re: 2024 NASCAR Season Thread

RFK announcing the next Stage 60 driver tomorrow. Looks like Cam Waters from the v8s will make his Cup debut. I think Sonoma will have 2 v8 supercar regulars.

Cam Waters in the RFK 60 and Will Brown in the RCR 33. Brown appears to be taking the place of Brodie Kostecki this weekend. Kostecki has said he is not coming to the states after the drama between him and his team Erebus this offseason.

quote:

---

It's funny how they're so hell bent on "incentivizing" the regular season...

---

I don't hate the idea of a new take on the Winston Million, but of course, this has to be a convoluted three-race seeding process for a 32 car tournament just because.

This seems like the brainchild of some yuppie douchebag exec at WB Discovery, and NASCAR is going along with it for the sake of the broadcast deal.

quote:

---

I don't mins it, kind of looks like it will be similar to the Xfinity dash for cash. Non-points bearing, but a $1MM check for the winner. Will use the 3 Amazon races for seeding drivers 1-32 and then have an 'elimination' style tournament over 5 weeks where the drivers will have head-to-head matchups culminating with the winner taking home $1MM. I like it.

---

I think they are trying to get fans to sign ip for the pay races.

Stupid imo. For me once they go to the pay races this summer I’ll not be watching. Will take in Cup Lite and trucks and use the cup time to do other things. I may not come back afterwards, its going to give me time to realize I probably am done being a devoted fan.

My guess is they lose up to 50% of their normal fans when go to pay. These are the most loyal fans what will likely happen is this loses them a lot of fans forever. Its always been in free or cable so fans who wanted to leave could cheat and watch. Now with 6 races on pay only those fans can’t cheat. And they are not signing up either. It will be the last straw for many.

quote:

---

I think they are trying to get fans to sign ip for the pay races.

---

Meh, the actual tournament will be on TNT. So almost everyone will be able to follow it if they don't have prime, unless they really care about seeding races.

If it was all about signing up for prime, they would've put all 5 tournament races on there.

quote:

---

Nascar adding in season tournament, whatever the hell that involves. More gimmicks

---

Eh.

It's a new age Winston Million. I have no issue with it.

Here’s the thing with new pay sites:

In old days you had free TV with commercials. Someone had an idea of creating a cable company and it was ad free. You would pay for it.

Fast forward and of course cable has as many ads as regular.

But since some cable companies were not run well you started to see companies start their own streaming services and get subs fo pay for minor sports or movies. Then they grew to get major sports.

So now they winning bids and getting major sports but requiring you to sign up for their own sub.

Whats happening and will continue is viewers will need to continue to sign up for many sites to see their sports. And then their prices will skyrocket due to winning major sports.

And in the end the cost will be higher than what cable used to be.

Think of it this way. Walmart can have great prices due to volume and sharing admin fees. These pay sites are stand alone and their costs are higher due to less volume than cable. In the end viewers will pay much higher prices for the same viewing that used to be on cable. Its happening but the streamers don’t see it yet, but some are. When you have 10 different bills and add them up and realize its way higher than the cable concept. But then its too late as cable can’t carry those pay sites.

I just got to point of refusing to sign up and pay for all these separate sites. I lost a NFL game last year in playoffs. And lost the Thu night NFL games. And now Nascar will move 6 races to pay site and I won’t sign up.

What its helping with is slowly weaning me off of the sports. I am realizing I don’t need them and can spend that unspent money of better things. As they keep up I’ll watch less and less sports to the point where I don’t need them at all.

And the pay sites will price fans out eventually. I see it coming but some don’t. Eventually they’ll add up the cost of paying for all of them and realize its too much and cut a few and that means overall viewers go down. And to cover higher costs and fewer viewers those pay sites will jack prices up even more to cover. Its going to hit a tipping point. They are pushing fans away. Commercials help pay but if you reach less viewers then you have to charge less for a company to advertise - and raise rates to cover difference.

I think many Nascar fans are not going to sign ip to watch 6 races. Same for other sports, fans won’t do it. At best if Nascar and other sports got the whole season and playoffs on one pay site fans might. But they are all spread out to different sites that you will have to pay a separate fee for.

So call me old fashioned but I’m not alone. Once fans leave you will never get some back. I think we’re at the tipping point.

I don’t have bad feelings for those willing to pay extra for select races or sports. I’m just not going to do it.

quote:

---

It is. The 90s era Winston Cup had it just right. 5 races for the winston million. No playoffs.

---

They are too busy chasing the fad fans they got in the 00s that are long gone.

quote:

---

What its helping with is slowly weaning me off of the sports. I am realizing I don’t need them and can spend that unspent money of better things. As they keep up I’ll watch less and less sports to the point where I don’t need them at all.

---

Yep, man I remember trying to get Bristol tickets just to get in the race. Now everyone I know from that time can't give them away because no one is as concerned about going. It's sad when Bristol is that way.

quote:

---

Thats the problem with pay sites,, your base is limited to subs only. You can’t grow it as much since no one can watch without having a paid sub. You miss out on getting new fans to the sport since they have to pay.

---

You have to pay for cable, too, and more and more people are getting rid of it.

There are over 150 million estimated prime video subscribers in this country. I'd argue that's exactly where you want your product if you're trying to grow new fans.

quote:

---

You have to pay for cable, too, and more and more people are getting rid of it.

There are over 150 million estimated prime video subscribers in this country. I'd argue that's exactly where you want your product if you're trying to grow new fans.

---

Thing is, you have 1 cable bill. With pay sites you will have 10 or more to get all the sports once it shakes out. When added up the pay sites will far surpass cable.

Thats my opinion where its headed. But its not fixable either. Its too late to put the jeannie back in the bottle. Cable is unable to get those pay sites. So my guess is there will be a net loss in overall sports fans as people review household budgets and see what they’re paying for pay sites. They will cut some.

And pay sites will have a harder time to get new and younger fans due to them being unable to explore random sports without a pay sub. If not exposed to a sport then less future subs. Meaning price increases for existing subs as less viewers means less ad revenue. Pay sites will have to make up for higher costing contracts to get the sports contracts.

If you are a pay site and have certain sports - and if you are outbid for the next contract - then you will lose many paid subs. And have to raise prices to existing ones to get next deal at way higher price.

Anyways, I am not going down that path. And I’m not alone. Many that do will cancel in a year or two. Eventually the leagues will get less money for their sport meaning less money to pay players and so on. We are not there yet but the bubble is coming.

quote:

---

You can do what I do. Download the FS1 app on my phone get my 1 hour free preview. When the hour is up, delete the app and redownload and get another hour. Rinse and repeat until the race is over.

I know one day that they are gonna find a way to put an end to that shite because I can’t be the only person doing it

---

I get FS1 on cable. It’s the pay sites I don’t get.