UPDATE: Sign the petition to bring back Speed Channel at: http://www.bringbackspeed.com/
Welcome to the south, where car enthusiasts thrive! Car racing and NASCAR is extremely popular and you find that most males and some females own classic or tricked out cars. Every parade or festival features classic or tricked out cars. And many people visits a local track to watch mud or asphalt racing. Car and racing fans have been able to get their car fix by watching Speed Channel on cable and satellite, but sadly, Speed Channel is now dead and in its place is the new Fox Sports 1.
Ever since the announcement of Fox Sports 1 and the replacement of Speed Channel, many fans have sounded off on social media about the elimination of Speed Channel. Speed Channel started as Speedvision on December 31, 1995. The programming featured various automotive programs, including various documentary-style series focusing on prolific vehicles, manufacturers, and racing teams. The channel also had series focusing on classic automobiles, an AutoWeek-branded television series, and coverage of various minor and professional auto racing series.
On February 11, 2002, Speedvision became Speed Channel after Fox acquired most of the rights to the channel. Along with NASCAR programs, the channel featured motorcycle racing, monster truck racing, other racing series, winter sports racing, how-to shows, original programs, and the call-in show WindTunnel with Dave Despain. Sadly, on August 17th, Speed Channel disappeared and Fox Sports 1 took its place. Here is the goodbye message from Mike Joy and the beginning of Fox Sports 1.
Many fans are not happy seeing Speed Channel go off the air. In the south, many people are involved with cars and they loved seeing programs all about cars and racing. Fans of Speed Channel have gone to social media to discuss their displeasure of Fox Sports 1. On Facebook, there is the We Want Speed Channel Facebook page that now has over 6,000 fans as of August 17th. Fans are also going to the Fox Sports 1 Facebook and Twitter feeds to say their minds about the loss of Speed Channel.
Just in case the Fox Network forgot, the south and most of America has many car enthusiasts. The car fans want to watch shows that involve showing off cars, how to fix cars, and of course, watch car racing. Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 will have NASCAR coverage and other racing. But the fans don’t want to see Fox Sports 1 and the other shows on the channel competing against ESPN and the NBC Sports Network. With Speed Channel now off the air, another network will have to pick up the slack.
Some of the Speed Channel shows have moved to other networks like Great American Country, Spike TV, and Velocity. Many fans of Speed Channel are hoping networks like Velocity from Discovery will pick up the programming and commitment from the late Speed Channel. In my opinion, Fox Sports made a bad move by killing off Speed Channel. Sure, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 was something they wanted to do badly to compete and dethrone ESPN. But they could have created a new channel, not kill off Speed Channel and Fuel TV, those extreme sports fans are not really happy either.
Cable is filling up with more and more general sports channels. Yes, I like to get my daily dose of football and other sports. But I would like to watch other great channels as well. The fans of Speed Channel are hoping that Fox Sports 1 will bomb and will leave Fox in a bad situation. I don’t think that will happen, but I hope we will see a new version of Speed Channel coming soon to cable and satellite. Maybe Velocity will be the network that will become the next Speed Channel.
Related articles
- Speed Channel RIP (thetop7guy.com)
- How New FOX Sports 1 Network Will Build NASCAR Fanbase (bleacherreport.com)
- It’s Official: Fox Sports 1 Kills ‘The Speed Channel’, Plans On Being Most ‘Murican TV Network In Existence (sportsgrid.com)
Categories: Sports Talk Stuff
I used the great feature on my TV blocking ALL Fox Channels on ALL TV’s at home and work! Die Hard Fox
Thanks for commenting! Yep, I have heard from many people who are not happy seeing Speed Channel going away.
Put it back i cant stand u people ****** **** up for people who enjoy speed
I’m goin to cancel my cable all this money we shell out to watch tv n nothin on ever BULL SHIt. The 1 channel I enjoy they take off im pissed
Oh no, no Pass Time or Pinks…. No nothing for drag racers or drag racing fans on the new channel. I will not be watching it at all. Nothing for me if it isn’t about cars or drag racing!
