. I don't think they like to show the COT car too often either because of the disaster that it was.