NASCAR Announces Establishment of Blackout Rule for Television Broadcasts
A headline from the future?
It should be.
In the past few days, both the USA Today and NASCAR’s Scene Daily have published separate articles on a very hot topic – empty seats.
NASCAR has been dealing with the ugly sight of empty seats at every one of its venues since last season, even at tracks that perennially sell out. Sky-high ticket prices, costly hotel rooms and a weak economy were easy excuses for low attendance figures. Track operators, who for the first time in a decade actually had to promote their NASCAR Sprint Cup race, found themselves taking it in the shorts.
Only when July’s Brickyard 400 crowd appeared more like recent Indianapolis 500 practice day crowds did people finally start to sit up and take notice.
The two biggest track owners, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) both report ticket revenues are either down or expected to be down.
The NFL also is faced with high-ticket prices, but their empty seat problem is different. Their fan base has come to realize that for far less than the cost of a season’s worth of football tickets they can buy an extremely nice home entertainment system that will allow them to sit at home and enjoy the game, in some cases in 3D, without the hassle of crowds, parking and rip-off concession prices.
Most fans, however, will tell you that you just can’t compare being there to watching it on television. I agree.
Having said that, if you’ve been to both an NFL game and a NASCAR race, you’ll know that the fan experience at most NASCAR racetracks is nowhere near what it is for an NFL stadium.
With their fans being given a very attractive option to stay at home, the NFL does have an ace up its sleeve.
The 72-hour blackout rule.
Last season, the NFL had very few games that were not sellouts, despite the worst recession in our lifetime. That will change this season. It is predicted to be worse. And most observers expect that the NFL’s blackout rule, in effect since 1973 when the league feared that television broadcasts would stop people from buying tickets, will take a heavy beating when the 2010 NFL season kicks off next weekend.
Despite the prospect of empty stadium seats and with the days of corporate benefactors coming in at the last minute to buy up the remaining 5000 or so seats in order to guarantee a home game sellout a thing of the past, the NFL insists that the blackout rule shall remain in effect this season.
So, why not have a similar blackout rule for NASCAR races?
Now, I’m not making a lot of friends by writing that, but so what? It makes sense. It works for the biggest sport in the land, why not for the presumed second biggest sport?
Why not treat NASCAR fans with the same level of respect that NFL fans are given? If you want to see the game, buy a ticket. Want to see Brad Keselowski getting put into the wall by (insert driver’s name here) then buy a ticket.
Of course, that means that NASCAR’s track owners will need to step up their game and deliver the kind of fan experience at their facilities comparable to what fans at NFL stadiums across the country receive.
Some of them already have begun to step up their game, even without a blackout rule. I’m sure Eddie Gossage found a thing or two he felt would add to the fan experience at Texas Motor Speedway following his first visit to the new $1 billion Texas Stadium located across town.
Others will be forced to up their game by a blackout rule.
No matter what the reason, the end result has to be that their facility is the kind of place where a family of four is willing to spend $400-500 for a day of NASCAR racing. And not have to sit next to some belligerent drunk spouting out obscenities at Jimmie Johnson for five hours.
This wouldn’t be the first time that NASCAR would follow the NFL’s lead. And while I don’t expect we’ll see other smart NFL guidelines like a salary cap (which also needs to be considered, but that’s another blog) any time soon in NASCAR, the time has come for NASCAR to take a serious look at establishing a 72-hour blackout rule for its Sprint Cup events.
Some will say that a blackout rule will never happen since NASCAR is so closely aligned with ISC and any decision that would force ISC tracks to spend money on their facilities would be immediately shot down.
I’m not so sure about that.
Finally, there is the Formula One model to consider. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone doesn’t care if there are only 100 people in the stands for his races. The promoter still pays him his $30 million sanctioning fee. Ecclestone also knows that he’ll be making even more money off of the 600 million plus fans watching the world’s most popular motorsport on television.
Does NASCAR need to have full grandstands? Do drivers race with less enthusiasm when they’re not in front of a full house?
What do you think?
There is probably some degree of added enthusiasm when drivers race before a packed house. In the long run though, I think their pride and competitive genes will have them trying to win regardless of how many track fans they have.
Bob should remember that a lot of very loyal hardcore fans no longer go to the track because of health concerns. We are part of the “Greatest Generation” and have traveled the circuit for many years, but health concerns have put a stop to all the travel. Does Nascar want to take a step that would run the rest of the “faithful” away? We have stayed the course. Nascar has made a very uncomfortable bed and is now forced to lie in it. As in any business, sound thinking before any action taken is wise. Nascar is no longer wise.
Bob,
There are a number of us who will NEVER buy a ticket to NASCAR. We watch each weekly race, but it isn’t the end of the world if we don’t see one. If NASCAR starts blacking out races, it will drive us away. In 1998, A. C. Nielsen said 88% of the available households received television by some other means than broadcast (cable, satellite, phone line). These consumers have many more television sports choices than the broadcast-only consumers. It’s not a far stretch to assume that most of these consumers will not use the blackout as motivation to buy a badge for the race weekend, but instead simply use this as an opportunity to watch some other sport.
Just because we don’t buy tickets to a race doesn’t mean we are worthless as consumers. We buy car insurance, beer, power tools, fast food, automobiles, and other products advertised at the venue and on the cars, not to mention die-casts and other souvenirs.
Bob, I have to wonder if you’re serious in this suggestion. It’s so patently foolish on the face of it, I’m wondering if your editors got you to write this just to see if anyone will react.
kenn
Kenn,
I am very serious about this. And I have no editor who tells me what to write here. I do hope that one day you buy a ticket to a NASCAR event and have the opportunity to experience a race in person. It will change your perspective on the sport and enhance your viewing of the race at home. Come on, Kenn. Join the crowds!