SPEED relaunch as FOX Sports 1 looks destined to happen

They just signed a deal for a bunch of horse racing to be shown on FS1 beginning next February.
 
I'd venture a guess that this will be resolved by the deadline but if not, damn!

As Speed's move to Fox Sports 1 looms, so do serious carriage problems

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice sessions and the Camping World Truck Series race Aug. 17 from Michigan International Speedway will be among the live telecasts on the first day Fox Sports 1 goes on air in place of the Speed cable network.

And that could be a problem.

Among those still negotiating carriage fees with Fox Sports 1 are DirecTV, Dish and Time Warner Cable. Spokesmen for DirecTV and TWC said Thursday that discussions are ongoing and Dish also has not signed a deal, according to the SportsBusiness Daily.

Speed is in nearly 86 million homes, but millions of its current subscribers won’t be able to see Fox Sports 1 unless a carriage deal is finalized.

DirecTV has 20 million subscribers, Time Warner Cable serves 14.6 million customers and Dish has 14 million subscribers. Not all of those subscribers pay for packages that include Speed (and would include Fox Sports 1), but those are three of the largest television providers in the country.

According to the SportsBusiness Journal, Speed costs about 23 cents each month per subscriber, and Fox is looking to increase that to 80 cents per month.

It’s not surprising that these negotiations go down to the wire, but it’s enough to make NASCAR fans nervous as the channel they know as Speed will cease to exist when Fox Sports 1 is launched in its place in about a week.

“For many operators, Fox Sports 1 will launch in the same channel location now occupied by Speed,” Fox Sports said in a statement. “We hope that all major cable, satellite and telephone video services will offer Fox Sports 1 at the time of its August launch this month, giving it wide distribution.”

A NASCAR spokesman declined comment as negotiations between the network and the cable and satellite operators continue.

Among the NASCAR programming scheduled for Fox Sports 1 for Aug. 17 is all of the NASCAR activity at Michigan—both Sprint Cup Series practices as well as the truck qualifying and race. Fox Sports 1’s prerace and postrace shows—NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane—are scheduled for Aug. 18.

Just three days later—Aug. 21 at Bristol—Fox Sports 1 is scheduled to show both truck practices as well as the truck race that night. All Cup and Nationwide practices, as well as Nationwide qualifying Aug. 23 from Bristol, also are scheduled for Fox Sports 1.

That’s a good deal of NASCAR content in the first seven days of the new network—all of which NASCAR fans are in jeopardy of not seeing.

In addition to the launch of Fox Sports 1 in place of Speed, another network, Fox Sports 2, will launch on the same day in place of Fuel. Fox Sports 2 is not expected to have as tense negotiations for carriage fees, according to SBJ.

According to the SBJ, Fuel is in 36.8 million homes.

No NASCAR national series races are scheduled for Fox Sports 2, but among its programming later this month are replays of truck races and the NASCAR Race Hub news show, truck qualifying and the NASCAR modified race Aug. 21 at Bristol and select Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series practices Aug. 30-31 at Atlanta.
Click to expand...

from here
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'd venture a guess that this will be resolved by the deadline but if not, damn!
Click to expand...

11th hour agreements are pretty common but the DirecTV vs. Viacom mess from last year as well as the current Time Warner issue with several CBS stations proves that temporarily losing channels is something that either side is willing to risk. As far as the FS1 deal, it could potentially be way worse just due to sheer numbers. The biggest losers in all of this would be NASCAR, their corporate sponsors and the team sponsors considering that their entire business model revolves around sponsor money. If the sponsors lose 2/3 or their current potential Speed exposure you can bet they are going to be furious. Powerful people have likely been making calls to other powerful people threatening lawsuits and the withholding of money if this FS1 deal goes south for any period of time. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the bigwigs at NASCAR are on a conference call with the people at Fox. This could get really ugly, folks.
 
