Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1151987
THE STATE OF MOTOAMERICA P86 Feature by 105 percent over 2018, with the average viewership now sitting at 170,000 per round. Part of the improved reach of the series comes down to the new MotoAmerica Live- Plus live streaming app. In addition, for the 2019 season, to complement the Fox Sports 2 and NBC cover- age, in which every practice, quali- fying and race session is live and on-demand, the app opens up the commercial aspect of the series to an international audience. This gives international sponsors more bang for their buck. Combined with the television coverage, the streaming, and Video On Demand (VOD), the viewership is up 190 percent com- pared to this time in 2018. Tuned Racing's Mike Pond Tuned Racing represents one of the most extensive private entries in the Mo- toAmerica paddock. Head- ed by Mike Pond, the team has riders in Stock 1000 and Supersport champion- ships, with Pond noting a change in approach to the content created has made the series more appealing to outsiders. "The one thing I have to compliment MotoAmerica and the current media people is that for the first time they're focusing more on the riders," Pond says. "They're trying to build the characters, which, with any story you've got to have characters. In the past, it seemed like they were more advertising and pushing the series, and the series is nothing without characters. So now that they're doing that, I think that's going to be a huge improvement. That's how you get the mom and pop and the 90-year- old granny that wants to see the drama between JD Beach and whoever. When they started getting attached to that reality TV side of it, then we're going to have more people start following the series. We're going to get better TV packages and hopefully more money. "I'm happy with the ef- fort being put in. It seems like they [MotoAmerica] are listening to the teams and putting effort in that direction. Obviously, there are plenty more changes that need to be made, and we need more money to run this show. I've been here since 2012. This is my second rig I've pur- chased for this stuff. Even- tually, I have to get to where it [Tuned Racing] can fund itself because at this point it can't. But if we can get it to that point, then I'm in for the long haul." Mike Pond (left) has a chat with his clearly knackered Stock 1000 rider Justin Delong at Utah. Fan engagement is growing round by round, as was evident at the WorldSBK round.