Versus offers unprecedented coverage
What does Versus network have that ESPN did not? How about 130 hours of coverage dedicated to the IndyCar Series. The break down you ask? Versus will air at least seven hours of IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights coverage every week in 2009 that there is a race. Versus will also broadcast a one hour preview show the day before a race that will show the practice and qualification highlights and all the stories that are going on that weekend. The Monday after a race Versus will re-broadcast the race in a two hour long window. The network will also air the Firestone Indy Lights races in one hour windows the Monday after the event takes place. The Firestone Indy Lights race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 22 will be aired live as well as the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway. All qualification days in the month of May will also be aired live.
The Firestone Indy Lights alone this season will see more coverage than they have ever seen. This should help promote the drivers, teams, and help with sponsorship for the feeder series to the IndyCar Series. Everything sounds win win and now the Firestone Indy Lights will get the exposure that they deserve.
Versus has clearly put everything on the table and is showing that they want to be here and they want to contribute to the growth of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. I think everyone will be very pleased with the race coverage when the season starts with the first race on the streets of St. Petersburg April 5th.
The programming schedule for St. Petersburg is as follows.
- April 4th 5-7 p.m. Qualifying
- April 5th 2-5 p.m. IndyCar Race
- April 6th 6-7 p.m. Indy Lights race
- April 6th 10-12 p.m. IndyCar Race (re-air)
March 20th, 2009 at 23:45
AMEN!!! I’ll admit I was very skeptical when the Versus deal was first announced last year, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. After so many years of being disrespected by ABC and ESPN (especially since they got NASCAR back), it’s a breath of fresh air to have a network dedicated to helping “grow” the sport of IndyCar racing, and not just airing races when it’s convenient. Other than the Indy 500, it seems like the races are a “nuisance” as much as anything to the Mickey Mouse networks.
The one challenge (at least for a start) will be the profile of Versus. Obviously it’s not as well known as ABC and ESPN, but if they do things right they will grow, along with the series. Qualifying coverage, coverage of the Firestone Indy Lights, and expanded IndyCar race coverage…that’s what has been needed for a long time. Like you said, it’s a win-win situation.