Matthew2470 said:
11th hour agreements are pretty common but the DirecTV vs. Viacom mess from last year as well as the current Time Warner issue with several CBS stations proves that temporarily losing channels is something that either side is willing to risk. As far as the FS1 deal, it could potentially be way worse just due to sheer numbers. The biggest losers in all of this would be NASCAR, their corporate sponsors and the team sponsors considering that their entire business model revolves around sponsor money. If the sponsors lose 2/3 or their current potential Speed exposure you can bet they are going to be furious. Powerful people have likely been making calls to other powerful people threatening lawsuits and the withholding of money if this FS1 deal goes south for any period of time. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the bigwigs at NASCAR are on a conference call with the people at Fox. This could get really ugly, folks.
Click to expand...
Can you please use a smaller font? My eyes really need the exercise. :D
 
Matthew2470 said:
11th hour agreements are pretty common but the DirecTV vs. Viacom mess from last year as well as the current Time Warner issue with several CBS stations proves that temporarily losing channels is something that either side is willing to risk. As far as the FS1 deal, it could potentially be way worse just due to sheer numbers. The biggest losers in all of this would be NASCAR, their corporate sponsors and the team sponsors considering that their entire business model revolves around sponsor money. If the sponsors lose 2/3 or their current potential Speed exposure you can bet they are going to be furious. Powerful people have likely been making calls to other powerful people threatening lawsuits and the withholding of money if this FS1 deal goes south for any period of time. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the bigwigs at NASCAR are on a conference call with the people at Fox. This could get really ugly, folks.
Click to expand...



well they did say SPEED will stick around with original programming to fulfill contracts with the networks that dont cut a FS1 deal. I bet when nascar pressures FOX they will show the truck race on the old speed for those who dont have FS1 yet.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
well they did say SPEED will stick around with original programming to fulfill contracts with the networks that dont cut a FS1 deal. I bet when nascar pressures FOX they will show the truck race on the old speed for those who dont have FS1 yet.
Click to expand...


Beginning August 17th, Speed goes on a 6 hour loop of shows. No NASCAR included.
 
Matthew2470 said:
NBCSN charges 31 cents per subscriber. FS1 wants 80 cents. I think that says it all.
Click to expand...
Not really. You forgot to mention the increase that I will be seeing in my Dish Network statement next month. Once they get that in there I'm sure I'll be able to watch Fox Sports 1.
 
Matthew2470 said:
Beginning August 17th, Speed goes on a 6 hour loop of shows. No NASCAR included.
Click to expand...



yeah i know. what i am saying is with a little pressure from NASCAR fox might throw the truck race on speed for those who dont get FS1. Not saying it will be a regular thing, but it might buy a few more weeks of negotiating without pissing off too many NASCAR fans.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Not really. You forgot to mention the increase that I will be seeing in my Dish Network statement next month. Once they get that in there I'm sure I'll be able to watch Fox Sports 1.
Click to expand...


That's between you and Dish. I am talking about the cost of the actual carriage agreements.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
After the Nascar deal expect this to go up. My guess is we might see a future hold out between NBCSN and top cable carriers.
Click to expand...


I agree. Supply/Demand. This is the real reason our fees keep going up each year. My monthly DirecTV bill is close to $170/mo these days.
 
The newly unified United SportsCar Racing series and the Continental Tire series signed a deal to be shown on FS1 and FS2 through 2018.
 
Getting close.

Just five days before the launch of FS1, Fox Sports still has yet to cut deals with at least three of the four biggest distributors: DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable. The three distributors said they are still in discussions with Fox to carry the channel, which launches Saturday. Distributors that do not cut a deal for FS1 by Saturday will continue to carry Speed, though it will be a stripped down version of the motorsports channel. Fox Sports provided the Tribune listings service with the programming lineup for Speed for the first nine days after FS1's launch, and it features a mix of re-runs and paid programming. In the week after FS1 launches, Speed will open primetime at 8:00pm ET with shows like "Faster Than," "Car Science" and "Pumped." The 9:00pm hour has shows like "Drag Race High," "Stuntbusters" and "Wrecked." The 10:00pm hour has shows like "Pinks," "Speedmakers" and "Hard Parts." Primetime for Aug. 17, when FS1 launches, will feature re-airs of "Pumped," "Wrecked" and "Hard Parts." Fox Sports has little reason to make Speed a high-quality channel after Aug. 17, since it wants distributors to agree to take the more expensive FS1. Distributors pay around $0.23 per subscriber per month for Speed, according to figures from SNL Kagan. Fox is seeking $0.80 per subscriber per month for FS1 initially -- a rate that would increase to around $1.50 toward the end of the multiyear carriage deals it is seeking.
 
Fox is using an age old ploy to help their cause, withhold racing, make the carriers the bad guys and get a major outcry from the fans going, if the fans miss a race or two they will be screaming for the carriers heads. Nascar has a contract with fox, they need to grab the fox team by the gonads and force them to compromise or fine them heavy for every race, practice and qualifying not broadcast.
 