I don’t know who’s idea it was to get rid of the speed channel, they must be sisy boys or something. We want our speed channel back! After all we are the ones that pay the bills for our programing and we don’t have a voice in whay channels get tosted. I love Fox news channel and Fox 13, but what if we all just stoped watching Fox all together until they stop making choises for us. I’t as bad as the goverment! I think Americans need to stand together on everything, and just say we are not putting up with this
Yep, many fans like you are disappointed about this bad move.
Your local FOX station and Fox News Channel had nothing to do with this. I still watch my local FOX station for my local news. It was Fox Sports that was responsible for this decision. So don’t watch anything Fox Sports related.
I understand, many people on social media are still talking about the removal of Speed Channel.
I am just amazed that everything in this country is all about the dollar. We all know FS1 will generate more money than the speed channel. Unbelievable, we cant trust the gov’t and now we have nothing to watch on tv. What channel are we going to see anything about NASCAR on? none! Where has race hub gone? is it all done? they say it’s on at 4:30 but apparently soccer from other countries is more important.
dont have much time for tv..but when the tv is on..it was always on speed..what do you bone heads think is gonna happen now..yep..i will have my tv off..or it will get placed on a pinks all out nascar race/dave despain type show and not fox
FOX made a bad move by killing speed, the reaction on social media has been tremendous about the end of Speed Channel.
I know what you mean, I do talk about greed sometimes on Geek Alabama. Yep, soccer was on today and NASCAR Race Hub was on at 12 noon. Who has time to watch?
taking the best chanel ever off tv is the worst move ever . i watched speed anytime my tv is on .it was the speed chanel not whosey sports. a real sport where you earn your money i will boycott all fox programing FOrEVER.time to break out the vhs and watch some 20 year old nascar die fox die jackasses
I feel your anger. Many people are not happy about Speed Channel going off the air forever.
I say we get all the big names in NASCAR, the owners, the drivers, the owners of the tracks and have them fight this battle for us! they have more clout than we do!! At least their voices will be heard by the head of the network!
That could work. But I think another network like Velocity will have to take up the slack.
I think everyone should keep making a stink and accept nothing less than an all motor related network.Need the NHRA,PINKS, Pass time, and the auto building and restoration shows. Don`t need alittle NASCAR mixed in the middle of a bunch of ball games,fights,golf and players breaking the law stories.
Yep. A motor sports network needs to concentrate on all forms of cars and racing from motorcycles to monster trucks and everything in between. Mixing in other sports on a motor sports network doesn’t work!
Everyone go to http://www.bringbackspeed.com and sign the petition!!!!
Yes, there is a link at the top of this post!
Speeds slow death began with its non-coverage of Outlaw Sprintcar Racing, and never having real WHELEN TOUR MODIFIED coverage. The collusion to move Cup races to
Saturday nights began the final destruction of fan support at local tracks. Fox is a dollar
chaser, not unlike Warren Buffet . Buy the SUCCESFUL, skim off the profitable and dump the rest. So went SPEED. Niche educational shows on builds or restoration were collateral
losses to Barrett Jackson boring us to tears.
Yes, if someone wants to start up a version of Speed Channel, it needs to involve racing (w/ local tracks), and automobiles, not Barrett Jackson Auctions and boring shows.
Really !!! You Fox guys need to pull your head out of your shorts. Stupid is Stupid does. Ban all Fox shows and dont use there advertisers. We need to smoke em out !!!
If enough people contact the advertisers, it would send a clear message! Thanks!
Please take you new channel and stick it where the sun don’t SHINE. I want speed back. I am 65 yr.old, and want speed back.
I only like Cars and Trucks racing.It sucks when you get home from work and there no car stuff anymore. Some ***hole talking about everything but NASCAR.
Thanks for commenting. The anger is still out there surrounding Fox Sports 1.
Just driving me and others to Velocity. No problem – just don’t expect to me watch FOX for any reason.
Velocity has a great opportunity to please car and racing fans. I hope Discovery listens to Speed Channel fans and makes Velocity awesome!
