NASCAR in 2004 – A Pay-Per-View Sport?
By: Andy Kondratick
This past week PPV and VOD digital cable provider In Demand said that it has signed pro driver Rusty Wallace as the spokesman for its “NASCAR In Car” series. "NASCAR In Car," which features cameras inside of several cars during Winston Cup Series events, live team audio communications and real-time in-car data displayed on virtual dashboards, begins its first full season with the Daytona 500 on Feb 16.
One problem fans. According to Sports Business Daily a 36-race package is going to cost you $129.00. However, if you purchase by February 24, 2003 it will only cost you $99.00. In addition to this, they will all let us preview for free the Daytona 500, 2003. Awe, isn’t that nice. NASCAR giving something away for free.
That all sounds ok but is this just a test to see how many fans subscribe? If they get a great response from this program I wonder what could be next in the future years? Might we the fans have to start paying for NASCAR in our homes? Could this be the next trend in viewing sports? Pay per view NASCAR races? Come on! This is outrageous!! Or is it? We already can pay to see all the other sports out there on a pay-per-view basis and most fans seem happy about this. You could buy the whole season in a package or pay per race. Why not?
I’ll tell you why not. I am a RACE FAN DAMMIT!! I go to the track with my family for fun and a great family day out. I also watch it at home on satellite, which I already have to pay for and don’t forget all those advertisements they shove down my throat during the broadcasts on NBC, TNT, F/X and Fox through out the year. You miss half of the stuff that happens. NO! I say NO! I am tired of having to pay for things that used to be free all in the name of change and progress. What was wrong with the way things ran before? I thought buying water was bad but this is ridiculous. I would pay $99 a season for NASCAR races only if they promised in writing that I wouldn’t have to watch all those Jack-asses at NBC/TNT, if there were no commercials, and I got to see all the action at the track starting Thursday night till Sunday or Saturday night after the race is over. Period. Put that in your pipe and “Smoke it”.
I don’t think NASCAR understands the power of its fans. Does the vote of no strike in Major League Baseball ring a bell? We are powerful as a group. If NASCAR wants to keep this a family oriented sport then they should be offering discounts somewhere along the line. Why would you do something that you know could potentially damage a good thing? I am appealing to your common-sense NASCAR. Don’t make the fans angry! I have said it before and I will say it again. The fans are what make this sport so special. The way fans get to interact with this sport and all of its participants is second to none. Don’t keep messing with success. K.I.S.S. = Keep it simple stupid.
This has been one fan’s opinion. - Rogue Reporter Andy,
e-mail me at roguereporter@racefannews.com.
I wonder if NASCAR knows how many vacant seats are available at the NFL football games since it went Pay-Per-View on selected games, even with black outs? Let’s not even talk about how it has affected MLB!
Please sign the petition to tell NASCAR “NO PAY PER VIEW” if you haven’t already done so. You can find the link here.
December 12, 2002
With the 2002 season in the books and the 2003 season heading our way, I look for NASCAR to be even more controversial in the coming year than it was last year. I also look for the Winston Cup series to be just as exciting with all the action and media frenzy that the 2000 generation of NASCAR Fans have become a customed to. With so many new fans to the sport, NASCAR finds itself in a spot to cash in on all the things they never had a chance to before.