Carpool Lane

The IRL fortifies its media future through 2012 with today’s announcement that ABC and Versus have signed deals to share rights to the IndyCar series. ABC signs a four-year deal to continue its telecast of the Indianapolis 500, which the network has broadcast for 44 consecutive years, as well as four other IndyCar races. At the same time, Versus signs a 10-year deal to telecast at least 13 other races. The agreement brings the IRL about $10M per year in rights fees, which nearly matches what the series had been collecting from ABC/ESPN. The new deals take effect next year and essentially wipe out the final year of the deal IRL had with the Disney Networks. Clearly, ABC wanted to hold onto the Indy 500, which remains one of the most prestigious properties in motorsports. However, IRL execs must be thrilled by the increased exposure that Versus is promising, including vast increases in IRL programming and extensive pre- and postrace coverage.