I hate this I grew up on Speed channel... NASCAR will get coverage no matter what might be less or mixed in with horse racing and golf. My issue is with all the other racing DTM, V8Supercars, Formula 1, Superbikes etc.. Living in Canada we have little Motorsports coverage Speed was basically what we had... Now its 3 min Monday morning on TSN to cover Indy, Sprint Cup, and Nationwide, its been made clear FS1 will not be given to basic cable subscribers like Speed was... Im going to miss the Bathurst 1000 ..
 
I think Fsn1 wont get a deal done until the baseball playoffs near. if they have any playoff games on Fsn1

That will be the driving force rather then Truck races to end the year.

heck, CFB would probably have more pull.
 
Johali said:
Fox is using an age old ploy to help their cause, withhold racing, make the carriers the bad guys and get a major outcry from the fans going, if the fans miss a race or two they will be screaming for the carriers heads. Nascar has a contract with fox, they need to grab the fox team by the gonads and force them to compromise or fine them heavy for every race, practice and qualifying not broadcast.
Click to expand...

johali----1st point is right on.......dish prolly be last holdout. cheap azz charlie ergen.
contract--nascar signed fox contract.....not reverse.
 
hawg dawg said:
johali----1st point is right on.......dish prolly be last holdout. cheap azz charlie ergen.
contract--nascar signed fox contract.....not reverse.
Click to expand...
True but I've signed and or written many contracts and there are always performance and adherence clauses, it would be interesting to know how this effects the clauses in their contracts.
 
Not a pretty picture at all. Another bit of info on this.

Fox Sports 1 may not be on your TV this Saturday


Four days until launch and Fox is still negotiating carriage with three major cable and satellite providers for Fox Sports 1. As it stands now, DirecTV, Dish and Time Warner Cable remain the lone holdouts to pick up FS1 in time for its big launch on Saturday. If the stalemate holds past this weekend, it means that 47 million homes across the country won't have access to the new cable sports network.

Sports Business Daily's John Ourand reports that as of today, AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Suddenlink and Verizon FiOS was having trouble in gaining carriage and one month later, that is still the case. When the network was officially announced back in March, Fox boasted that the network would be available in 90 million homes, but right now, it hasn't even hit 50 million. Unless something drastic happens this week, Fox will be way short of its goal.

As with the CBS/Time Warner Cable dispute, this whole issue is about money. Fox wants to charge 80 cents per subscriber at the outset with the cost eventually rising to $1.50. The channel which Fox Sports 1 is replacing, Speed, cost the cable and satellite providers 23 cents per subscriber. So you can see the providers are balking at the price increase. And while the talks between Fox and the three holdouts are ongoing, there's little hope that an agreement will be reached in time.

The three remaining holdouts have been stubborn over certain sports networks and have been willing to keep them off their systems for extended periods. In DirecTV's case, it's going into its second year of its dispute with Pac-12 Networks. And Time Warner and CBS are going into their second week in their fight.

Can the stalemate be broken in time? There's a possibility, but if recent history is any indication, subscribers to DirecTV, Dish and Time Warner may have to wait a while before they're able to see Fox Sports 1 on their televisions.
Click to expand...
 
I set up an appointment with Cox Cable for 2pm Friday, they have until then to get it right or I'm switching, get it done and I'll cancel the appointment.
 
Just don't sign a contract. Also you can suspend your sat service without cancelling so that if you want to come back you won't have to pay or sign a contract.
 
Johali said:
I set up an appointment with Cox Cable for 2pm Friday, they have until then to get it right or I'm switching, get it done and I'll cancel the appointment.
Click to expand...
I bet they have a lot longer than 2pm Friday. That is just the scheduled appointment. You will then have to wait for them to actually show up. Good luck with that. ;)
 
That's what I'm going to do if I have to, I have internet service with Cox and they don't require active customers to sign a contract and I am going to just suspend the Direct TV because I need it for the RV and labor day weekend and hunting season is coming up.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I bet they have a lot longer than 2pm Friday. That is just the scheduled appointment. You will then have to wait for them to actually show up. Good luck with that. ;)
Click to expand...
Since I'm an active customer and all they have to do is turn it on at the pole and I pick up the equipment up the street and hook it up myself it's pretty quick and on time.
 
Johali said:
True but I've signed and or written many contracts and there are always performance and adherence clauses, it would be interesting to know how this effects the clauses in their contracts.
Click to expand...

bet this contigency is built into contract somewhere. ?

plus....most public blame is gonna land on dish/direct/tw......not fox or nascar
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom