Former Cable Net Speed Channel To Reinvent Itself On The Internet As RACER - Forbes

Almost a decennary aft going disconnected the air, the cablegram web Speed Channel, formerly Speedvision, is relaunching arsenic a streaming video transmission called RACER, with 2 heavyweights with plentifulness of acquisition successful the assemblage helping the launch. Robert Scanlon, the erstwhile CEO of different car-focused channel, Velocity and Motor Trend Network volition service arsenic President, portion erstwhile Discovery advertisement income president Joe Abbruzzese volition beryllium advising connected advertisement income and sponsorships.

Backers of RACER, which volition beryllium targeting the affluent 50+ demographic, see wrestler Bill Goldberg (who volition besides look connected air), racer Rick Hendricks, on with Scanlon and Abbruzzese. It volition motorboat successful the Fall with 500 licensed programs and 100 originals produced nether commission.

The web volition beryllium 1 of galore channels launching Internet-only which person been fixed the monicker FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels. The demographic of the channel, which was owned by Fox since 1995 and past rebranded arsenic Fox Sports 1 successful 2013, was racing fans and car enthusiasts

In an interrogation with the Hollywood reporter, Scanlon said that the genesis of the thought came from the astonishing occurrence of Discovery transmission Velocity (which was renamed MotorTrend Network successful 2018) . “At Velocity we had a $140 cardinal gross enactment that was conscionable advertising, determination were nary subscription fees…” helium said. Speedvision, by comparison, generated astir 2 thirds of its $300+ cardinal per twelvemonth successful gross from licence fees from cablegram and outer operators successful 2012.

The nary licence interest exemplary is dissimilar astir cablegram channels who complaint the cablegram and outer operators a monthly licence interest per subscriber per period which tin spell from pennies/sub/month to arsenic precocious arsenic $10+. Bloomberg, C-Span, Great American Country, Hallmark, Lifetime Real Women and Outdoor Channel, for instance, are nether 10 cents/sub per period portion ESPN tops the database astatine much than $10/sub/month.

Disney Channel, ESPN2, FOX News, Fox Sports 1, TBS and USA Network each complaint much than $1/sub/month portion NFL Network tops $2 and TNT is much than $3. These are manufacture averages. Large video providers similar Comcast and DIRECTV get the lowest rate, portion smaller ones wage overmuch more. This is the main origin driving consolidation of cablegram systems implicit the years.