Video at NHRA events

[Bret Kepner]

You're wrong, Alan.

The very first clause in the ESPN contract guarantees totally, complete and outright exclusivity of all photographic and video content to ESPN/ABC/Capitol Cities/Disney.

This is the way ESPN (and every other network) handles any sporting event.

Although it is ESPN's demand, it's on the shoulders of the host organization to police the rule. Why? Because ESPN demands it. Why are they cracking down now? Because they never really HAVE before except in the case of a fatality, (which was in the interest of NHRA's liability and legal defense).

You might recall the P.A. announcement made at NHRA events for the past decade which, (as at all sporting events with broadcast rights at stake), mentions the phrase), "without the express written permission of the NHRA". Note it does NOT say, "without the express written permission of ESPN". It puts the responsibility squarely on the NHRA, (or NFL, MLB, etc.), because they're liable to the broadcasting network if the contract is violated.

The proliferation of NHRA content via social media has (apparently) gotten to the point at which NHRA must crack down or be sued into oblivion by ESPN. This would explain the NHRA's desire to control all media and they've gone to great lengths to secure it over the past twenty years. One of the first methods used to control it is to charge money; it quickly weeds out the low-ballers onsite for their own entertainment and restricts, (for the most part), all ontrack media to legitimate outlets. Ask the photographers how much it costs to get on the starting line in 2012. Non-ESPN videographers are restricted to pit area interviews only and may not include any results from the event itself until after the race. This is ANYTHING but "new". The NHRA is just cracking down on it.

You folks want NHRA Drag Racing to be treated like a "real sport"? Well, here you go. In this instance, it's the same as baseball, football, soccer and Formula One.

Orme described the situation very eloquently but these are the details. Feel free to call me a defender of the NHRA, a media hack or just a liar. I'll counter with the same response I give to any and all criticism of any drag racing association's rules:

Don't like it? Don't go.

By the way, Don Kennedy mentioned. "I have never seen any Pros on YouTube". The reason for this is NHRA's quite vigilant watch for any and all clips on YouTube, (and everywhere else). B. Parker added, "They may be able to punish us racers if we record but what can they do to Joe public?". The answer is simple. They can do anything and everything they want to do. YouTube works very closely with all companies who have exclusivity rights violated and anybody can be found by any post made anywhere on the 'Web. Folks would be wise to heed the warning; the NHRA's legal counsel has come down on violaters like a ton of bricks in exactly the same fashion as NFL, MLB, etc., (although maybe not as hard as F1; mess with them and it's almost a death sentence). If you only knew the dollars involved in the lawsuits concerning the posting of video and photos of the last runs of Scott Kalitta and Darrell Russell, you'd be stunned.

This isn't a matter of posting a video and having NHRA contact you to take down the video and never contacting you again after it has been removed. This is about swift, serious and incredibly expensive legal action just because the video or photo was posted in the first place.

You can debate the legality, morality or reality of this subject but none of it matters. These are the facts. Now, you can't even claim, "I didn't know!".