Y’all knew that one was Ah-Comin’, didn’t Yuhs? Now
where’s Foghorn Leghorn, I Say, I Say?
First ‘n Foremost, suppose I should remind
Y’all that I’m apparently a card carrying member of les Miserables, Wee-Wee…
As its old news now that the FOX Corporation
has acquired one third ownership in Penske Entertainment, i.e.; IndyCar, the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions.
And that FOX is excited to bring Innovation to
IndyCar’s, Supercharge its potential, Make its Drivers and IndyCar Household
names, along with telling us great stories about the Sport All year round…
As some of that’s
true. And let’s just same some I’ve Embellished upon…
Overall, I’m really not sure what to make about
this surprising development that “Dropped” on Thursday, July 31st.
funniest bit in the press release is the quote
from El Capitano’, nee Roger Penske or simply RP’. About the long-standing
trust and shared vision for the future in this partnership with FOX is
perplexing to Mwah…
Hang on uno momento, how do you have
long-standing trust with a company; Err Corporation you haven’t even been
working with for one year?
But now they’re tied at the Hip and FOX will be
helping to guarantee energizing IndyCar’s future, Spew! Can Y’all say Rucky
Dawgs’ and Checkers or Wreckers, Yeehaw! Or Playoffs and All Star race?
Why not
incorporate ‘Ol Uncle Bernaughty’s desire for sprinklers on-track at F1
circuits? Or scheduling races during the afternoon’s Monsoons, eh?
As FOX started off this new relationship
swimmingly Y’all! As I’d had no clue what the “Programming” Delay was during
the Portland IndyCar race, when the start was delayed 15mins.
Having subsequently learned via David Land that
many Folks in TV Land were rightly peeved with FOX! Having bumped IndyCar over
to FS1 as the Live Golf match went long, Four!
Along with some local FOX Affiliates dropping
the race entirely. Most notably Chicago, where David Malukas and Dale Coyne
Racing Hail from. In favour of a Chicago Bears NFL Pre-season game instead!
Uhm, let that sink in Y’all, BARF!
Along with FOX gaining a multi-year
broadcasting rights extension, I doubt the season’s calendar will expand
anytime soon, i.e.; begin sooner or end later, since FOX has the Day-Toner’ 500
and Football bookending IndyCar’s take it or leave it schedule…
Another entertaining part of this acquisition
is how the whole FOX airing the entire season on Network TV was supposed to
increase viewership; hopefully to one million viewers average outside the Indy
500 race. Yet FOX is actually averaging less than NBC did.
As FOX had its sixth consecutive broadcast of
less than 800,000 viewers at Laguna Seca, and I couldn’t see how this trend
doesn’t continue for the Portland broadcasts. Which it did, dropping from 734k
to 708k viewers, whilst no idea how Milwaukee did?
Still not sure how FOX is going to “energize”
IndyCar going forwards? Or how their metrics claim a 31% increased growth for
year over year broadcasting?
On the positive side, selling a third of Penske
Entertainment perceivably shores up its weakest link, i.e.; marketing and
promotion of the series. But the other strange comment from FOX CEO Eric
Shanks, which I heard on David Land’s Youtube Channel. Was about the potential
for “Storytelling” of IndyCar year round, Say What?
How do you do that when your Hyper-energized
racing series is Hibernating for Half the Freakin’ year? Having already begun
its long winter’s slumber before Labour Day, Chirp-Chirp, Bueller?
What little I’ve read and listened via Podcast
on FOX becoming a vested partner in IndyCar, tends to make me believe that
Roger will never sell IMS. And wishes to keep in the “Family” for generations
to come. And with a 66% controlling interest, that sounds feasible to Mwah for
the time being. But who knows, Eh?
As I “See” this basically as a way for Roger to
insert a “Poison Pill” into others trying to buy Penske Entertainment into the
future, along with getting somebody to do the marketing work His team is
Failing at currently…
Since as Marshall Pruett notes, FOX now has a
vested interest financially to make the series grow, in order to please its
Shareholders, and their bottom lines.
My only question is what happens if FOX decides
its not going well and wishes to divest itself from IndyCar in the future?
Although I’d guess there would be some sort of buyout clauses in their
contract?
Now I’ve gotta go find my Coastal.com Tristan Turbo’ Vautier Cheap Sunglasses from Mother speedway, cause’ the Futures so Bright!
