DirecTV Hot Pass
If you read other NASCAR blogs, you’ve probably noticed a few promoting DirecTV’s Hot Pass. The nice people at M80 marketing and DirecTV have approached several NASCAR bloggers to help promote their new service. Basically they devote coverage to your choice of one of 5 drivers each week. If you don’t have DirecTV, here is a sample:
I don’t have DirecTV. I tried to have it installed on my house, but the local installer said my tree in the front yard was blocking the dish. We needed a 31 degree angle, which struck me as odd since a satellite in outer space should be able to clear a 30 foot tree, but I digress. Ignoring the tree issue, Hot Pass definitely intrigues me. One of the best parts of NASCAR is the accessibility. Whether it is in-car video and audio, or interviews with the drivers and crew chiefs, fans get closer to the action and athletes than other sports. Fox, TNT and ESPN all use the in-car audio and video, but they don’t devote enough time to it. This is where DirecTV is able to pick up the ball and run with it. They offer up to five different cameras and you can watch up to three simultaneously. The best part is that each fan can select the driver they want to follow, or simply watch the mix channel which keeps an eye on the race as a whole. If ESPN becomes too infatuated with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s run, then switch to the channel featuring Tony Stewart or Kevin Harvick. Maybe you want to hear what Carl Edwards is saying about Matt Kenseth under caution, well that’s available too. There is also the fact that DirecTV goes to a split screen during commercial breaks, so the action is always on screen. If you already have DirecTV, HotPass is definitely something worth looking into.