The availability of sports on the video stream or download platform has exploded in the last few years. The first big push came from the Olympics and now the 2006 World Cup has added a lot of interest. We’ve posted on this year’s World Cup presence and its effect on the market. This week fans of racing and motor sports will have even more ways to catch their favorite sports.

The Fox-owned automotive themed channel SPEED has launched its broadband VOD site. Called simply "SPEED on Demand", the site offers pay-per-view video from all aspects of the motor sports world. It also offers free highlights and interviews for the past week’s action in NASCAR, Grand Prix, Supercross and other motor sports. This isn’t the first time SPEED has had video online. As part of various deals with its parent company Fox and iTunes and Fox’s recent development of the MySpace.com video store, SPEED has had episodes of several of its original shows offered for sale, including “Pinks” and “Unique Whips” on MySpace and iTunes.

As reported on Motorsport.com, SPEED has expanded its online offerings and will carry races, pre-race shows and interviews form this year’s US Grand Prix.

The United States Grand Prix on SPEED only starts from there. SPEED, which has carried Formula One motor racing in the United States for 10 years, will offer the world's first interactive broadband Formula One viewing experience through its SPEED on Board Pass platform. U.S. race fans will be able to log onto SPEEDtv.com, click the 'SPEED on Board Pass' icon and for $14.99, be able to toggle between five unique, LIVE on-board camera feeds featuring every car on the grid. A sixth camera will be fixed in a high-action location as well.

Most of the content on SPEEDtv.com is priced at around $1.99 per race or episode. As discussed here and across the web, online video as the potential to capture specialty markets and give them what they want. In the US, events like Supercross or European style racing would be smaller markets that would gain from this exposure.