What about Baja via Pay Per View?

[Brandon_Charley]

Does anyone think live Baja coverage on Pay per View would be feasible? It obviously wouldn't compare to D2G in quality, but I'm thinking that with similar logistics, and the right director, it would be possible. Basically if the networks don't want to take a stab at it go around them. Money would be a factor, but couldn't charging as much as a WWE or wrestling event, plus doing advertising, and selling DVDs after get the endeavor to at least break even?

I see filler segments about teams prepping and prerunning, sponsor commercials, on scene commentators and slow motion replays.

[DEZERTSUB]

I like the idea. maybe it doesn't have to be PPV. I'm very surprised no one picked it up to televise.

[Brandon_Charley]

Networks don't think it's profitable last I heard, it would deffinatley be done with the goal of breaking even while still delivering a good product. It was brought up on DR that the biggest hurdle coverage wise would be night time.

[DEZERTSUB]

Yeah, I understand the darkness issue.
If anything, maybe they could do a bunch of recording and play it after the fact....?
Commercials could be for say "501X Yamaha 450XL quad, winner of it's class in the baja 1K"
"Ford F-150, official truck of Post, winner of the 1K"
"Tecate, official cerveza of the 1K!!!"
I can see Speed channel doing it, in review form like I described. Hell man, let's come up with the soution and sell them our intellectual property and make some coin off it!:D

[Brandon_Charley]

NBC already does after the fact. I'm trying to come up with the next step after the weatherman feed and the gps trackers. I started brainstorming because I really wanted to see the start and I couldn't figure out why no one thought to stream video of that, that's the easy part. I think going full tilt over a web stream for the 250 would be the best way to figure pheasabilty for a full 1000 mile 24 hour broadcast.

Some copy and paste of my ideas from DezertRangers:

Yes, you would need a fair amount of helicopters, but if you prerun well enough, like D2G you could get a fair amount coverage from stationary cameras. Basically just rely on the helis for the leaders and "cinematic" sections. Maybe have spotters on the ground to relay races(cars battling) to the helis who would just cover a certain section.

Reagarding night time-Good point, I guess night suns would be especially rude to the racers, aren't their any kind of cameras that can do night vision without having the picture get messed up by the lights on the truck? Could just keep the helis high for safety and have less spectacular shots like in police chases. Would take some research. At the very least you could just setup flood lights in some good sections, and maybe feed off racer's in car cams.

Another idea for filler between live shots, get all teh racers on the same tracking system for the commentators to refer too. Imagine real time positions, LIVE. Would work well, time lapse the maps to show how so and so made up time here, to make up ____ blank minutes on the next position. Probably kill the budget, but maybe use those virtual replays like Rally and Nascar use.

I think it is deffinately pheasible, it's just a question of how much money could be lost, would it even be worth advertising to people not in the Southwest? Would you have any chance of getting sponsors that weren't already affiliated with the dez?

[JENN]

I wish the Baja 1000 was filmed live.. Look at how many hits all of these websites get.. Imagine if you could watch it/listen to it live throughout the entire race? Just do random interviews of the various pits/cover the interesting stories as they unfold... ohh man that would be amazinggggggg I would pay goooood money for that!

[NoBrakes Drake]

Isn't illegal to fly at night in Baja? But what about pay per view from, say, a number of in car cams w/ intercom audio, uplinked through sat phones or some other satlink?
RG $39.95, Pistol Pete $29.95, etc.
I'm too old and lazy to figure it out, but c'mon you kids! There's money to be made!

[Brandon_Charley]

Isn't illegal to fly at night in Baja?

I didn't know that, when the issue was brought up I thought it was just a matter of safety and picture quality.

But what about pay per view from, say, a number of in car cams w/ intercom audio, uplinked through sat phones or some other satlink?
RG $39.95, Pistol Pete $29.95, etc.
I'm too old and lazy to figure it out, but c'mon you kids! There's money to be made!

seems like it would add a lot to the R&D of the project, but a setup like that could get people to pay $100+.

Good idea, when I make the first million I'll send you a sticker :)

[AlaskaBaja]

Money to be made in off-road racing...... that's almost as believable as the tooth fairy.

[NoBrakes Drake]

Not "in" --"on"

[Damon Cascella]

Hey everybody this has been a post b4 and just got shot down by everybody, i like that its back in your heads.
me and a production company did a pilot show at SEAM year b4 last we interviewed alot of the tt drivers, Ivan, BFG people etc. we wanted to do a show on off road racing and used SEMA as a way for the TV people to get a taste of how popular it is bcoming. We had a program schedule races we wanted to cover a budget everything worked out, we had some connections with Jeep World of Adventure(NBC?) and Chrysler and Toyota NOBODY WANTED TO HERE IT
Then we pitched a reality show about a new team just getting into off road racing and again as soon as they heard Baja 1000 or off road they were like no thanx

[Brandon_Charley]

That's why I think PPV would be the ideal outlet, they don't think that its worth their time, then go around them. Its just a matter of advertising, can you advertise enough to get outsiders to watch without having broken the bank to get them.

I think it's a doable idea, but right now I am in no way qualified or connected enough to take a stab at it, I just posted to brainstorm and maybe give some people like Johnny Manhattan who have connections a "new" idea. If I do happen across an extra few hundred thousand then of course I'll get started, but for now this thread is just meant for fun.

[Negrete 5-1600]

I would easily pay $ 29.95 - 49.95 for a 1-2 hour PPV (No 30 min shows) of any of the SCORE races. Especially, if they were like the old ESPN or Prime Ticket coverage.

Bob Bower rules !!!!!!!

[Brandon_Charley]

That's not what I was proposing, but a great idea none the less. I'm not sure about satellite, but the major cable companies have Video on Demand, both for free and Pay Per View, that'd be a good way to get started and work towards the live 30+ hour coverage.

[baja619]

This weekend I saw a commerical for a PPV event on circle track world of outlaws Chili Bowl:

http://www.chilibowl.com/home.asp?uUrl=12/11/200766706.78
This is their 22nd annual event and is the 1st time it is being televised live.

Look how proud of themselves they are:
http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=world+of+outlaws+pay+per+view&btnG=Google+Search



I still cannot believe that this is more popular than "real" offroad racing let alone something like CORR. WTF! is going on!

[Brandon_Charley]

I was thinking it was a good sign for my idea, if it works it would make selling desert coverage to sponsors a lot easier, and it's not like the Chili Bowl is just some random event, it's where all the big names in American Racing come to dice it up with the grassroots guys.