Whoa, there, Trigger. What kind of national ratings do you think MotoGP is going to pull initially in the U.S.? Not big ones would be my guess. And since I have at least a scrap of knowledge about how the T.V. business works, it's not unreasonable to say that ABC is taking somewhat of a chance. They could certainly choose far less imaginative programming and pull better ratings in the short term.
Of course, I happen to think it's a good bet. Motorcycle racing, particulary MotoGP, is IMO the most compelling form of motorsport by a long way. And I think it's got a good chance to gain traction (as I've bloviated about on this site before), if given better exposure. This is the first step. If ABC sees some kind of future here, I give them lots of credit for having some foresight.
And the reason you don't see NASCAR races tape delayed is because they pull massive ratings in the U.S., even as boring as it is.
"Your average American will turn it off when they see that there are no choppers involved."
Exactly.
(And exactly what every other network who hasn't decided to air MotoGP was probably thinking.)
P.S. The chopper craze, at least on T.V. and surely soon to follow with the general public, has finally jumped the shark. Praise be to God.