Versus Not Focusing Tour De France Coverage On Lance's Comeback
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Versus Says Armstrong's Return To Tour De
France Will Only Be Part Of Its Coverage |
Versus execs pledge that Lance Armstrong's return to the Tour de France will not turn into 24/7 coverage of the seven-time tour winner. While Armstrong is still expected to be the focus for much of Versus' 250 hours of Tour de France coverage, Versus plans to spend a lot of time with other racers, as well. "We will not be just iso-Lance," said Versus President Jamie Davis. "It's an epic event. We want to cover the entire race." That's not to say that Armstrong will be invisible during Versus' telecasts. The channel plans to kick off its tour coverage with a one-hour special on the cyclist's career. The special is scheduled for July 4 at 8:30am ET, which will lead into the race's first day. Now in its ninth consecutive year of covering the race, Versus is planning new wrinkles in this year's telecast. For the first time, the entire race will be available in HD. Last year, none of Versus' telecasts were in HD. And Versus is switching its primetime show to focus less on highlights from the day and more on features of the riders and the towns through which they ride. Versus also plans to bring a locker-room feel to the race, placing a camera inside the bus of U.S. cycling team Garmin-Slipstream. The camera will give the telecasts a glimpse of team meetings and strategy. The network also is planning a big online push, with more highlights and daily podcasts. Part of its online initiative is a partnership with MapMyRide.com. Web site visitors key in routes they ride and the times they ride them. Then based on the route and the time, the Web site determines how well the user would fare in various tour stages (John Ourand, SportsBusiness Journal).
BUZZ BUILDING: MEDIAPOST's Wayne Friedman reported Versus' "big marketing plans for its Tour de France coverage this year ... are anticipated to dramatically improve viewers' results versus a year ago." Versus Exec VP/Programming, Production & Business Operations Marc Fein: "The buzz is out there, which is good for us." Friedman noted specific Armstrong-related efforts include Versus "airing 10 consecutive one-hour shows highlighting his biggest stage performances," and General Mills sponsoring a "series of 'Lance Moments' throughout the race for its Nature Valley Granola Bar." Other advertising and marketing efforts will include Nike "doing a 'Chalk Bot' promotion, where TV viewers can twitter messages they want to see written on the roads of the Tour de France." Meanwhile, GM will sponsor a "Ride of Your Life" sweepstakes, and American Honda, Hampton Inns and bicycle manufacturer Cervelo also will be "major Versus/Tour advertisers" (MEDIAPOST.com, 6/26).
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