After collecting the point of view of David Dumain for the Grands Prix and Canal+, here is today the situation seen by Éric Célis concerning the broadcast of the World Endurance Championship on The Team Channel.
The organizer of the Championship Francois Ribeiro explained to us how Eurosport Events was adapting to the current situation. Eurosport obviously broadcasts each World Endurance race, but the EWC also benefits from good coverage in France on the Channel L'Équipe, with Éric Célis commentating, often assisted by Christian Lavieille and William Costes.
GP and WSBK competitors receive significant financial support from Dorna, the result of sharing TV rights. This is not the case in endurance, and what does that change for the competitors in the current situation?
“It is clear that today the global economic situation is in suspense. So obviously the budgets which were already not easy to find in endurance will become even more difficult to obtain. Suffice to say that many teams will suffer, already to finish the 2019-2020 season and then to be able to find partners for the following season. I'm not just talking about private teams but also official teams. »
“We must not forget that for two months no importer was able to sell motorcycles and it does not seem illogical to me to think that some will perhaps devote competition budgets to supporting the networks until the end of the year , see more. »
“As for the redistribution of TV rights for competitors in the World Endurance Championship, that’s yet another problem. It's way too early to think about that. Eurosport Events has given a boost to the discipline, that's undeniable, but we must not go faster than the music. Before thinking about the redistribution of TV rights we should perhaps think about reviewing the allocations. When we know that a victorious crew in a 24-hour race receives less than 2 euros in finishing bonus, we are starting from a long way..."
What do you think will be the consequences of the current health problem on the World Endurance Championship and its competitors?
“As I said, the effects of this health crisis will last in my opinion for a good while. In fact, financially speaking, the most fragile will not resist and I even think that certain institutional “sponsors” will step back from their investments. »
“We can logically expect a reduction in sponsorship budgets and a concentration of these on the flagship motorcycle discipline, namely Moto GP. This is not good news in my opinion for endurance, which is still paradoxical. Indeed, the budgets have nothing to do with those of Moto GP, and I would say that this discipline can nevertheless make it possible to obtain visibility at a lower cost. But this still needs to be taken into account by decision-makers. »
“Please note, this is not a question of selling off endurance, as we have seen recently with pilot contracts which, for me, are disrespectful of their involvement. I find it totally surreal, for example, that a pilot is not paid for an equipment contract, whatever it may be. They are professional pilots, it is their job. So it would be good if we put all this in order. »
The 8 Hours of Sepang have happily slotted into the calendar alongside classic events like the Bol, the 24 Hours motorcycles and Suzuka. On the other hand, the races in Öschersleben and Slovakia were forgotten. Is the future of endurance in Asia?
“Eurosport Events wanted to take endurance out of its French straitjacket and that’s a very good thing. So the arrival of Asian races is in this sense in the logic of things. To say that the future of endurance is in Asia, I am not convinced. Especially since the Sepang race was presented as a selection race for the Japanese teams in preparation for the Suzuka 8 Hours. »
“Now we must not lie, the cradle of endurance is in Europe and it is essentially made up of amateurs. So races on the other side of the planet involve considerable budgets for them, not to say insurmountable. »
“How many teams are traveling to Suzuka? Not to mention the problem of volunteers that we found in all the teams, even the official ones, of course. It will therefore be necessary to find a balance between the “ancestral” races and the new events. Especially with the crisis that we have just experienced and which, once again, will have significant impacts on the coming seasons, in my opinion. »
There are two Bol d'Ors in the 2019-2020 calendar. Doesn't this favor French and European teams over Asian teams?
“I don't think so for the simple reason that there is no 100% Asian team involved in the season. On the other hand, and for me this is the solution of the future, for the official teams in particular, an arrangement like that of the FCC Honda France Team is certainly what we will have to aim for in the future. »
“A European base for races on the old continent and a Japanese base for overseas races. For cost reduction this seems to me to have obvious logic. »
What are the difficulties encountered by a television channel in broadcasting endurance races?
“It all depends on which channel we are talking about. A specialized channel will have no constraints other than satisfying its viewers with an appropriate mix of speed or endurance and off-road. For a sports but general public channel like the Chaîne l'Équipe, we must find the best possible alchemy to satisfy as many people as possible. »
“Then of course there is the format. We can understand that a broadcaster does not necessarily want to “block” its antenna for 8 hours or even 24 hours on a single discipline. You therefore have to know how to make room for everyone, even if it can sometimes be frustrating to “give up the antenna” when the race is getting carried away and come back at a time when nothing is happening anymore. But hey, it’s the same for all sports…”
David Checa, Erwan Nigon and Jérémy Guarnoni, reigning World Champions
Photos © Larivière Organization, SERT, FCC TSR Honda, VRD Igol Pierret Experiences, Team 33 Accessories
