New WRC TV coverage for 2011

[rv65]

This service is inteded for Hardcore fans of the WRC. So if you like proper rally coverage, you'll have to stare for hours at your computer screen, unless you hook up a PC to your TV.

[rv65]

Sport 1 will have 3 day coverage of Rally Deutschland, plus power stage and "shakedown" coverage. Shakedown is probably some boring preview of the event and such. Sport1 will even air 1 hour highlights after the event has finished. Similar to ESPN, but I can't guarantee if there will be soccer interruptions or not. I have no idea on why I like to report on Soccer1, but it seems interesting, how little variety they have. They do cover F1 training and stuff like that, when they aren't playing boring soccer. I don't know how people can handle boring things like soccer. MotoGP is probably the most interesting thing on Soccer1, maybe not.

Of course this new Live IPTV service will most likely be blocked in Germany, where Soccer1 thinks viewers aren't good enough for it.

HDTheater will have similar coverage via Tape Delay. In the next few months, they will become Velocity. It will still be an HD network, but just with a different name. I hope Velocity offers WRC on demand, which would be nice.

[rv65]

Rally France will be the first WRC event to have IPTV. It's only a test to see if it works or not.

[rv65]

Velocity will likely continue to carry WRC for the US market. The promo for the network showed WRC clips a few times, so it must be doing ok for them. Speed2 does show the IRC, but no liveTV, and only certain people can watch it. Unless you have the Sports pack for Time Warner Cable, you can't watch it. It requires a Time Warner ID, and I'm sure Europe might consider this authentication system, to stop those with offshore anonymous VPN's from accessing their content.

[rv65]

Here are some acronyms I use.

OTT = Over the Top aka your internet connection
IPTV = Internet Protocol TV or TV using an internet connection (OTT) or a secure payTV system that uses IP

[rv65]

Rally France will have most stages live, for free on wrc.com

[rv65]

http://wrc.com/news/wrc-to-pilot-live-w ... ?fid=15432

Information on live WRC TV for Rally France. Not sure if US and Germans can watch it. I'm sure it's filtered by IP address. It's from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM France time on Friday. Saturday will be from 12:45 PM to 7:30 PM. English and French commentary will be available. Enjoy!

[rv65]

Monte will be broadcasted live next year, though not on TV. You must go on the WRC paywall site and watch it online. There are ways to hookup a PC to a TV, if you would like to watch it over a larger screen. I've also heard of premium content next year. I'm sure this IPTV coverage is what got Monte to accept a deal with WRC and not IRC. Online live coverage probably was good enough for Monte instead of the Eurosport IRC feed.

[rv65]

Dirk Hollbeg, suggests that WRC needs FTA in order to get more viewers.

[rv65]

http://www.converssport.com/news/eight-months-nos

Sounds like coverage has increased, but that is not the case if you live in Germany. In America it has gotten better, albeit it is delayed. NOS will expand live coverage of the WRC for some rallies, but there is a possibility for all the rounds to have live coverage. That is the goal of both NOS and the FiA. I'm sure the Monte will be aired live in addition to the power stage. WRC still needs FTA in order to reach new viewers, but ESPN's deal expires next year, so who knows what will happen. Discovery could continue on with WRC on the Velocity channel. After all, they carry the Isle of Man TT which is promoted by NOS, so WRC is a possibility.

[ChrisB]

Sounds like coverage has increased, but that is not the case if you live in Germany.

For what I see with my own eyes it certainly has not increased in Germany. I don't know, is the rights for this stuff still too cheap? There seemed a vague light at the end of the tunnel, when after years of no coverage at the start of 2011 Sport1 announced a deal. However it got less and less as the year progressed, even though it was already a poor start. Evening round up were never longer than 5min and they stopped showing power stages some time mid season. In the last events coverage was virtually non-existant.

How about UK, do they have anyone showing it?

I think Monte should return to IRC for them to show how it is done proper!

[rv65]

UK gets their coverage on ESPN which is a premium channel. It is the same coverage as OneHD and Velocity (Discovery USA). It is the coverage used by pirates and then posted on youtube. ESPN is a one year deal, but there are people who want FTA coverage. People who want FTA coverage include Dirk Hollbeg (Mini's motorsport chief) and Gerard Quinn.

[ChrisB]

Ah, interesting, why Gerard Quinn, wehn Ford isn't there next year?

Dirk Hollbeg, have heard of him. Must be an English guy. As the German media say they would show something in sports if there is German involvement. About every key personal at Mini outside Prodrive is German, Ford is by many German journalists regarded as German, VW announces WRC stuff, yet no chance, Backham's wife's diet is more important in the national sports headlines.

[AndyRAC]

The ESPN Live Power Stage for RallyGB pulled in 17,000 viewers....
Whereas the LiveGoldenStage in Cyprus pulled in 109,000.......

The ESPN deal simply hasn't worked......

[RonSkoda]

The ESPN Live Power Stage for RallyGB pulled in 17,000 viewers....
Whereas the LiveGoldenStage in Cyprus pulled in 109,000.......

The ESPN deal simply hasn't worked......

Just to stress, those figures are for the UK.

To be honest I'm suprised they were as high as 17,000 for ESPN. I haven't even considered paying for their coverage this year and haven't watched any WRC on tv since Finland.

[rv65]

Snooker, which is a dead sport in the UK got over 6 million viewers. Not bad for a dying sport.

[rv65]

http://www.facebook.com/WorldRallyRadio

Eurosport and Sky are interested in buying the WRC, after the CSI fiasco. If Sky buys it, then there will probably be minimal FTA coverage. At least there will be HD. Of course everyone including ChrisB are probably wanting Eurosport to buy it. With WRC planning live coverage next year, this will be great for EuroSport. Now if only Eurosport could upgrade those cameras to HD ones. At least Sky will bring HD coverage and maybe they could do a good job.

Then again, a really nice group of people on Youtube uploaded the BBC Wales coverage of Rally GB and it has Mark James, who also did the BBC season reviews of the 90's. Those 90's season reviews are quite good compared to WRC coverage today.

[ChrisB]

Yes, saw some of them, and Mark James is excellent! In contrast to EuroSport Germany commentators, who are good enough for a stand up comedy show at best.

I do hope that EuroSport buys it. Sky will be a nightmare for me! I know Sky from when I lived in the UK and I was totally over the moon when it was announced Sky is coming to Germany. And then was disappointed when it turned out Sky Germany has got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Sky UK program, but show exactly the same soccer that is shown on 27 other channels already! What is the f-ing point of a new TV station that shows exactly the same as we already have on many other channels? But they do. If Sky buys WRC it will not be shown globally, in contrast to EuroSport, where you can see it globally, only have to press the mute button in some countries.

[rv65]

This is how WRC onboards should be done!