Fox has made the worst decision in history to kill Speed Channel. 1996 was one of the best years of my life when this network was born. Lets all pray they come to their senses and bring it back – just like New Coke ! An absolute failure – backlash from consumers brought back ” Coke Classic” .. We have to continue the uproar .. Log a complaint at foxsports.com. Go to bottom of webpage and tell them to stop this madness. NOW
I liked the New Coke comparison! You are right, you have to contact Fox Sports to tell them to bring back Speed Channel.
What does Regis know about racking? Nothing bring speed back
I admit, I am not enjoying Crowd Goes Wild, and the ratings aren’t good either. I don’t see this show lasting.
I am with the rest of this disgruntled bunch!! Having to change lanes – pardon the pun – at the age of 77 ha been a bummer for my hubby!!
But please emphasize the fact that Fox News has absolutely nothing to do with this move!!
Fox News has nothing to do with this, it’s Fox Sports that made the decision.
Absolutely the last thing we needed on direct, another ESPN. Sports channel? Really! Ok, I know it’s not ESPN, but enough already!!! Give me Speed! Don’t you guys get that, we got football analysis, baseball, Tennis, Golf, Basketball, heck we even got hockey, I’ll never watch fox sports, I want my speed channel back!!!
Thanks for commenting! You have to contact Fox Sports to tell them you want Speed Channel back!
Cant believe it. There’s enought of all that stuff on already, don’t need another channel with football. Speed was my favorite channel and that’s what all the guys at work talked about. We were all Speed channel fans and are so mad that it is gone. I haven’ turned on a Fox channel and will not watch any fox channel for now on. What a shame. Put speed back on!
Only Fox Sports channels is what you should avoid. You can still watch Fox News and your local FOX station. I do hope someone will start up a channel like the late Speed Channel.
Is there enough of the Speed Infrastructure left to rebuild ? Or did Fox skim that away too along with the high-end advertising $ that once funded Speed and its broadcast talent
pool? Profitability is the only language programmers know. If Fox , in its ownership tenure,
has looted all that once was Speed, what did they leave us to rebuild? Bringing back the Speed we once knew is not unlike buying a recovered- theft croaker from the local Boneyard and trying to build a matching Serial Number restoration.
The Duck Dynasty model is the starting point. We need Good Local Speed shows with Niche markets sold into National Syndication. (and not Fox)
The Speed infrastructure is gone. There is a chance that another network could buy the old Speed shows to air. But it’s going to take another network to start up a channel like the old Speed Channel. FOX will sadly never bring back Speed.
It is very ironic the dismanteling of Speed Channel comes on the heels of Fox signing their newest deal with Nascar. I for one, feels Nascar is equally to blame for Speed Channels demise in that they did not have the foresight to have the “new deal” linked to the continuation of Speed Channel, or .. did Nascar even want Speed Channel around any longer. Nascar should take a pretty close look at itself in times like these, who made Nascar what it is today, the fans of course. Is it not a telling sign when even the banner races like the Brickyard have so many open seats, no longer sell outs. The thing to do is blame the economy, heavens no we have not run our fans away with the escalating ticket prices, heavens no we have not lost any fans due to the way some of the races are no longer available to be seen, by all means, with Speed Channel gone now the fans will return to the tracks in droves since they can not get their fill of Nascar news any longer.
It is too bad how Nascar manipulates its fans and the entire time snickering behind closed doors at the money that keeps rolling in. Remeber Nascar and race fans, there is a tomorrow and so far it surely appears Nascar has no desire to any longer support the fan base that got it to where it is today. Nascars thoughts, we put on a race the people will show up no matter what.
Good luck Nascar and Fox, the two of you belong together, i fear my loyalty to Nascar was switched off right along with the ending of Speed Channel. I know many freinds that feel the very same way.
I have my own feelings about NASCAR, like how I think the NASCAR racing schedule is way too long and should be trimmed back and the Sprint and Nationwide series needs to visit different tracks like dirt tracks. NASCAR needs to listen to their fanbase and make some changes, or you will keep seeing empty seats during the races on TV.
