SEVEN SERIOUS ABOUT SUPERCARS
Seven serious about Supercars – Image: InSyde Media
Seven is committed to treating Supercars as a major sport alongside AFL and cricket as the network prepares to return as the free TV home of motor racing.
By MARK FOGARTY
All major local car racing will be on ‘The Screens Of Seven’ in 2021, with ARG events shown in addition to the featured Supercars coverage.
Speaking exclusively to AUTO ACTION, Seven’s Head Of Sport Lewis Martin outlined his plans to capitalise on Supercars’ untapped potential to attract more viewers.
“Our role at Seven is to grow Supercars,” Martin proclaimed. “We’re committed to growing the audience and bringing that audience back. Equally, we’re also committed to contributing to the economy of Supercars and motor sport in this country.”
The Melbourne-based Seven Sport boss vowed that the network’s return as the free-to-air TV home of Supercars would be prominent
“I’m not about program filler,” Martin declared. “Supercars is serious stuff and we’ll be treating it that way.
“We want to showcase and show respect to the skill and talent of the drivers. They’re warriors.”
He added: “I’m not your typical motor sport fan, but I’m so excited by the passion and energy of the teams and the fans. There’s great drama and we’re going to capture it all.”
Seven will also be the primary broadcaster of ARG’s TCR/S5000-headlined events, restoring its historic status as the dominant free-to-air TV network for local motor sport.
Martin, who oversees Seven’s high-profile AFL, cricket and Olympics telecasts, promised that Supercars coverage would be restored to its rightful status as a major national sport after six years of free-to-air neglect on Channel 10.
‘We see the opportunities for Supercars and Seven – not only the broadcast, but outside the broadcast,” he said. “That’s our preoccupation at the moment.”
Martin also guaranteed that Seven would respect the needs of dedicated followers while aiming to attract new viewers.
“We see great value and importance in the core fan,” he said. “What acceptance is going to look like to us will be that the knowledge that the core fan has is going to become sought after by their peer group.”
Martin pointed to promotional spots during Seven’s Australia versus India cricket Test series telecasts as a sign of the network’s intent to give Supercars a high profile.
He also forecast interaction during the AFL season, which Seven is also sharing with Fox Sports.
Amid the raging controversy over popular pit lane pundit Mark Larkham’s sacking and the future of commentary stalwart Neil Crompton, Martin assured fans that the coverage wouldn’t radically different.
“We’re not coming in bull-at-a-gate,” he said. “We’re not coming in to dismantle the heritage or the pillars of Supercars. Quite the opposite. We don’t want huge amounts of change by any means.
“We don’t want the people from the Supercars community changing. We just want them to share their passion, their intensity and their desire with more people.”
In a major shift, Seven will be sharing the primary Supercars broadcasts in simulcasts with Fox Sports, with the same hosting panel as well as commentators and reporters.
However, Martin asserted there would be a “Seven flavour to race days”.
He has appointed Anna Stone – daughter of legendary former team co-owner Ross and an accomplished TV sports producer – as the network’s Motorsport Executive Producer to co-ordinate Seven’s coverage of Supercars and ARG events.
Seven Sport has been working with Fox Sports and Supercars Media to highlight the characters and colour of V8 racing, which Martin believes have been under-sold.
His epiphany came after going to see three Melbourne teams – Tickford Racing, Team 18 and Kelly Racing – last month. He plans to visit the remaining seven squads next month and in early February.
Martin is enthused by what he has seen already – and also the uproar over Mark Larkham’s dismissal.
“I’ve been around this caper (sports broadcasting) a long time and I have to tell you, I am so energised by the enthusiasm and passion in Supercars,” he said
“I’m only a brief way through meeting with each of the teams, but everybody I meet in Supercars is so passionate. Even the outcry regarding Larkham – to me that’s what I want to talk about.
“That passion of the Supercars fan is matched by the drivers, by the owners, by the pit crews and by the broadcasters, and Supercars in my view has been under a bushel for a little while in terms of broad story telling. To be honest with you, when I saw the response to the Larkham situation, I thought ‘Wow! We’ve got ourselves a really passionate group of people’.
“I don’t want to boring, benign people that don’t care. I want to deal with a fan base that really cares and I want to deal with a participant group that really care. And I’ve worked out pretty quickly that the competitors are all so passionate and committed.
“The fans have demonstrated their passion and their love for their sport recently, and myself and Anna Stone will be very aware of that. All we’re looking to do is to make sure that as many people as possible get to see and understand or get to experience that passion.”
Seven will outline more of its Supercars plans shortly.
For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
