Thread: Is V8 Supercars Losing Fans?

Originally Posted by d2dave

Same. It looks like the end for me.

Foxtel?, ....I wasn't going to go down that track either, but unlike some on here, I do like watching V8 Supercars, & in overall terms of my budget, whilst I don't want to have to pay, I think I will be able to.
So, I went to Telstra yesterday to get a bit of info, & was informed by a most informative young man that Foxtel will be releasing new "packages" in a couple of months, one of them involving a cheaper "sporting" channel, which is where V8 Supercars will be.
So, I shall wait for a few months, then see what these new packages are, which should be available well before Clipsal.
Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

Foxtel?, ....I wasn't going to go down that track either, but unlike some on here, I do like watching V8 Supercars, & in overall terms of my budget, whilst I don't want to have to pay, I think I will be able to.
So, I went to Telstra yesterday to get a bit of info, & was informed by a most informative young man that Foxtel will be releasing new "packages" in a couple of months, one of them involving a cheaper "sporting" channel, which is where V8 Supercars will be.
So, I shall wait for a few months, then see what these new packages are, which should be available well before Clipsal.
Pickles.

I still think its a huge mistake by V8 Supercars,and i am not happy to have to pay to watch the racing next year. But i love the V8's and i will get Foxtel. But i just hope they sign up the entire channel 7 commentary team.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

Foxtel?, ....I wasn't going to go down that track either, but unlike some on here, I do like watching V8 Supercars, & in overall terms of my budget, whilst I don't want to have to pay, I think I will be able to.
So, I went to Telstra yesterday to get a bit of info, & was informed by a most informative young man that Foxtel will be releasing new "packages" in a couple of months, one of them involving a cheaper "sporting" channel, which is where V8 Supercars will be.
So, I shall wait for a few months, then see what these new packages are, which should be available well before Clipsal.
Pickles.

November 3 is when all the packages change. I'll be able to reduce my bill by $45 per month and keep what I currently watch, without having 100 channels of **** I don't watch. (I think I'll only have 70 channels of ****...)

The only thing I didn't like about Foxtel when I had it, was the fact that if you didn't have all the channels, you could still see the other channels in the channel list, and you could see the programs you were missing out on.
Probably deliberate.........

Anyway, as you were...........

Originally Posted by bacicat

November 3 is when all the packages change. I'll be able to reduce my bill by $45 per month and keep what I currently watch, without having 100 channels of **** I don't watch. (I think I'll only have 70 channels of ****...)

Thanks Gav.
I couldn't remember exactly when. The Telstra man said I could do it now, & get a specail "Deal", free installation or something, free 3 months or whatever, but I said I'd wait until the new packages are introduced so I could see exactly what suits me best.
Pickles.

Originally Posted by discovery39

The only thing I didn't like about Foxtel when I had it, was the fact that if you didn't have all the channels, you could still see the other channels in the channel list, and you could see the programs you were missing out on.
Probably deliberate.........

Anyway, as you were...........

What killed it for me was the constant repeats.

Found this article that puts the deal in a different light. Story by Mark Fogerty.

Hardcore fans still aren't happy about the prospect of having to pay to view just about every V8 supercar event from next season. It's been a sore point since the announcment that pay TV would be the primary platform from 2015-2020. A sizeable and certainly vocal proportion of V8 Supercars most faithful followers regard as betrayal the fact that they will be forced to shell out if they want to see every race from the comfort of their home. V8's new media rights deal,which is worth $241 million over 6 years,is lucrative for the sport-providing much needed revenue after a dud two year renewal with channel 7 -but extremely divisive out in fanland. At its core is a broadcast partnership between Fox sports and channel ten. But unlike the shared arrangments in AFL and NRL,where free-to-air networks Seven and Nine are dominant,pay TV's Fox Sports is the lead V8 telecaster. It pays the biggest chunk of the V8 broadcast rights-believed to be $30 million a year and gets to show every track session live. The six biggest races-including the Bathurst 1000 will be live on Ten,with the rest aired as delayed highlights.

On the surface,it looks like a bad deal for committed followers who tune in to watch every race as it happens. They either pay extra or wait for the free highlights later in the day. But it may not be as bad as it seems. While the cost of subscribing for the season is going to be a source of angst,the level and quality of the coverage could assuage a lot of the indignation and financial pain. From what i am hearing,both Fox sports and Ten will be throwing significant resources at their V8 coverage and,perhaps more importantly,giving V8's much more prominence than Seven. There was a fear that Fox sports would relegate V8's to its niche Speed channel,which would also be home to additional V8 content like news,analysis and interview shows. But i have learned that the main coverage,at least,will be on one of Fox sport's three main channels and that V8 Supercars will be accorded the status and on-air promotion of a prime property. In other words,Fox sports is planning to take V8's as seriously as AFL and NRL. That will mean prominent scheduling of comment and review shows featuring top-line talent.

Current V8 heroes,former stars,other legendary figures and pundits will comment on and dissect the sport as never before. Fox sports and Ten are likely to share the race commentary team-which i hear is in for a major and welcome shake up-with their own hosts and guests,much as happens with the Seven/Fox sports split on their AFL simulcasts. Ten sport too,is planning a big return as the free-to-air home of V8 Supercars. I'm told it will also treat V8's as featured programming and back up its live and delayed race coverage with a V8 show-a heavily revamped RPM-every weekend during the season. If what i'm hearing about Fox sports and Ten's commitment to V8's is true,the new media rights deal will be much better value all round. Once the details unfold,the holdouts might even be convinced that its worth paying to watch wall-to-wall coverage.


Me personally i see some positives in this deal,it seems coverage will be improved,we will see far more of the entire race weekend,if they plan on doing what they do with the NRL in terms of the viewer being able to switch camera views and sound options then maybe its not so bad. NRL on Fox sports is far better than channel Nine. I think not signing up Skaife,Crompton,Larko and Riana is a BIG mistake. Maybe Fox/Ten will elevate the sport with better coverage? But it is still a kick in the balls to fans who can't afford it. Any thoughts guys.

Only positive for those that can afford or even want Foxtel. For everyone else that has supported it over the years it is pretty much saying "Bugger you all we are now only going to cater for the well off".
Foxtel overcharge to start with.
Heading down the American path once again. This plan with Foxtel already failed once.
I would say we are heading down the path the ATCC went down before Supercars were started. Look what happened there. The knobs in charge cannot see this. The main problem is the CEO etc are no longer race car fans with some business expertise, but business men with some passing car racing interest.
I think it will be the end of the large fan base, especially when Ford and Holden have pulled out.
Just look at how unpopular the Touring Cars became when the V8s split. Yet the organizers believed that this was the way to go by pandering to the elitist fan base. This proved to be their folly.
A bit like the knob head that sat at our camp site at Bathurst and raved about his Lotus Elise and spent the whole weekend raving about how good it was and how much it cost, while not a bad car, no one cared but start talking about classic Muscle Cars and everyone was interested.
I think Channel Seven have actually done a much better job this year with the Telecasts, their downfall is bringing in sports media or media personalities that have not come through motor sport as either long term commentators or competitors. Seven needed to drop Berretta and that useless Rhianna. Bring in people that actually have real knowledge. Mark Larkham could be one to take a lead role.