The announcement to rebrand speed was made in march and people were speculating that this would happen as far back as Jan 2012. If you wanted speed so bad you should have done all this back then. Its too late now Fox has moved on. Speed is dead and not coming back. The channel was no longer profitable. Not enough viewers were tuning in. Its a business and Fox had to make the right choice for their business. Its sad but it just didn’t pull in the viewers anymore.
FOX will never bring back Speed Channel, but another network like Velocity can fill the void left from Speed Channel being killed off. So I hope that what happens!
Best comments on this is for everyone to actually call or email all of FOXSports advertisers and complain that their products are at risk! You need to hit them in the wallet to actually get through the thick skull!
Yes, that is the only way things might change. Thanks for commenting!
Funny how some many people here are comparing this to the government but still not making the Fox News connection. Fox Media is a partners of the family that made this decision for you dummies. It might help for you to learn what your interests are before siding against them! I know you hate the government but it’s actually FOX that takes your money and then feeds you the programming they want you to see. Speed is gone because Fox took them away. Face reality already!
Look, Speed Channel will never come back. I wrote this post to talk about the frustrations from the fans who does not like Fox Sports 1.
I just finished firing off a couple of emails concerning Fox dropping Speed and replacing it with that ESPN wannbe they call Fox Sports 1. First one was to NASCAR and I let them know that I am boycotting all Fox-related channels, which includes all the NASCAR coverage on those channels. The second email was to a VP with Fox, stating that I will boycott any and all Fox channels, since they were stupid enough to remove the channel that interested me most (Speed!!!). And that also includes Fox News, since the money from them ultimately filters back to the same uber-rich pockets as the sports programming channels. I guess our only hope is that Velocity take over or that ABC/ESPN or NBC sees the lack of a dedicated motorsports channel and starts up a new channel for gearheads.
Your’re right, I don’t think FOX is going to bring back Speed Channel. So it’s going to take Velocity or another cable network to launch something like the late Speed Channel.
How about giving us a list of advertisers so that we can contact them directly. Truthfully I never pay much attention and usually mute them, except of course the Napa know how commercials. Will be happy to post to as many as possible. Also do you have a name at Velocity we could contact and let them know there is a “ready made” audience waiting for the right channel to pick up where SPEED left off. Thanks.
About advertisers, all you have to do is watch the commercials on Fox Sports 1 to find out who is advertising. Then contact those advertisers! It’s impossible to find every advertiser on Fox Sports 1, unless you are watching Fox Sports 1 24/7. As for Velocity and Discovery Communications, You can contact them via viewer relations at: http://corporate.discovery.com/contact/viewer-relations/
Bring back my speed channel and all the shows.
I hear you! Many people are wanting Speed Channel back!
I am ready to get rid of cable altogether and go to the phone co. internet, Netflix and digital antenna route. Without the Speed Channel, cable to me is not worth paying for anymore. The cable co. can thank faux 1 for this and the others who will follow, as cable tv sucks in general. ALOT of people in my community had cable mainly for Speed. With better and cheaper viewer-chosen programing available, cable can just keep on shoving crap down the throats of viewers in hopes they will accept it, and the people WILL find better alternatives. FWIW I enjoyed the Barrett-Jackson auctions, as long as they were current, and not just the highlights of the auctions. Also I have NEVER heard of this “Velocity” channel, heck I can’t, and wont pay $120-140 a month for another bunch of nonsense crap premium channels just to get one other channel. It was bad enough to pay $60 a month just for Speed. Where I live, the channels like “MAV TV”, and others of the like have long been moved to the absolute most expensive top pricing tier with channels like hbo, showtime, etc. as filler channels so you don’t feel so ripped off. I don’t care for ANY of those “premium” channels, and actually despise a couple of them for their blatant political bias.
how do we all get speed channel back or equal
there are POWER IN NUMBERS
& I FEEL WE ALL can push someone to build another
& it better be FREE
I FEEL NASCAR & THE family of fans together can make it happen
but we need a leader in the fight
Sadly Fox will not bring back Speed Channel, you need to support other channels like Velocity.
