IRL TV Deal Worth Combined $10M Per Year, But Is It A Good Move?

Writers Debate IRL's Deal To Appear On Versus

Versus is paying $6.7M per year for its portion of the new 10-year IRL TV rights deal, while ABC/ESPN is paying $4.2M annually for its five-race package, according to a source (John Ourand, THE DAILY). In DC, Tim Lemke reports Versus' package contains an "opportunity for the league to share more revenue in the later years of the deal." IRL CEO Tony George said of Versus, "(We're) bringing in a new partner into this mix going forward that will give us the opportunity to expand our coverage, create some new programming that we haven't really seen in the past, (and) really to help us become a focal point of their new and growing platform." Lemke writes it "would appear that IRL is essentially following a similar path to the NHL" in breaking away from ESPN to sign a contract with Versus, and IRL officials said that they "looked at the NHL deal as a model" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 8/8). In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin reports Versus has "committed to extra shows in May and for the [Indianapolis Motor] Speedway's three-year Centennial Celebration, as well as an advertising campaign that network officials called 'robust.'" George: "I think we're looking to grow our property and the best way to do that is to get more programming out there across more platforms. And certainly Versus offers us a great opportunity" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/8).

ROAD TO NOWHERE? In Milwaukee, Dave Kallmann writes the way the IRL and Versus "spin it, their deal for the next 10 years is the classic win-win," but cynics "might look at it another way." Races will move from the "undisputed go-to source for all things sport to the television home for the World Extreme Cagefighting and the [PBR] tour." However, George said, "I don't think we're going to be totally devoid of a presence on ESPN" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/8). In a separate piece, Kallmann wrote it is "hard to see how a post-unification series with potential to grow can benefit from moving from the go-to source for most sports fans (ESPN/ESPN2) to the smaller, younger home of bull riding, cycling, cage-fighting and (gasp) the [NHL] that's further down the dial" (JSONLINE.com, 8/7). In Orlando, Matt Humphrey wrote "nothing says your sport has reached unwatchable status more than Versus. ... What a sad day for fans of what used to be major American open-wheel racing" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 8/7).