February 24, 2009
by Stephen M. Lepore

We don’t think there was anyone in hockey that saw the VERSUS acquisition of most of the newly-unified Indy Racing League season as a negative thing. We always feel that, as long as it doesn’t take out any of hockey’s airtime, it’s gotta be a positive thing for the network to acquire more sports properties and get it into the vernacular of the average Joe the TV watcher.
Well, VERSUS has planned it’s initial IRL coverage, and according to John Ourand of SportsBusinessJournal (reg. required, and tip of the hat to John for letting us use excerpts from it) it’s quite… err… extravagant:
Versus has finalized IRL programming plans that will see the Comcast-owned network devote at least seven hours a week to the racing league.
For its first season covering IRL races, Versus is committed to carrying 130 hours, starting next month with four hourlong specials and ramping up in May with extended coverage around the Indianapolis 500.
During the IRL season, Versus will carry a one-hour preview show the day before each race and an hour of prerace coverage on race day. It has a three-hour window ready for each of the 12 races to which it holds the rights. The day after an IRL race, Versus plans a three-hour programming block that will include Firestone Indy Lights events and encores of Versus’ IndyCar Series races.
130 hours a year? 7-8 hours a week? Hell, during the regular season, the NHL gets an average of six hours tops. In addition to that, IndyCar will air four one-hour specials on the IRL (one dedicated to Danica Patrick) to get people ready for the season. Where were these when the NHL was debuting on what was then OLN? Why is VERSUS devoting more time to a sport it pay $6.7 million a year on average than to one it pays $70 million a year to, and which it gets most of it’s “mainstream” notoriety from?
While we’re usually on the VERSUS side, we have to question them at times like these. Still hoping for the third game a week, guys…
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