You can’t say that Versus doesn’t care about the IndyCar fan. Let’s get that out of the way right now. With three-hour race windows, qualifying highlight shows, and other special programming, the Comcast-owned network is living up to their mission of “super-serving” their fans with increased content, both on-air and on-line.
Also, their race presentation is a solid one. Bob Jenkins, Robbie Buhl and Jon Beekhuis are a fine team in the booth, as are Jack Arute, Lindy Thackston and Robbie Floyd down in the pits. Versus tends to go farther into the field to show battles, instead of homing in on the drivers running in the top five. And we can’t forget that they grabbed the Side-by-Side feature from ESPN/ABC — a great element that really ought to be on NASCAR telecasts by now.
They deserve to be commended for their coverage, which they clearly execute with energy and appreciation for the sport. But as the IZOD IndyCar Series heads into 2010, I’m getting a vibe from the fan base that Versus is becoming more of a hindrance than a help.
A lot of that comes from the Versus-DirecTV dispute that has knocked the former off the satellite provider’s airwaves since last September. If you’re an IndyCar fan that doesn’t have DirecTV, you probably had to scramble to find a bar or another home that carried the channel just so you could watch Motegi and the finale at Homestead. Or, you just said, ‘Screw it,’ and Chicagoland was the end of your season.
Word came last week from Cage Potato, a mixed martial arts site, that the dispute was finally going to end with the channel going on a premium DTV sports tier. Unfortunately, a spokesman for Versus, while confirming that negotiations were taking place, indicated to CP that it may not be settled before April. So the MMA fans with DTV probably won’t get the UFC’s debut on Versus and IndyCar fans with DTV will likely miss next weekend’s Sao Paulo Indy 300. The next race at St. Petersburg, Florida (March 28) will be carried on ABC.
Then you get reports like the one that Curt Cavin had on March 4 in response to a question on his blog: Concerned drivers and teams are caught between liking Versus’ product and hoping they’ll get bigger ratings quickly. Also, don’t forget Danica Patrick’s recent comments about IndyCar needing to get more races on ESPN, saying that the Worldwide Leader in Sports is “like a speed junkie’s CNN.”
With all of that said, the fans have a right to be worried about Versus. The network is growing and it could get a major boost if and when Comcast and NBC Universal merge together, but that’s not until later on. Can the IRL afford to wait for them to become a true challenger to ESPN? I don’t think so.
The 2012 chassis project is the biggest issue for new league CEO Randy Bernard to solve, but if that’s Priority No. 1, then solving Versus’ ratings woes is probably No. 1A. As the former leader of the Professional Bull Riders — another Versus broadcast property — he’s likely to know a lot about the situation, so there’s hope in that regard.
2010 is shaping up to be a sink-or-swim year for the TV package. With a year’s experience under their belts, I believe we’ll see more improvements from the Versus broadcasts. But there’s no point in any of it if not enough people are watching.
What say you fine folk? Are you still believers in Versus and their potential or are you thinking that the IRL should try to get back some of their old presence on the ESPN networks?
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UPDATE: Bob Jenkins talks with IndyCar.com about Versus’ first year of coverage and his thoughts about Year Two.
