F1 for sale?

Fergie

Fergie

Fergie

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11 Jan 2005
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In the news today, there Is talk of News Corp and Carlos Slim and one mystery F1 team...(1 guess..) trying to buy the commercial rights to F1.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/19/formula-one-takeover-talks-murdoch

If this was to happen, could it signal the end of F1 as a free to air sport? The end of Bernie?! :eek:

There is talk of F1 being too expensive for the BBC and them jacking it in at the end of their contract (2013?). Would be a shame as IMO F1 coverage has never been better.
 
Not necessarily, the Formula 1 administration is owned by a private equity firm (CVC holdings). Institutional investors will invest large amounts in to often distressed/failing companies. Their returns come when the company is then sold off or IPO'ed, that's what we are seeing here.
 
My initial thoughts were "F1 goes to Sky! NOOOOOOO!"

But then reading it a bit more, that is very very unlikely. The Competition watchdogs will not be happy with allowing a company to own both a broadcasting network, and the broadcasting rights to something. If anything did come of this, I could see there being clauses that state that F1 cannot go to Sky (or at least to Sky Sports).

I cannot see the BBC keeping F1. They are doing very very well, but it must be very expensive for them with little return. At least if News Corp buy it they will have the funds to plow into it to keep the coverage good, wherever it goes.

I think we will see adverts back though :(. But I wouldn't expect to see F1 on Sky Sports if Murdoch buys it.

I also cannot see Bernie loosening his grip on F1 while he is still in charge either.
 
Pitpass have a good article rubbishing this at the moment :)

EDIT:

Skeeter said:
My initial thoughts were "F1 goes to Sky! NOOOOOOO!"

If anything did come of this, I could see there being clauses that state that F1 cannot go to Sky (or at least to Sky Sports).
Click to expand...

This is already in place - it must be broadcast on a free to air channel unless a suitable broadcaster is not available.
 
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DRZ said:
This is already in place - it must be broadcast on a free to air channel unless a suitable broadcaster is not available.
Click to expand...

Yep, they had the exact same thing in place for The Ashes... which is now on Sky.

Any contract can be broken providing the money is right. However, I dont think News Corp could buy F1 and then put it on Sky for legal reasons, which are a lot more difficult to 'pay off' :).

I'm not being negative, I'm just being realistic. If Murdoch wants this enough, he will get it, but I cant see it happening while Bernie is still in control, and I cant see F1 being exclusively on Sky if News Corp buy it either.
 
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It's not popular enough in this country to warrant going to sky. It would cripple the viewing figures if they did. Lots of people would just cease to care.

Channel 5 could buy it and at the end of each race we could vote off an old driver to put heidfeld in their place.
 
"We interupt this Channel 5 Presentation of 'Formula 1 - The British Grand Prix' to bring you this breaking news..."

"OMG Jordan is pregnant!"

"We now return you to the Channel 5 Presentation of 'Formula 1 - The British Grand Prix'"
 
No to Murdoch and Sky.

Lets hope a new Concorde Agreement gets signed that keeps the agreement that the sport should be shown on free-to-air television where possible.

It's is the interests of the car manufacturers/teams that its on free-to-air.

This is one time when we need Bernie, to kick Murdoch's ass.
 
Skeeter said:
My initial thoughts were "F1 goes to Sky! NOOOOOOO!"

But then reading it a bit more, that is very very unlikely. The Competition watchdogs will not be happy with allowing a company to own both a broadcasting network, and the broadcasting rights to something. If anything did come of this, I could see there being clauses that state that F1 cannot go to Sky (or at least to Sky Sports).

I cannot see the BBC keeping F1. They are doing very very well, but it must be very expensive for them with little return. At least if News Corp buy it they will have the funds to plow into it to keep the coverage good, wherever it goes.

I think we will see adverts back though :(. But I wouldn't expect to see F1 on Sky Sports if Murdoch buys it.

I also cannot see Bernie loosening his grip on F1 while he is still in charge either.
Click to expand...

I think I could begrudgingly accept adverts if they came back so long as they were not during the race, that used to wind me up rotten on ITV :(
 
Oh Bugger...

On the other hand this could be hilarious as Bernie might be selling off the bits that are completely useless to people who dont keep up, then we get a new F1 series...
 
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