BBC possibly to drop F1 coverage...

[Darkman]

Bonkers!

It was the only thing worth paying a license fee for. Now if we want to carry on we effectively have to pay twice. All the talk about F1 staying free to air was clearly just that.

Money talks!

 

[DTWD]

+1 Will just download the races and watch after..

That's fine, but it will be sky's coverage and presenting team. Hardly a draw is it?

 

[Glaucus]

Don't forget to tweet

#F1FansDontWantSky

Won't do anything, but got to vent.

 

[Glaucus]

Bonkers!

It was the only thing worth paying a license fee for. Now if we want to carry on we effectively have to pay twice. All the talk about F1 staying free to air was clearly just that.

Money talks!

Unfortunately the alternatives aren't there yet. Can't wait for on demand tv to take of. So I can pay for what I watch and get rid of tv license.

Netflix is coming latter this year. So that will be the start, but I doubt will include that much.

 

[GeezerButler]

What a ridiculous situation. The BBC bit is obviously a half hearted attempt to convince sponsors and teams that there will still be a significant free to air audience. It's a joke that the BBC sport director announces this butchered coverage while also talking about how high the viewing figures are. How does that make sense? As for it being still free to air in Europe - nice kick in the teeth for the UK, the country that is the real home of the sport.

 

[Grrrrr]

The BBC might as well saved all their money as far as I'm concerned. There is no way I'm paying for sky sports and I'm not going to watch only half a season of races. That's it for me and following F1.

This.

I really hope viewing figures drop to such small numbers sponsors and advertisers start pulling out.

 

[JHeaton]

I can't see it being something they're totally happy with, especially the sponsors. But I doubt it will change anything, really. Bernie has obviously made up his mind on this.

Hmm, maybe they're making a bigger noise than I expected.

@emmastonier Huge news re #F1 and broadcasting rights this morning. Somehow I don't see this being the last of it. Teams adamant they want free-to-air..

...coverage. New Concorde Agreement due soon so wonder how set in stone this deal is. BBC have done an amazing job to date @jakehumphreyf1

Still don't see where it will go, though.

 

[gsf600y]

Sky getting F1 has been on the cards for ages really.

I don't like it, I'm not willing to pay for it, but lots of people have Sky already, lots of people have Virgin TV already (where you can get Sky Sports), and lots will be fine with half the races.

Zero F1 fans watching on Freeview/Sat will be happy, but it's not the end of the world. Watch half, listen to half on the radio (I know it isn't the same, but the excitement is still there).
Lots of us I expect miss some of the races anyway, we'll just have to make sure it isnt the BBC ones now!

 

[Wicksta]

Bernie, is actually going to kill f1 in his desperation to get cvc some money

Yeah because top flight football in England died when it moved to Sky didn't it.

I'm actually quite glad about this decision, it could have been a lot lot worse if Five or someone had got the coverage. Sky don't do things by halves so those who are willing to pay will get decent coverage (I have Sky Sports anyway). We'll still have FP and qualifying on BBC as well. BBC looked to be losing F1 completely so this really isn't a bad call. Well done Bernie.

 

[Skii]

Essentially the end of me following the sport too. I have Virgin Media so I won't ever switch to Sky. What a shame.

Exactly the same here. Massively dissapointing news and goodbye F1 in my household afaik. I'm not interested in half a season.

 

[ukpolska]

All this is going to do is drive the pirating world into extremes and you will see Sky Sports pirate streams popping up all over the place, and TBH if it happens well sod em....

So mad about this I could spit feathers...!!!

 

[ci_newman]

I have a cunning solution.. are there any European FTA broadcasters that I can tune into and then just listen to the BBC Radio commentary over the top?

 

[Glaucus]

There we go if you don't have subscription tv and you want to watch in hd, it will cost you £610 a year.
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/07/29/keeping-f1-freetoair/
That's £61 per race

And isn't hd £10 a month so still £49 per race in sd.

 

[gsf600y]

Yeah because top flight football in England died when it moved to Sky didn't it.

He's right, this is not going to kill F1 in any way shape or form. It's too big worldwide, and whilst it's massive in the UK, and a major part of F1 is based in the UK, the TV audience reduction of several million is not going to kill F1.

...I have a 6 month old daughter and she seems to love f1, we both watch it together .....I sort of had this dream of her growing up watching it and we could share something.

I was in the same boat with my Son. Now it's just "Oh Dad, not Formula 1"

That's £61 per race

When you put it like that, there's no way I'll be getting Sky for it. Of course, you could attempt to justify it through all the other content you'd be getting, but if you were not interested in Sky before, you're just tricking yourself.

 

[Glaucus]

Sky getting F1 has been on the cards for ages really.

I don't like it, I'm not willing to pay for it, but lots of people have Sky already, lots of people have Virgin TV already (where you can get Sky Sports), and lots will be fine with half the races.

Zero F1 fans watching on Freeview/Sat will be happy, but it's not the end of the world. Watch half, listen to half on the radio (I know it isn't the same, but the excitement is still there).
Lots of us I expect miss some of the races anyway, we'll just have to make sure it isnt the BBC ones now!

O think you underestimate.

Listening to sports on radio sucks, many people are not going to do it.

And even if you have sky/virgin it's an extra £14-35 a month for sky sports.
Again weekly fans are not going to just watch half a season, the only people who will do that is casual fans.

 

[Ysmalari]

What is this going to do to the finances of F1? Just look at the ridiculous debts the Premiership has run up under their deal with Sky.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I won't pay £30+ a month just to watch the Sky coverage.

The fact theyre keeping half the races on the BBC makes no sense either. Drop it or keep it. It's going to be annoying trying to keep track of which races are highlights, and which get full coverage.

Downloading for me then!

 

[ci_newman]

Surely this paves the way for other subscription-based services to pick up the coverage elsewhere in the world?

 

[englishpremier]

That's fine, but it will be sky's coverage and presenting team. Hardly a draw is it?

most people watch F1 for the racing, not the numpties in front of the camera though.

 

[Wicksta]

The only problem listening to Five Live on top of another FTA feed is that the audio will be out of sync, I tried it before when Murray was on Five Live a few years ago and it was unwatchable due to being 5-10 seconds out.