[cmakin]

Originally Posted by sprinter25 30000/2500000 = .0012, or 1.2%. the size of the USAC site hits versus the American Idol viewers Advertisers like to use % of viewers watching, so a network will usually only consider a show that'll drwa a specific demographic group. Your estimate of 3000 USAC fans attending a live show is exactly why most networks don't care to show sprint car racing. There just aren't enough folks interested in the sport to draw viewers to watch it on TV...so as mich as we all love the sport, and would like to see more of it on TV, it probably won't happen....like I said, it's a niche sport....

So we are then stuck with crappy shows on Speed that no one seems to watch.

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by cmakin So we are then stuck with crappy shows on Speed that no one seems to watch.

No, we can skip the crappy shows on speed and watch the real racing at our local track. Here are some numbers to chew on, just a real rough estimate, 150 local tracks run every week in the USA, an average of 1500 fans in the stands, 225,000 fans attending races at non televised events every week. I think my estimates are low on both tracks and fans in attendance but it's still more than people attending tennis or golf tournaments a week, I guess the tv coverage for them is because they have balls.

[6157]

Originally Posted by Fisher79 I realize 30,000 is a small number for TV. I admittedly don't know much at all about how a series goes about pitching its product to television. However, I think having a number like 30,000 would at least be a good start to take to a network. That would show there's a wide interest out there, wider at least than the 3,000 or however many fans there are in the stands at any given USAC event. I just want to see more sprint cars on TV. It's fun for everybody and it's key to growth.

To give you an idea about how little 30,000 is, they wouldn't even register on the Nielsen guide and that's not good for sponsors.

[cmakin]

Originally Posted by Z-man No, we can skip the crappy shows on speed and watch the real racing at our local track. Here are some numbers to chew on, just a real rough estimate, 150 local tracks run every week in the USA, an average of 1500 fans in the stands, 225,000 fans attending races at non televised events every week. I think my estimates are low on both tracks and fans in attendance but it's still more than people attending tennis or golf tournaments a week, I guess the tv coverage for them is because they have balls.

It goes without saying that if I am not at a speedway any given weekend there are only the following reasons:

1. Day job has taken me out of the country/offshore.
2. Weather
3. Season over.

That is pretty much it.

[racefan20]

Originally Posted by 6157 To give you an idea about how little 30,000 is, they wouldn't even register on the Nielsen guide and that's not good for sponsors.

I think the point is that USAC did not advertise nor even mention on their website that these races would be webcast. I think that if this was on Speed or even Versus enough casual fans would watch to double or even triple the number that went out of their way to find out about these races and invest the time to watch(or sit and hit refresh )

Originally Posted by sprinter25 like I said, it's a niche sport....

A niche sport just like drifting, bullriding, air plane racing, etc. And those things are on TV all the damn time. Non-wing sprint cars, in my opinion, put on a much more exciting show than any of those things. The product would sell itself in a big way, I think, if someone with some vision, a blank check and a set of balls took a chance on it. Easier said than done, I know.

Originally Posted by racefan20 I think the point is that USAC did not advertise nor even mention on their website that these races would be webcast. I think that if this was on Speed or even Versus enough casual fans would watch to double or even triple the number that went out of their way to find out about these races and invest the time to watch(or sit and hit refresh )

I agree completely.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by racefan20 I think the point is that USAC did not advertise nor even mention on their website that these races would be webcast. I think that if this was on Speed or even Versus enough casual fans would watch to double or even triple the number that went out of their way to find out about these races and invest the time to watch(or sit and hit refresh )

I bet the number on the old thursday night thunder shows was a hundred times that, Just by virtue of being on ESPN2 A good many by just stumbling onto it. Which is what this sport needs as the advertising and word doesn't seem to be getting out.

Just the number of sports bars and restaraunts having ESPN2 times say a average of 20 patrons would have been infinately higher.

Still 30,000 hits in ten minutes shows there is demand there and interest. Lets get 5-10-20 thousand to some of these shows in person

[sprinter25]

Originally Posted by Fisher79 A niche sport just like drifting, bullriding, air plane racing, etc. And those things are on TV all the damn time. Non-wing sprint cars, in my opinion, put on a much more exciting show than any of those things. The product would sell itself in a big way, I think, if someone with some vision, a blank check and a set of balls took a chance on it. Easier said than done, I know. I agree completely.

And airplane racing, bull riding, and drifting are probably all time buys - the sponsor packages the show, buys the time from a network, and keeps whatever the difference is. And hopes that he shows a profit.

Get someone to pony up that kind of bucks for a sprint car show/series, and then hope that the number of eyes watching is sufficient to move that Nielsen ratings meter....

Like Kevin Miller posted earlier, at least part of the reason for the traffic overload was because it was the only race going on - anywhere. If this race had taken place in June or July, lots of folks would have been attending their local shorty....

I give up.

[Racerrob]

Found a solution to those with tired fingers from hitting the refresh button for the USAC video feed!!!





Rob Hoffman