Can IRL buyout the Versus contract?

Question

From what I understand, they can.
Or should I say the George family can.
As we all know, the Versus coverage was good,
but it needs to be moved to a national network.
If Disney/ABC-ESPN wants to go Napcar racing,
it's high time another major network steps up to the plate.
CBS, NBC, or Fox. The contract can be bought out at
anytime if the George Family {not Tony now} overrides
the IRL. This may very well happen. I'm understanding
that Mary Hulman George and the girls were not pleased
with the feedback they received on the availability of Versus.
These ladies now basically run the Indianapolis Speedway
and have tons of power in all IRL decisions. It's my thought
that in a few years the IRL will not run Indycar anymore.
It'll be a separate entity. That's another way the Versus
contract can be voided. It is in Indycar's best interest to get
on to a national network with all races. Perhaps a CBS-USA
deal could be worked out. Just some thoughts from Gasoline Alley.

Answer 1

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Yeah, it kind of bothers me that Versus is not available to enough homes. I recently heard that DirecTV dropped Versus from their lineup. I think, if another network were to outbid Versus, and pay enough to buy Versus out of their contract, they could pick it up. The real question is, however, does IndyCar have enough appeal? Most fans will watch the Indianapolis 500, and perhaps one or two other races, like Iowa or Motegi, but IRL doesn't have the die-hard fanbase that NASCAR or F1 have. With more coverage, they might be able to obtain that, but television networks don't really work well on "might." They want ratings, pure and simple.

And, also, I counter your CBS-USA deal with NBC-TNT coverage. They already have motorsports staff, and would probably not mind expanding their motorsports coverage.

Answer 2

It really depends on whether they want to spend money on television coverage or make money from television coverage. If they went with another network they would probably need to subsidize the coverage as there wouldn't be the sponsorship and ad revenue to be attractive to a bigger network. My guess is at this point the Hulman/George family is more interested in making a little than in spending a lot.