Q&A: NASCAR Digital Entertainment - October 2003  

Jeffrey Pollack

In the third article in a series of questions and answers with heads of the new media/interactive divisions of major US sports properties, Rachael Church, editor of Sport and Technology, spoke to Jeffrey Pollack, managing director of NASCAR Digital Entertainment.

Please describe your role and responsibilities at NASCAR

"In addition to helping administer NASCAR's national broadcasting partnerships with FOX, FX, NBC, and TNT, I lead the development of all internet, cable television, subscription television, advanced television, satellite radio, and new media ventures for the sport. To that end, my responsibilities with NASCAR include managing our partnerships with America Online, Turner Sports Interactive, SPEED Channel, iN DEMAND, and XM Satellite Radio, among others. I also serve as executive producer of NASCAR IN CAR on iN DEMAND, our subscription television package. Overall, my job is to help our media partners get the most out of their relationships with NASCAR, identify new ventures that can help grow our sport, and increase exposure for our drivers, teams, tracks, and sponsors."

How important is new media and technology to NASCAR?

"I'm responsible for new media at NASCAR, but I'm also the first to tell anyone who'll listen that TV is our killer application. If you can't attend a race in person, the next best thing to experiencing a race at the track is watching a telecast on FOX, FX, NBC, TNT, or any of our international television partners. Our broadcast partnerships are attracting new fans and growing our sport, while keeping core fans engaged and tuned in. NASCAR is now the number two sport on television in the US and there is still room for us to grow. If you want to reach the greatest number of people, there is no medium more efficient or effective than television." All of that said, new media offers powerful opportunities to extend the reach of our telecasts, create new points of access for our fans, and present our sport to a new generation of fans that are wired for a digital world."

How are you using technology to bring new fans into NASCAR and please existing ones?

"Since NASCAR consolidated its broadcast rights, we have emerged as a new media leader. Our portfolio includes NASCAR.com, the ultimate online destination for NASCAR fans; NASCAR TV, a ëchannel within a channel' that has helped SPEED channel become the fastest growing sports cable network; NASCAR IN CAR, an Emmy-Award winning leader in interactive television; NASCAR Radio, a key driver of XM Satellite Radio and the only-single sport radio channel in North America, if not the world. In addition, we have strategic partnerships with companies such as Sportvision, which creates state-of-the-art telemetry and GPS applications for all of our media partners. All of these ventures keep the door to our sport open 24-hours-a-day and seven-days-a-week. NASCAR is fortunate to be a data- and information-rich sport, so there is no shortage of content for our partners. In fact, we think NASCAR is the best investment in sports and entertainment programming, because there is so much going on during our events and in the days leading up to our events. We're not just a weekend occurrence ñ there's something happening every day and our fans have a real ëneed to know'. Actually, of our 75m fans in the US, 40m consider themselves ëhard-core' and consume, on average, nine hours a week of NASCAR-related media. That means our media partners will be well-received, as long as their applications are meaningful and their portrayal of our sport is authentic."

What are your main revenue streams on NASCAR.com?

"NASCAR.com is produced by our partners at Turner Sports Interactive and they have a great growth-oriented story to tell. The site has never looked better and never had a more complete offering of news, information, and services that engage and connect our fans. On NASCAR.com you can read the latest headlines, plan your television viewing day, buy tickets to a race, book travel to that race, buy a car if you'd rather drive, find a local auto service shop, shop at the world's largest NASCAR store, and subscribe one of the most advanced and easy-to-use multimedia products on the internet. There is no question NASCAR.com is helping lead the way for our industry's digital future."

What has been the uptake for your Track Pass service and what do fans get for their bucks?

"Track Pass is NASCAR.com's premium subscription service. It offers live, real-time in-car audio and leaderboard statistics, as well as exclusive, on-demand multimedia content that includes interviews, race recaps, condensed races and searchable video archives. PitCommand is an add-on that provides real-time telemetry data through a GPS-based programme. It's a broadband experience available on a dial-up connection, so all of our fans can enjoy its features. PitCommand is available just for NASCAR Winston Cup Series races, but the in-car audio, leaderboard, and multimedia on-demand are available for qualifying, practice, and race coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series."

Please describe the NASCAR IN CAR on iN DEMAND service and how successful it has been in terms of uptake

"NASCAR IN CAR on iN DEMAND is our newest media venture and is breaking new ground in the advanced television space. This is the first enhanced multichannel digital sports package in North America and was developed by NASCAR Digital Entertainment and iN DEMAND, along with NASCAR's broadcast partners. The goal is to complement NASCAR's live event coverage on FOX, FX, NBC and TNT with on-demand, flag-to-flag, in-car camera coverage for every NASCAR Winston Cup Series race. The season-long package includes seven dedicated in-car camera channels, real-time in-car performance data displayed on virtual dashboards and live team audio communications. It's like watching a video game, but more compelling since you see exactly what the driver sees and hear what the driver hears as it happens. We're very pleased with its performance. NASCAR IN CAR is available in almost 14m digital cable households and we're setting the standard for viewer choice and control. Just this month we were awarded the Emmy for ëOutstanding Achievement in Interactive Television'. Bad shows don't win Emmy's, so we must be doing something right."

What are you doing on the wireless side of things at NASCAR?

"NASCAR.com offers a wireless subscription service called NASCAR.com to Go. That's really just getting started and with Nextel as the new title sponsor of our premiere series, there is no doubt the wireless sector will become more robust for us in the coming months and years."

So how will Nextel be leveraging its sponsorship on NASCAR?

"We're just starting to sort through all of the details, but it's fair to say that Nextel will help bring our sport to a whole new generation of fans that are technically-savvy and focused on mobility. Nextel is a category leader and we couldn't think of a better partner in the wireless space."

What technology do you think will have the biggest impact on NASCAR in the future?

"As I said earlier, television is our killer application and I think that medium is only going to become more impactful as advanced and interactive features roll-out. The internet runs as a strong second and, as North America catches up to the rest of the world in the wireless space and as Nextel fully integrates itself into our sport, you will see some very powerful wireless applications develop for our fans. Satellite radio seems here to stay and our sport makes for very rich radio content. Finally, VOD, SVOD and digital cinema will all find their place in our world ñ eventually!"

The next Q & A will feature Bob Bowman, president and CEO of Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

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