• Ad Age, Tuesday, December 19, 2006 11:45 AM

When DirecTV's Hotpass service launches five Nascar channels next month, sponsors will have an unusual opportunity: Each channel will be dedicated to a specific driver, with the lineup changing weekly. The team sponsor will have exclusive logo space throughout the race--and possibly even more airtime during commercials.

During every local break, the corresponding channel's team will have a minute to devote to advertising of its choice. "Some teams may choose to talk about merchandise, some may choose to talk about their driver's winery," says Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DirecTV Entertainment. But either way, "no corporate sponsor has ever had the opportunity to have their own channel for three-and-a-half hours."

Channels will also come with announcers that will tailor commentary specifically toward the channel's driver. For instance, calling the race from the perspective of Dale Earnhardt Jr., is a chance for embedded advertising, says Jon Gieselman, senior vice president-advertising and public relations. "There'd be plenty of opportunities to talk about things Budweiser is doing or the team's doing. It comes naturally as part of the race broadcast. It's a much more specific, much richer experience for your individual team."

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