This just in from the "out of the blue" department. ESPN Classic Network will be showing six historic Daytona 500 races starting......this Monday!
This certainly is an interesting twist in the build-up to the Daytona 500, and maybe signals a change in the relationship between ESPN and NASCAR Images. What ESPN Classic is offering is "DVR and TiVo" theater presentations of the races at 2PM Eastern Time on Mondays, starting January 7th.
Fans will be able to vote for their favorite race of the six selected, and then after the Daytona Nationwide Series race airs live on ESPN2, ESPN Classic will air all six of the Daytona 500 races back-to-back in the order chosen by the viewers. Not a bad deal.
This is exactly the type of move that encourages NASCAR fans that ESPN is listening and that NASCAR Images is cooperating in making this sport more high-profile in the off-season.
So, SPEED beings testing coverage on Monday, with almost daily shows through Speedweeks. Now, ESPN Classic will show a race every Monday, with a NASCAR marathon the night before the Daytona 500. Fans can check Jayski.com for the story, and the schedules.
I think we can now officially say the end of the TV off-season is on Monday. Welcome back NASCAR, we kind of missed you.
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And I should care because....???
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm not one of the handful of people that get ESPN Classic. Otherwise, I might have enjoyed viewing these races.
It seems nice...but I don't have ESPN classic and even if I did...I don't have a DVR.
ReplyDeleteWell, since MANY do NOT GET ESPN CLassic, this is a bogus move.
ReplyDeleteI do get CLASSIC but am afraid that if I watch these old GReAT RACES, I will NEVER get the nerve to watch ANY NASCAR show this season. They have all been cluttered up so with so much graphics and CRAP on the screen.
I guess ESPN will run their NAUSEATING TICKER as always at the bottom of the screen during these old showings.
That reminds me, NOBODY REMEMBERED to GRIPE about the PERPETUAL TICKER ESPU KEEPS on the bottom of the racing track.
Also, I think watching THE OLD SHOWS should be homework and MUST SEE VIEWING for all iinvolved in NASCAR BROADCASTING Today.
See the way the races SHOULD be covered...take notes. Realize, less graphics and tickers on the screen, no cross promotion, EQUALS BETTER RACING.
But of course, this will NOT dawn on NASCAR OR PeeSPN.
No "ESPN Classic" here either. Another winning idea from Hollywood, huh? I do receive ESPN/2 though, so at least that part of the festivity works in my household.
ReplyDeletei will watch,all ready know which one will win. Dale Sr. wins Daytona 500.
ReplyDeleteI don't have ESPN Classic.
ReplyDeleteSorry, didn't accept my name.
ReplyDeleteI don't have ESPN Classic.
Lisa Hogan
John, this just might be a tease for us viewers then Nascar will kick us in the teeth eventually.
ReplyDeleteWonder how much chopping & cutting of the rerun races they'll do with their commercials, other sports updates, etc. Bet we don't get to see the whole race! Yeah, like we expected we would.....
ReplyDeleteThe original full-length coverage was probably great, but ESPN will find a way to give us their idea of highlights and expect us to be grateful.
Do I sound too pessimistic? Well, it's based on past performance.... their's, not mine.
The ESPN Classic replays are either one or two hours in length. Since this "change" came down on purpose late Friday so we could not get any more info, the facts will be trickling in over the next week.
ReplyDeleteThere was no press release sent to me or any of my friends who are also on the ESPN list. Jayski.com was the source of the info, and I have no idea if this is re-voiced or just a highlight show of the actual race as it was produced.
For those without ESPN Classic, there is no doubt in my mind that lots of NASCAR stuff is going to wind-up on this channel. ESPN and ESPN2 have long been fully scheduled before NASCAR returned.
As I have said in many columns this season, they basically have no room for NASCAR, as we saw with the devastation of the Busch Series, the Happy Hours joined-in-progress, and elimination of the first Cup practice...even for The Chase races.
It should be interesting to watch and see if this very late programming scramble continues. We will keep you posted.
JD
I'll have to wait for the posts to see if I should even be jealous. Count me as another without Classic!
ReplyDeleteCan you fill us in about why you do not have ESPN Classic?
ReplyDeleteIs it because it is not offered on your cable system, or you choose not to pay for it as part of a digital pay tier?
Don't you have to purchase the digital package to get SPEED?
I would be very interested to see why ESPN Classic is not part of your cable package. Thanks.
JD
It is not part of my digital cable package and when I emailed Comcast I got a form letter back saying they forwarded my request, that was months ago and nothing. My cable originates from one town and the next town over (which is actually less than 10 miles away and closer to my home) does get Classic in my same package. I think they were all smaller vendors that Comcast purchased many years ago but obviously never equalized even though we all pay the same.
ReplyDeleteI need digital cable to get ESPN classic. I choose not to pay for that. I choose not too because I get SPEED on basic cable.
