POLL: How frequently should Supercars be on free-to-air TV?

With a new broadcast deal seemingly on the horizon, in this week’s Pirtek Poll we want to know how frequently Supercars should be live on free-to-air.

Last week Network 10 confirmed it would cease broadcasting the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship following this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

That’s left the door open to Seven West Media, led by former Supercars chief executive James Warburton, to nab the broadcast rights for its Seven Network.

A new deal could mean Supercars is on free-to-air television more frequently; however, it may come at a cost.

Speculation has surfaced that the new deal could see the final race of every round of Supercars broadcast live on free-to-air.

Following last week’s announcement, Penrite Racing CEO Barry Ryan said a new television deal is “critical” for teams, but said having one race per weekend live might be “a bit weird.”

Taking the originally scheduled calendar (pre-COVID-19), that would mean 14 races are broadcast per year.

That would include the hallmark Bathurst 1000 enduro as well as the now-cancelled 500km race at The Bend Motorsport Park and the final element of the Gold Coast 600.

The current deal with Network 10 was to see seven events televised per year, including Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville, Bathurst, Gold Coast, Sandown and Newcastle.

All up, that totalled 15 races before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

On a one-race-live-per-meeting basis, that puts it almost on par for a number of races assuming the 2021 calendar comprises 14 events as it was supposed to this year.

In this week’s Pirtek Poll we want to know whether you want Supercars on television more frequently but with fewer races, or fewer events broadcast live in their entirety.