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Motorsport

Motorsport

IndyCar returns on free-to-air in Australia for the first time in 15 years, but only through one-hour highlights on 9Go

by Sports Benches

It’s been a long time coming since an American motorsports series such as IndyCar were last shown on Free to Air in Australia in 2008 on the Seven Network, after these open-wheelers no longer race on the streets of Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast, Queensland.

There was also every race in Champ Car/IndyCar back then for the North American races other than the Gold Coast, having been tape-delayed on Tuesday mornings at 12 am/1 am either on Nine or Ten. Although both networks did cover the annual Indianapolis 500 race live through the 1990s and early 2000s.

Fifteen years on, the Nine Network brought it back this time as one-hour highlights of every race on Thursday 2-3 pm via their digital channel 9Go. It comes after their subscription streaming partner, Stan Sport, who recently snatched the Australian IndyCar TV rights off Fox Sports/Kayo, will air every practice, qualifying, and race, live without ads and on-demand.

And fans will not have to wait long now to subscribe and tune in to Stan Sport for tomorrow’s season-opener at a Street Circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida, 4 am AEDT.

We would’ve loved to see Nine simulcast the annual Indy 500 live with Stan Sport on 9Gem in late May, but then not many people here will stay up all night & watch it in the early hours of Monday AM. The only way Nine will air an IndyCar race live is if the IndyCars return for a weekend racing here like they did in the past, but someone local has to promote it where none of them are willing to take this step forward any time soon.

For now, it’s great to hear fellow Aussie Leigh Diffey commentating for host broadcaster NBC Sports throughout the 2022 IndyCar season, including the Indianapolis 500, both on Stan Sport and 9Go.

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Motorsport

Thoughts on Stan Sport who just expanded their motorsports content into two-wheel racing

by Sports Benches

It looks like Stan Sport is increasing their motorsports content when they’re now into the two-wheel world of motorcycle racing, in addition to a catalogue of four-wheel offerings through IndyCar, ARG SpeedSeries, Formula E, World Rally Championship and World Endurance Championship.

They will be streaming every race live, ad-free and on-demand of the Australian Superbike Championships plus two other Motorcross series, such as the brand new ProMx competition being held here domestically and the FIM Motorcross World Championship.

There’s no word yet on whether the Australian Superbike Championship will get some free-to-air treatment like the ARG SpeedSeries, with one race live and the rest being one-hour highlight shows on 9Gem.

However, SBS is expected to be the free-to-air partner of the ProMx competition in an announcement next week, where their agreement with Motorcycling Australia began last year, according to motoonline.com.au. It’s a little strange here since Nine owns Stan, when some of the Stan Sport content they own is being simulcast via their free-to-air channels either on the Nine Network or 9Gem.

It would be great if Nine can have a 1-3 pm Sunday time-filler by showing a mix of motorsport disciplines before Sunday Afternoon football of NRL, having lost the Netball rights recently to Fox Sports/Kayo. But then it’s second-tier sports content which is why the possible Stan Sport & SBS media partnership with ProMX is understandable.

Lots of motorsport competition between the networks is heating up there, as we’ll wait and see what Stan Sport/Nine and Fox Sports has to offer when it comes to the next Formula 1 TV rights renewal for the Australian market later this year.

When it will start?

  • FIM Motorcross Championship, Sunday February 20 from Matterley Basin in Winchester, England
  • Australian Superbike Championship, Friday to Sunday on February 25-27 from Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria
  • ProMX Championship, Sunday March 27 from Wonthaggi, Victoria
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Motorsport

2022 ARG SpeedSeries, Day 1 Review of AWC Race Tasmania across TCR Australia, S5000 & Trans-Am at Symmons Plains Raceway

by Sports Benches

What a way to kick off Saturday afternoon of motorsport with Race 1 of the S5000 category in the AWC Race Tasmania at Symmons Plains Raceway, nice to see James Golding dominate through practice and qualifying where he started from pole position but it’s Joey Mawson, who dominated this one from start to finish for Team BRM.

It’s also brilliant to see Cooper Webster’s mum cheer on her son from the garage. He produced a great drive for Versa Motorsport on-track in 4th behind Tim Slade, as he’s 17-18 right now while juggling with another job working at McDonald’s, according to Richard Craill on commentary. Not only he has a great chance to be on the podium or winning tomorrow for Race 2 & 3, but also a bright future ahead wherever he goes.

Then we move into the Trans-Am where it was a race filled with yellows, such as a few spins into the gravel, a fire on the grass with 10 laps to go and a race-ending wreck after Tim Shaw was collected into the wall by Nic Carroll.

We did see some good moments though with Tim Brook’s stellar start to 1st spot in the No.38 Ford Mustang for Wall Racing, having held it comfortably even though he almost lost the lead at one point & made a remarkable recovery through the tricky hairpin on the Lap 8 restart of 22.

