SPEED Channel to offer on-demand video

SPEED Channel has reached an agreement with NASCAR to make several NASCAR programs available to VOD audiences under the title SPEED NASCAR TV On Demand, it was announced by Kevin Annison, SPEED Channel VP of Business Development and Operations and Mike Hopkins, SVP, Affiliate Sales for Fox Cable Networks.

Beginning July 25, subscribers of Comcast ON DEMAND and Time Warner Cable On Demand, among other regional operators, will have access to this newly dubbed "fast-turn" product. Building on the growing interest in next-day sports highlights on demand, SPEED Channel and Fox Cable Networks will step up by providing VOD consumers on Mondays an in-depth review of what happened in the world of NASCAR racing in the past week via SPEED's NASCAR Race Rewind, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Beyond the Wheel.

"SPEED Channel has been working hard over the last year to increase its VOD offerings," Annison said. "SPEED On Demand is available to nearly 10 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, and we believe adding NASCAR to the list of programs available will significantly grow the network's VOD viewership."

"VOD is a platform that NASCAR is looking into actively and this test run with SPEED Channel will help us begin to formulate our long-term strategy," said Dick Glover, Vice President of Broadcasting and New Media for NASCAR Digital Entertainment.

As part of the deal, SPEED Channel will unveil three initial content packages: ·

• NASCAR Race Rewind -- A fast-paced, 10-minute, highlight show from the weekend's NASCAR events, including race analysis and interviews with the NEXTEL Cup Series, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series participants.
• NASCAR Victory Lane -- Hour-long, NASCAR post-game show with race highlights, analysis and interviews with key players on location from Victory Lane each weekend.
• NASCAR Beyond the Wheel -- Unprecedented access provides a unique perspective on each week's NEXTEL Cup race, as wired team members, pre- and post-race interviews and unique camera work -- including a 16mm high-speed "storytelling" camera -- brings fans closer to the sport than ever before.

SPEED Channel currently offers up to 20 hours a month of VOD programming, with popular titles like American Muscle Car, 5th Gear, World's Greatest Auto Shows, Victory by Design as well as racing from the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), AMA and Monster Jam.

In addition to carriage by Comcast, Time Warner and other regional operators in the U.S., SPEED on Demand also is available on Rogers Cable and Shaw Cable Systems in Canada. Additional carriage deals are being negotiated in multiple markets.