In order to bring fans live television coverage of races, the broadcasts must be sponsored. Credit: Autostock

Making sponsors, fans happy at the same time

I'm about to do something very, very unpopular: I'm going to defend the network broadcast producers of NASCAR races. That's right: the folks responsible for ensuring all those commercials make air.

	MARTY SMITH •   E-mail Marty •   Opinion Archive

Granted, it's much simpler to trash them. There is no bigger drag to the viewer than the mind-numbing interruption of his speed fix. Thank heaven for TiVo. (Which is another column entirely: I know nothing about Joyce Julius ratings, but I think NASCAR team sponsorships will continue to build value as more and more households get TiVo, and thus become more apt to zip right through commercial breaks.)

The networks aren't naïve. They understand that. And in their defense, racing is unquestionably the most difficult sport to put on television.

While its stick and ball brethren offer guaranteed stoppages of play, racing just keeps on rolling like Fred Durst. No timeouts. No designated time clock. No periods or quarters or halftimes.

But the advertisers must still receive the representation for which they pay, meaning someone has to make the dreaded call -- go to commercial.

Invariably something is missed, be it an accident and/or its ensuring pit stops, a lead change or any fashion of other possibilities. Attempts by the networks to cut back in immediately after the fact don't seem to satisfy the insatiable appetite of the NASCAR fan.

There is no easy remedy, it seems. Everyone appreciates the side-by-side format used by ABC during Indy Racing League broadcasts, but that's simply not an option in NASCAR. The broadcast rights dynamics are polar opposites:

According to industry television sources, whereas FOX and NBC/TNT must pay NASCAR for the rights to broadcast its races, IndyCar must, in fact, pay ABC.

IRL races are glorified ad-buys, so they can afford to work with preexisting partners to offer the side-by-side coverage.

It's a wonderful concept, but again, not currently applicable to NASCAR.

In Tuesday's Last Lap mailbag I suggested what I felt could be a viable solution -- a scrolling information ticker that remained atop the screen during commercial breaks. Seems a bit outlandish, but could serve as a happy medium between hither and yon.

I might be onto something. Surprisingly, the idea was well-received.

Rob: That's a brilliant idea -- a ticker that doesn't stop for commercials. I'm drooling! I'm really tired of not knowing what is happening on the track because of the commercials. I'd vote yes a million times over.

Part of the idea was to add a nonstop information bar to the scrolling lineup ticker, somewhat like CNN or ESPN runs during their newscasts.

That would serve to keep the viewer informed during the break, and possibly even satisfy advertisers as a method of keeping viewers in seats -- and on their network -- when the event breaks to commercial. (Of course, NASCAR.COM TrackPass serves this purpose well, but not everyone has that.)

Because right now, commercial break means bathroom break, beer break, bratwurst break. And at this time of year, it means NASCAR's worst nightmare -- switching over to the NFL.

The ticker may not be the answer. There may not even be an answer. But one thing seems certain: As broadcast rights fees increase, commercials will, too.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.