YouTube has plenty of car and racing videos you can view for free. Or better yet, go out to a local track and watch some racing!
Quote: “Just in case the Fox Network forgot, the south and most of America has many car enthusiast” unquote. Did Fox forget? Or do they think at all? Most of the southern viewer’s
Are NASCAR! Most of America are home builder’s as well as enthusiast. Velocity is good
But does not have enough variety as the Speed Channel. What kind of research did Fox
Assess? There are already too many “Sport Channels” already. I sampled, viewed FOX1
And it’s just plain Mediocre sports, And in no way a comparison to the almighty ESPN.
Television is all about the viewer’s, And with that equals the most feared Network word,
Ratings! Low ratings, you are bye-bye. I checked my local listing and good grief! Fox already
List 2 other sport channels and no motor sports. This move will definitely put FOX’s reputation
On the line as a whole. Who am I to say?? I’m a viewer. if I don’t like to watch something, I
Change the channel.
If you don’t like something, you have to change the channel. No doubt, many people are upset about Speed Channel being killed off. Thanks for commenting!
Looks as if the fans are responding to the loss of Speed Channel. After watching the Bristol Fiasco on TV last Saturday night, I can not remember seeing empty seats at this race in ages. How did you get the scoop on the MWR and Penske scandals, from that little ticker tape on bottom of ESPN, yay, so informative. Incidentally, Speed Channel used to come in on the upper band of my cable and required the decode box to use this channe, the new FOX Sprts too that spot, oops, forgot to mention i returned the cable box went back to the basic cable service, so much for my 5 bucks a month to FOX !!!! Please NASCAR put em all on Pay Per View then the memories of the Daytona 500 initial telecast can go into the Hall of Fame and all that free television filled with paid commercials did for the sport. I must say, The Chase 2013 has already lost me as an avid fan.
NASCAR is going to need it’s own sports network just like the other major sports leagues that have their own channels. Will they create their own or partner with a current channel like Velocity, we will see? I have noticed the empty stands during the Sprint Cup races which is never good for the sport.
the only time I watch Fox Sports 1 is when NASCAR is on…….I now watch Spike, Velocity, MAVTV (MAV has some good Sprint Car racing on and even some Super Modifieds at times) I really hope one of these channels will realize the opportunity out there and pick up some of the shows. By the way Gearz is starting a new season next month on Volocity!c
Good for Gearz! MAV Tv has got to improve on getting more cable and satellite operators to pick them up. Velocity used to be HD Theater and is available on most cable systems but is in HD only. Someone will start offering more car/racing programming soon.
Another way of Corporations slighting the working man, and what can we do about it. We as TV watchers need to stick together and find a solution to this. Email one another and Communicate. Don’t stand by and let us be run over and over. And by the way, I have never seen the empty stands as there have been. Is this saying something?
Yep, the empty seats have gotten larger. The best thing everyone can do is to contact Discovery Communications and your local cable or satellite company to add Velocity and MAV TV.
I’m furious about this… I called direct tv and canceled my account. Don’t know what idiot decided to get rid of the speed channel.. I’ve complained to anyone that would listen… BRING THE SPEED CHANNEL BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! IDIOTS I HOPE YOUR COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT…….
The frustration over Speed Channel being axed continues. I really hope another network will use this opportunity to please the car and racing fans!
Fox Sports1 ??? What a bunch of scum sucking Philistines. One good sports channel not over-run by Amos N Andy and they steal that too and try to integrate their agenda onto Speed watchers.
Yep, Fox wanted to feature a wide variety of sports on one network. To do this, they angered a major fanbase!
SERIOUSLY!!!!!!! NOW THERE REALLY IS NOTHING TO WATCH!!!! IF THERE WAS NOTHING MY WIFE LIKED ON, THE $80 SATELLITE BILL WOULD BE GONE TOO!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep, and the Fox NASCAR stuff was on Fox Sports 2 this weekend which many people don’t get.