FanVision has signed a five-year deal with NASCAR that will see its multimedia handsets made available to fans throughout all Sprint Cup Series race weekends. FanVision will rent its third generation controller with a 4.3-inch screen for $59.99 for all 38 races. There will be live broadcasts with multiple camera views, instant replays, live stats, biographies of drivers, track layouts, season results and other information on the device. FanVision COO Tasso Koken said, "If you go to a race or a property, your WiFi doesn't work well. This is a dedicated television service with 10 channels of video and 10 channels of audio. You get a perfect picture at the track." The agreement puts FanVision into NASCAR for the first time. Its predecessor, Kangaroo.TV, previously had an agreement with NASCAR, Sprint and ISC to rent handheld scanners for $49.99 that included video, audio and data capabilities. Sprint opted to discontinue its partnership in the venture after that contract ended in '10. Koken said, "We were all too anxious to enter a relationship with NASCAR directly." The company provides a similar offering at F1 races and some PGA Tour events. The deal was negotiated by Koken and NASCAR Media Group COO Jay Abraham and Managing Dir of Operations Steve Stum.