ReplyDeleteESPN Classic is not offered on my cable (MEDIACOM), however I do have SPEED, and ESPN and ESPN 2. When speed goes HD, I hope Mediacom will offer it in HD. We bought ourselves a nice 42" HD TV for Christmas, but our Cable, as of now, doesn't offer a lot of programs in HD. Hopefully, that will increase by 2009. I have not contacted the cable company to see if we can get ESPC Classic, but plan to do so. Thank you
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
I think this is a good move, even if it is on ESPN Classic. It at least shows they somewhat care.
ReplyDeleteIt will probably be the same format as when SPEED showed the Daytona 500's a few years ago.. about 2 hours in length, briefly showing the parts they are skipping. I don't have any problem with that.
I have central Florida brighthouse cable. I have the basic tier and the standard tier. ESPN, ESPN2, and SPEED are included in the standard tier. SPEED is not in a digital tier in my area.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Classic is available. If it is, I don't feel that warm and fuzzy about ESPN right now to pay for a digital tier to access a channel that might carry a few NASCAR shows.
Time Warner Cable in Charlotte has ESPN Classic on standard digital and SPEED, ESPN, and ESPN2 on standard basic.
ReplyDeleteSo far ESPN Classic and ESPNNews remain numerically close to but not included within the (extra fee) TWC sports digital tier. If they moved to that tier, I would not pay extra for them.
ummm-a Monday afternoon airing on a station most folks don't or won't pay extra to get?? I'm not really impressed..:(
ReplyDeleteThey should have taken a clue from Speed. All their shows are in the evening (east coast time).
WOW! I am SHOCKED somebody has SPEED on TIME WARNER basic cable! We had to finally go to digital and it's on a second tier (with about 25 other stations so it's ok_
ReplyDeleteESPN CLASSIC was on basic TW here for years. THEN a few months ago, boosted it up to digital tier.
makes no sense. Why doesn't TW have consistent packaging across the country?
I am confused. But if we could've gotten SPEED on BASIC we NEVER would've gone digital. Sure there are LOTS more stations we enjoy but it's an expense.
But I RARELY go out and we don't rent movies or go out to movies, so it's still good to have.
But SPEED PRIMETIME STINKS to high heavens but my room mate enjoys F1 and I all the NASCAR SHOWS...INC, Raceday and also Wind Tunnel.
My brother in Seattle got SPEED ON BASIC COMCAST but no CLASSIC. Then he moved to a house that had satellite so he decided to try that for awhile to see how he liked it. He has SPEED and CLASSIC but things are packaged differently.
Really is annoying how things are bundled differently.
if ONLY we could get cable ala Cart!!
I've got Charter Communications in West Michigan. Speed is part of the Expanded Basic tier. ESPN Classic is part of the Digital View package. I've got a DVR box with digital, but don't have ESPN Classic. And I'm certainly not paying Charter extra for anything ESPN puts on the air.
ReplyDeletePast experience with various cable companies across the country has told me that they like to do as much as they can to confuse the customer as to what packages are available and what the actual cost of said packages is. A lot of the cable company web sites will not give you any pricing. They want you to call and talk to a customer service rep (sales person) to try to sell you as much as they can. But one constant you can be sure of is that every Dec. or Jan. your bill will go up.
As for ESPN and ESPN2's schedules being full, maybe they could move some of the so called "sports programming" they have on now over to ESPN Classic to make room for real sports programming. I'm talking about programs like World Series of Poker, endless replays of SportsCenter, Mike and Mike, Best of Mike and Mike, Around the Horn, PTI, and so on. ESPN could make room for NASCAR programming if they really wanted to. So the schedule being full on ESPN/ESPN2 arguement doesn't hold water with me. It's just an excuse. ESPN is still pissed off at NASCAR for the way they were treated when they lost the broadcast rights to the races the first go around and they are making us fans pay the price.
So, ESPN can show what ever they want on ESPN Classic. Most of us don't have it anyway.
Wow, thanks for the feedback. ESPN Classic at present is nothing more than a play back network using the content in the ESPN Videotape Library.
ReplyDeleteESPN shutdown the original programming on that network and ended the budget to buy new "old stuff" last year.
I am amazed that some cable companies are charging for access to that network, and even more amazed that some big MSO's do not offer it. (Multi-System Operators like Comcast and Time Warner.)
Thanks for the feedback.
JD
Vince
ReplyDeleteGREAT IDEA about moving some of the junk to Classic like POKER and Scrabble tournaments and the like.
Here, TW still has a color test pattern where they ABRUPTLY yanked off ESPN CLASSIC with NO NOTICE except to a handful of us that read a small blog site from a local tv/radio guy..who does NOT update his site NEARLY enough but I digress.
TW really hacked a lot of people off..but around here bad weather outages, contracts and even WORSE CUSTOMER service than TW keeps folks from getting either Satellite company.
Here they put ESPN CLASSIC between ESPN NEWS and the ESPN U station.
NOT to be confused with my ESP U nikname.
:-)
Still interesting to see the different cable bundles around the country..but it can annoy a person. Some of us are getting ripped off more than others. but the fact CLASSIC is SO LIMITED and NASCAR wants to choose it for more NASCAR shows makes NO SENSE.
I would love to know how many folks have SPEED as opposed to CLASSIC. Or even the OPTION of either or both??