And we wrapped up Day 1 of the AWC Race Tasmania season-opener with the TCR Australia cars on display when 18-year-old Jay Hanson won his first-ever race in an Audi for MPC Racing, Love how he instantly overtook Polesitter Nathan Morcom as soon as the race began under green before Hanson extended his lead and held top spot comfortably caution-free until the end with the win.

Plus credit to Josh Buchan on his P2 finish ahead of team-mate Morcom in a Hyundai for HMO Customer Racing, when a decent qualifying run in 4th gave him ample time to nail down a podium spot.

There’s also another special mention to Michael Caruso in the No.10 Alfa Romeo Giulietta for Ashley Seward Motorsport, he too may have missed practice and qualifying over a power steering issue but what a remarkable recovery from the back end of the grid to 12th after Race 1 thanks to a caution-free spell & the way he manages his use of tyres count under green. There’s more to come from Caruso tomorrow both as a driver and also on-air as an analyst when not racing TCR on Nine/Stan’s ARG SpeedSeries coverage, he’s a man of many talents.

Plenty of bright youngsters making a name of themselves today against predominately experienced entries through the field, looking forward to the 2nd and final day of the season-opener weekend tomorrow.

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Motorsport

Thoughts on Stan Sport and Nine Network acquiring more motorsport on Australian Racing Group’s SpeedSeries

by Sports Benches

Huge progress from Stan Sport and the Nine Network today with their Motorsports content, not only they added Formula E last week in addition to IndyCar, World Rally Championship & World Endurance Championship but they also just secured the Australian Racing Group’s SpeedSeries competition.

But it won’t be the same though unlike previous TV deals with SBS and Seven Network, when all seven races throughout 2022 will be behind a paywall on Stan Sport. Meanwhile, Nine will air the opening race live at Symmons Plains in Tasmania next weekend alongside one-hour highlights shows a week later after every round.

It’s good news if you’re a Motorsports fan willing to pay $20 a month for all of the auto racing/motoring content Stan can offer that includes a new season of same day Top Gear episodes. However, not only they will have to wait one week to watch the remaining round’s highlights for free but even though some subscribed to Stan Sport, they may have to fork out another $25 a month at Kayo for Formula 1, Supercars & MotoGP.

Then there’s the beauty of competition in a bid to try and boost subscribers when the Formula 1 rights are up for renewal at the end of this year in Australia, Kayo/Foxtel have been reported several times as the winner to extend their contract that goes back to 2015 with Network 10 but it’s still not official just yet.

If Nine/Stan managed to beat Foxtel for the Formula 1 rights, it will work out a similar mix of free and paid content model such as every race live on Stan plus the Australian Grand Prix and a few selected races simulcasted on Nine.

For now, Motorsport is back on Nine since the World Rally Championship was previously there during the Australian Round a few years ago.

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Other Sports

What does the exclusive multi-year renewal of the MotoGP rights from Fox Sports/Kayo mean for Network 10 in Australia?

by Sports Benches

Image Reference: Box Repsol via Wikipedia, 16/5/21

Fox Sports/Kayo have retained the MotoGP broadcast rights in Australia for another few seasons during a press release early yesterday, but this time it’s under an exclusive deal through free and paid content.

That marks the end of Network Ten’s relationship with the sport as their Free to Air partner after 24 years when they first acquired the rights from the Nine Network back in 1997 & will still air eight Premier Class events left (Live) on 10Bold until the end of 2021.

Although there is a possibility that Network 10 could still the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as part of the government’s anti-siponing laws that must be available for Free, but they will need to deal with Fox Sports/Kayo first rather than Dorna Sports, the sports’ commercial rights holder.

As it stands, Network 10 will only have one motorsports product after this year which is the Formula 1 with every round as highlights & one live race at home (not happening this year due to COVID).

Now these rights are also up for renewal at the end of 2022 in conjunction with Fox Sports/Kayo with no comment made at this stage but they have recently changed their sports strategy after the exclusive acquisition of Australian Soccer that will be available on their own Paramount + subscription for the majority as well as a game every week on 10.

So it’s probably unlikely from my assumption that 10 will just keep airing MotoGP as a one-off event at home alongside a shared paid TV partner, the same goes for Nine who launched Stan Sport as their paid OTT service earlier this year which leaves either Seven or SBS as the frontrunners for the annual Australian GP package.

It’s been great seeing Daryl Beattie provide his take on MotoGP for many years after he finished his professional riding career as well as the late Barry Sheene beforehand, plus there’s a couple of hosts to thank ranging from Bill Woods, Greg Rust, Mark Howard & at present until the end of this year both Sam Charlwood & Scott Mackinnon.

We will miss their contribution to MotoGP after the loss of Supercars & RPM at the end of last year with Formula 1 set to follow if not renewed, but there’s a bright future on 10 Sport when it comes to the Melbourne Cup, Soccer & potentially other products that can provide exclusivity on its own paid/free services.

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