MRM
Team Owner
And on USA.NASCAR would've only gotten 1.2 million viewers if NHRA was on.
The Announcers Thread
- Thread starter aroundgoes
- Start date
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
Really, I'm sick of people trashing NASCAR because NHRA recorded a fluke TV rating, so fluky they won't note when peak viewership was because people probably turned it off within 20 minutes,.
MRM
Team Owner
F1 is still basically an invisible sport in the US. Here it's Wednesday and I haven't heard who won that race.
Magicmiler
Team Owner
Formula 1's popularity rising in US, survey shows series growing presence
A survey conducted by F1 and Motorsport Network showed younger fans and women are driving the sport's growing fanbase.
www.usatoday.com
Check the open wheel race thread.
Motorsports Has a Growing TV Accessibility Problem in the U.S.
Formula 1’s move to Apple is just the most recent example of a rising lack of accessibility.
frontstretch.com
Motorsports Has a Growing TV Accessibility Problem in the U.S.
Formula 1’s move to Apple is just the most recent example of a rising lack of accessibility.
I'm sure there are some folks who have always used only an antenna and rejected paying cable fees for what they were getting for free. I'm still listening to FM and CDs but I don't expect to get the most popular new content on those systems.
I had no real reason to look at streaming until Indy and IMSA moved some races to Peacock. Finally having a motivating reason, I did a couple of days research and set up Roku without issue. Here where we moved to last year, the local 'cable company' has abandoned set top boxes. It delivers content over its broadband service, free Fire sticks, and an app that simulated their cable menu. The Roku had given me the experience to adapt easily and get Darling Bride up to speed (mostly).
It doesn't affect me personally but the biggest adoption issue I see is the multitude of separate services, accounts, credentials, and billing. With cable, everything was available from one provider, including extras like HBO or sports packages, all in one bill, no username or login to remember.
Times and technologies change. Whatever the newest tech is, there will always be a segment of the population who won't adopt it until they have literally no choice. As Groucho sang, "Whatever it is, I'm against it!" Fortunately, both cable and streaming are entertainment services. There's no real penalty if someone doesn't want to switch.
<end of philosophical musings>
MRM
Team Owner
But with all those separate services, you're cutting out channels you don't want but are forced to get (and pay for) through a cable provider. If you don't care anything about Bravo, BET, MTV, or anything similar, you won't get those on a streaming app. I just recently switched from DirecTV satellite to their streaming service. It's basically the same thing as far as programming, but at a cheaper price. But I can see myself switching to the apps that carry what I want and dropping the DTV Stream altogether. It's annoying to go through the guide and see many, many channels I will never watch. People like my mother will never leave cable and that's why those plans still exist because she's not alone. NASCAR and others have to balance the two groups.
Yeah, I can see that. But can't the same be said of channels or feeds where a viewer signs up to watch one specific program and is paying for all the other stuff he doesn't care about? I'm paying for all of Peacock although I'm only interested in the motorsports. I paid for Amazon Prime for two months but nothing interested me beyond the five Cup races. Indeed, Prime may be worse because I paid for all those other bundled services beyond TV that I didn't want but couldn't separate.
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
It's like having three or 4 cable agains now.
FLRacingFan
Team Owner
I got two separate notifications this week that ESPN+ is now $12.99/month and HBO Max is $18.49/month.
Fortunately I’m still on a promotional discount for Peacock through next May, but this **** is getting out of hand fast.
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
Motorsports Has a Growing TV Accessibility Problem in the U.S.
Formula 1’s move to Apple is just the most recent example of a rising lack of accessibility.
The Apple/F1 deal has the potential to be one of the biggest catastrophes in the history of sports media.
Apple TV is not known for sports. They're known for having top quality, scripted programming like Ted Lasso, Severance and The Morning Show.
MLS has SERIOUS buyer's remorse about their long-term deal with Apple. At one point, it was exclusive, but they ended up running back to FOX to get games on FOX and FS1 for exposure. And MLB has already ended their deal with Apple, four years early.
LOL.
Amazon is NOT a cautionary tale. Overall ratings were down, but everybody knew they would be. But the 18-49 was way up.
I wonder if the author wants to discuss the ratings on TNT and USA, which averaged lower overall ratings than Prime. And much lower 18-49 numbers.
Amazon's overall ratings for Thursday Night Football were very bad in their first year, then shot up the second year. And now, the NFL is actually putting quality games on Prime Video.
Plus, Amazon is a MAJOR player in sports. I'm literally watching an NBA game on Prime Video right now. Amazon has the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, and the WNBA.
I was pretty sure when the streamers were losing billions a year with their streaming while running cable out of business, they were going to get their money back.
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
I've been on a promotional discount with Peacock for a while. Every time I go to cancel it, they offer me the $1.99/month rate for another six months. Once they stop offering that, I'll cancel it.
