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Author Topic: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"  (Read 3241 times)

Offline cosworth151

Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« on: June 24, 2022, 03:46:11 PM »
It looks like Spa is under threat from Liberty Media. It isn't glitz enough for them.

"It is true that there was a request from F1 to introduce a greater component of entertainment," Spa-Francorchamps promoter Stijn de Boever, is quoted by Italy's Autosprint. "They said that history is something great but we need more. We decided to listen to them and follow them in the new way of offering Formula events.

"This American way, with all of the entertainment that this entails."

There is a rumor that Spa could become a non-championship round with young drivers in place of the regular driver line-ups.

Seriously, that sounds like a good way to handle the events like Miami & Vegas. Formula 1 can stay a real racing series and Liberty gets its glitz fests. The target market Liberty is trying for with events like Miami & Vegas probably wouldn't notice the difference if they raced 3 year olds in pedal cars.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a40391472/spa-francorchamps-officials-prepared-to-go-the-american-way-in-effort-to-keep-f1-race/


“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2022, 07:54:20 PM »
The American business model has long been that it's more important to attract new customers than to hold on to existing customers. Nearly all advertising involves "switch to" not "thanks for your business".
Lonny

Offline Andy B

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2022, 09:32:28 AM »
Oh Dear!
I feared this was the way it would potentially go and Miami did nothing for me if I go to a circuit I go for the racing not a heap celeb's who know nothing about F1.
At least on TV it's able to be avoided but that also means not watching live.
I wonder what percentage of "Fans" think the same way or am I an anomaly?  :DntKnw:
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Offline John S

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Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2022, 12:21:51 PM »
I went to the British GP in 2018 and camped with family & friends from Thurs to Sun eve. Having plenty of on track action like historic cars, F2 & Porsche cup besides F1 was great, but extra things like music in the evenings, some funfair & entertaiment areas & display/exhibitions of motor/F1 related stuff, made it a whole lot better, especially for kids.

Silverstone doesn't perhaps have the razamataz of Miami but they know how to entertain the crowds for the duration.

I get a sense that Spa is a more sparse kind of affair, a bit like Brit GPs used to be back in the 70s & 80s. Brands Hatch F1 race in 1974, which was the first I went to, was certainly a petrol heads/lads convention rather than a family affair. There was only basic catering facilities and assorted team hat & T shirt sales - oh and lots of cigarette promo booths handing out fags.  :D   

 
Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

Online Dare

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2022, 09:08:20 PM »
 Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize

All I have to say is be careful what you wish for
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Willy

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2022, 02:28:19 PM »
Spa needs to tell Liberty Media to shove it up their collective $%^.
Spa is a historical track that hosts many other events besides the weekend that is F1 and does not need F1 to survive.

Liberty is following the American business model which has created the shitshow we all know as America today.
Nobody outside of the USA wants that business model or prevailing point of view anywhere near themselves.

Offline cosworth151

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2022, 03:56:25 PM »
That's why, with 2 or 3 exceptions, I don't even bother looking at the listing for the commercial broadcast TV networks over here. I really have no interest in watching "celebrities" that, for the most part, I've never heard of.

On the bright side, maybe they can take tip from American minor league baseball. How about F1 races having Quarter Beer Nite or Dime a Dog Nite? (that's 25 cent beer & 10 cent hot dogs)
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline Andy B

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2022, 09:25:27 AM »
Spa needs to tell Liberty Media to shove it up their collective $%^.
Spa is a historical track that hosts many other events besides the weekend that is F1 and does not need F1 to survive.

Liberty is following the American business model which has created the shitshow we all know as America today.
Nobody outside of the USA wants that business model or prevailing point of view anywhere near themselves.

Way to go Willy!
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Online Jericoke

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2022, 02:29:45 PM »
The main think holding F1 'back' in America is the time zones.  If you're an F1 fan, you'll make the time on Sunday morning to watch the race.  If you're not a fan, you're not likely to casually tune it.

If you want people to tune in, you need to make it 'event TV'.  As coveted as the American audience is, it's not worth giving up the larger European audience though.

I do like the general idea of a 'young guns' race though.  Maybe not a whole race weekend, but perhaps a sprint (and why not include that in the WCC points?)  It would make sense to make that a European race, so that shipping in extra cars/parts wouldn't be as difficult, but it seems very unlikely that having a bunch of 'nobodies' racing at 8 AM on Sunday is going to get Americans to tune in. Maybe install lights an run a rookie night race at Spa?

Online Dare

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2022, 10:41:10 PM »
America includes Canada and Mexico.  North America
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Online Jericoke

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2022, 02:07:47 PM »
America includes Canada and Mexico.  North America

1)  How 'dare' you lump us in with Americans!

2)  You're right, Canadians get uptight pretending we're not 'Americans'.  If you're from anywhere between Tierra del Fuego and Tijuana, you consider anyone living in 'the Americas' to be 'American'.  It's only Canadians and people who live in the United States of America who really use the word differently.  (Although I suppose it's like how we call people from Zhōnghuá 'Chinese', or when some German people show up in Pennsylvania and we just call them Dutch)

Offline Willy

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2022, 05:28:16 PM »
I don't agree Dare.

While North America includes Mexico and Canada, the term "American" has been usurped by those in the USA for many years to mean "only in the good old USA".

Canada and Mexico are extremely happy to not be lumped in with anything "American", thanks very much.
 

Offline cosworth151

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2022, 07:19:39 PM »
Quote
1)  How 'dare' you lump us in with Americans!

My friend Sheri used to have a large collection of International Barbie Dolls. I asked her if they came with anything that the American Barbie's don't have. She said, "Yes. Health care."
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Online Dare

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2022, 10:44:00 PM »
It's funny of all the countries around the World that dislike
America they never turn down the money.
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Andy B

Re: Liberty Wants Spa to "Americanize"
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2022, 09:05:29 AM »
It's funny of all the countries around the World that dislike
America they never turn down the money.

I never turn money down from anyone!  :yahoo: ;)
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

 


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