Potential IRL TV partners want Indy only
Officials for ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports have told IRL officials they are interested in the Indianapolis 500, but little else concerning the open-wheel series. ABC/ESPN and Fox officials have told IRL officials they will not pay a rights fee anywhere near the $10 million annually ABC/ESPN currently pays, according to motorsports insiders.
Despite unification with Champ Car, IRL race telecasts have seen no bump in advertising revenue, and ABC/ESPN officials said they continue to lose money on the deal. ESPN has suggested a revenue-sharing model, but the IRL has shown little interest in that.
IRL officials are still trying to put together a package with ABC/ESPN or Fox that includes the Indianapolis 500 and at least four or five other races. That could force IRL officials to buy time for their other 12 or 13 races, or let them go untelevised, which would be a marketing disaster. IBJ.com
07/28/08 Conventional wisdom was that a unified open-wheel racing series would result in a more valuable media property. But five months after the IRL and Champ Car joined together, the series is seeing what has been its biggest asset — media rights — struggling to maintain value.
Both incumbent partner ABC/ESPN and suitor Fox Sports have told the circuit that they are interested in broadcasting only the Indianapolis 500. But the IRL is trying to sell a package that includes at least four other races for broadcast as well.
ESPN and Fox also have told the IRL that they would not pay the same rights fee that the IRL now gets from the Disney companies, about $10 million a year.
ESPN holds the rights for next year, but has given the IRL the green light to shop them. ESPN executives say they lose money on the deal, which has ABC broadcasting six races in addition to the Indianapolis 500, with the rest of the 17-race series going to ESPN or ESPN2.
ESPN has been pitching the IRL on a different model, possibly based on revenue sharing. So far, the IRL is not interested in such an arrangement.
While Fox has had some discussions with the series, Versus has shown the most interest in obtaining a package, which would not include the marquee races, according to several sources. Sports Business Journal