I had Apple Music and it was like $4 extra to switch to Apple One and get Apple TV, so I went ahead and did it to watch the new season of The Morning Show.
I've had HBO Max through AT&T for years but I'm sure WB Discovery will eventually terminate that "free for life" agreement with AT&T customers. Especially since WB Discovery is up for sale and will probably end up in the hands of Skydance-Paramount or Netflix. And Skydance-Paramount will not be getting a dime from me. I'm actually glad I am watching the NFL on CBS from my ship
so they can't get the rating.
My point wasn't about the price. Even if they were still $5.99, having to sign up and manage them all yourself is a bigger hassle than a single cable company with its included on-site service. People are willing to pay more in exchange for convenience and not having to learn something new.
Respectfully, any expectations those apps would stay cheap was naive. App rates are following the path set by most technological advancements over the last 50 years, especially the unnecessary / entertainment ones. Set the prices low to bring the masses in, then raise the rates once they're hooked. Streaming services weren't started by altruists.
Thanks. This is another aspect of streaming that confuses me. I don't know the differences in the overwhelming number of services, so I don't bother at all. Too many unfamiliar shows from unfamiliar producers to try sorting through. Although frankly, I don't know if there's a scripted program that would catch my attention anymore. The last one I recall watching was 'Big Bang Theory', and it was the only one I was watching when it ended. Most of the stuff on the broadcast networks was getting too dark for me. Darling Bride enjoys her British mysteries imported on PBS but that's about it.
This may be another factor hampering adoption with the 'Cable or Die!' crowd - too many flavors in the ice cream shop .
Thanks for saying what I said. Now go bugger off.
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
It’s not that hard to sign up and manage streaming services. You can do it with one click from your device on the most commonly used devices (Roku, Amazon, Apple).
You don’t need on-site services because it’s just an app. If the device goes bad, you can go to Walmart and buy a replacement for $20. (Or $150 if you have Apple, but those devices outlast Roku.)
Okay, so if it's not hard to figure out what to service to choose, then sign up, then manage accounts, what's your theory on why there are still enough cable viewers to be a factor in ratings? Obviously it's no longer a question of saving big money.
Thanks.
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
The reason cable still exists: Sports.
Some people can’t pick up local channels such as NBC, FIX, CBS or CW an antenna
There are still a lot of sporting events that are only on cable, especially events on Versant networks.
Companies have signed contracts with sports leagues for the sole purpose of keeping their cable properties afloat.
But even that is changing. Fox suddenly went the streaming route, though it’s supposedly in the INDYCAR contract. ESPN now has all their programming available on streaming.
I don’t know how long Versant (USA Sports) will be able to hold out.
And for diehard sports fans, cable is more convenient. With YouTube TV, you have multiview so you can watch four games at once. Plus, you don’t have to change apps to go from a NASCAR race to a basketball game. I believe Disney’s Fubo service also has multiview for select devices.
Cable is in its final throes. The new NBA deal has countless games on Peacock and Prime. I’ve actually started watching because the games are on NBC, Peacock and Prime. The MLB is about to have a new TV deal. The NFL is expected to terminate its agreements in the next few years and go all in on streaming.
NASCAR is in such a pickle because the future of half their races is very much in flux with WB Discovery (TNT) up for sale and the majority of NBC’s races going to Versant (USA).
First, thanks.
Your reply sent me down a rabbit hole where I tripped over this. If cable is indeed relying on sports fans, there aren't as many of them as I expected. Roughly 60% of Americans don't follow a sport (2023). 70% of those who don't follow (42% of all those surveyed) say they don't because they're just not interested. I do find it encouraging that of those who do follow one or more sports, only 4% said they do so because they wager.
Most Americans don’t closely follow professional or college sports
About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say they follow professional or college sports not too or not at all closely.
www.pewresearch.org
HoneyBadger
Kelsey Mitchell fan account
First, thanks.
Your reply sent me down a rabbit hole where I tripped over this. If cable is indeed relying on sports fans, there aren't as many of them as I expected. Roughly 60% of Americans don't follow a sport (2023). 70% of those who don't follow (42% of all those surveyed) say they don't because they're just not interested. I do find it encouraging that of those who do follow one or more sports, only 4% said they do so because they wager.
Most Americans don’t closely follow professional or college sports
About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say they follow professional or college sports not too or not at all closely.
But another survey, conducted the same year, found that 70% of Americans are avid sports fans.
St. Bonaventure/Siena Research survey reveals 70% of Americans are sports fans, 21% avid; football clearly king
The latest news from St. Bonaventure University.
This is how bad the landscape is for cable TV:
U.S. Cable TV Subscribers 2025: Ongoing Decline & Cord-Cutting Trends
Discover how and why U.S. cable TV subscriptions fell from 105 M in 2010 to 68.7 M in 2025, who’s cutting the cord, and what industry consolidation lies ahead.