COPPER HILL, VA :: Streaming video coverage of races gained momentum on Wednesday with the official announcement of the launch of FansChoice.tv. The joint venture between the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is just the latest in a growing revolution that is bringing streaming media front and center in the sports world.
Not even 10 years ago, streaming video was rare in execution. NASCAR.com’s TrackPass was revolutionary for that reason. For a small monthly fee, fans could listen to scanner feeds for drivers, monitor the race with live on-screen telemetry or even listen to the Motor Racing Network (MRN) audio feed. Other media outlets had experimented with it. However, the past five years or so have seen a shift in momentum. The world is more connected and more digital than ever and motorsports leagues have hopped on board with it.
“The internet has become this generation’s printing press not only for written words, but also other creative media like video and sound,” RACE22.com contributor Tony Stevens, who has worked with numerous multimedia ventures, said. “The technology has existed for quite a few years, but getting it to be affordable and usable by the average viewer and end-user has been the sticking point, just like other forms of technology. With so many internet service providers upping their bandwidth allocations, it’s easier than ever for internet users to experience streaming video quality equal to that of their cable and satellite television providers. Much like social media and news websites, this is the future of racing coverage. The best promoters, sanctioning bodies and tracks will find ways to embrace it and use it to their benefit.”
Online video streaming has been attempted in the recent past by ARCA, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and the now-defunct United Auto Racing Association (UARA). The World of Outlaws has done streaming media for years through DirtVision.com. NASCAR’s Peak Antifreeze Series events have been streamed on PSRtv.com and MRN.com since last season. XSAN.tv, formed in 2010, has become one of the premier sites for video streaming covering everything from dirt racing, snocross, motocross and grassroots pavement racing across the country.
“A good friend of mine started Dirtvision about 10 years ago before selling it off to his in-laws’ company, World Racing Group, and the idea was just taking shape back then,” Stevens stated. “Dirtvision does a great job focusing on major DirtCar and World of Outlaws events, and XSAN.tv covers a large portion of racing all around the country. I’m biased, but until this new FansChoice.tv, I believe XSAN has been the most popular, content-rich and diverse racing-themed provider in the business. One night on XSAN it could be IMCA dirt modifieds in California, and then the next day you’re watching the Mischa Sell Memorial from Ace Speedway, immediately followed by a snocross race in Minnesota the same night. It’s really a cool experience.
“The biggest hurdle any provider faces to secure events is a business model that is sensible and beneficial, even profitable, for everyone involved. Big events cost money to do correctly from a production standpoint, and also from a right-to-air perspective. Dirtvision’s model makes sense for them, XSAN’s has proven to be wildly successful by the response of fans, tracks, and sanctioning bodies, and I’m sure that once things get rolling after this latest announcement about NASCAR’s new partnership, their new venture will be another popular way fans can enjoy racing at the various tiers of the sport for years to come. If people can’t find racing to watch across these various platforms, well, they probably aren’t much of a race fan.“
Now, NASCAR is going all-in on video streaming. Along with coverage of AMA motorcycle racing and IMSA sports car racing, the new FansChoice.tv website will stream select NASCAR K&N Pro Series events and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events that aren’t televised on FOX Sports 1 or NBCSN (which picks up television rights in 2015). FansChoice.tv will also air NASCAR Whelen All American Series events at select venues.
Langley Speedway, Evergreen Speedway and Lake County Speedway have all signed on to have races shown on FansChoice.tv. Langley Speedway’s promoter, Chuck Hall, understands the value of streaming media. Hall, who used to work in radio, has a radio studio set up at the track and already carries live audio streams of their races online.
“Langley’s one of the inaugural tracks in the country to provide this service to our fans. I think it’s a great opportunity to showcase what a lot of folks have heard about Langley Speedway but not had an opportunity to come first hand to visit our track. I think it gives a great visual. It’s a visual impact for motorsports and for Langley Speedway. We’re excited about the opportunity to be one of the three tracks selected in advance and I think this will open up an opportunity to increase the fan base across the country, not just for Langley but for all the NASCAR tracks and series participating in this program.”
The streaming media revolution is only moving forward at full speed. Wednesday’s landmark announcement not only strengthens that revolution, but also stands to strengthen short track racing as a whole by providing exposure fans of short track racing has sought from the internet and from television for years.
