Formula 1 2019 Freeview Viewing?

[MissChief]

I would take out the £10 a month for Sky F1 if they hadn't annoyed me with the last bill increase. Sure its only an extra £2 a month on just the ents package but I feel like them telling you the price after 18 months should mean the price is set for those 18 months. Broadband users could leave penalty free but not those under a TV deal. All its made me do is make a note to kill sky off when I reach the end of the contract. So I hope they enjoy the extra £28 over the remaining 14 months of my contract.

TV Price increase is written into the T's and C's so it's not grounds to leave.

 

[Valo]

No pausing, no recording and little in the way of F1 replays. usually all that's available on demand is a highlights show, not the full GP so unless you're actually going to be in to watch them then you'll be stuck with downloadable highlights.

Don't know if it's actually worth it. I also think that the viewing quality is limited to 720p as well.
Anyone actually used the NowTV F1 season pass?

I really wish the full F1 TV streaming service was available in the UK. Granted that too has had it's teething problems but I'd imagine that'll develop quicker in to a more complete product than Sky with the next few years.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Sadly I suspect that by the time the Sky deal ends, viewership will be at an all-time low.

 

[Tweaker]

Called up, got a reduction on the standard package to £13 and sky for £10, interestingly they offered all the sport for £13.

 

[lordrobs]

I'll be watching on C4 this year but i do feel i should start to ween myself away from F1 as it looks like it's going to be impossible to watch it without paying stupid amounts or going illegal moving forward

I've been watching since i was old enough to understand what was going on in the mid 90's and it's a real shame that i feel like i'm being pushed out as i just can't afford to pay insane sky prices

I'm going to enjoy the highlights this year and then, assuming another deal hasn't been struck, I'll just not watch anymore.

Maybe I'll pick it up again if it goes true pay to view (per race through Amazon or Google for example) but I don't really want to rope myself into another annual subscription I get little use out of and have to negotiate annually to not get shafted. Its bad enough with the broadband, two lots of car insurance and energy bills

 

[DanielSon]

i garbed the now tv deal this week, as a 30 something i still enjoy the weekends coverage, come home from work on Fridays and watch the practice reruns is a nice way to relax and start the weekend.

150 last year was about right imo if its going to be a paid coverage. 195 is a bit step but if you work it out per hour of coverage ill watch its not so bad.

hoping merc and Ferrari is a close competition this year.

 

[Kevin Clark]

Channel 4 have got highlights from 2-4pm on Sunday.

 

[Entai]

Must have missed the announcement earlier in the year, but only noticed yesterday that Sky F1 are showing all Indycar qualifying and every race live this year

 

[chrcoluk]

Yeah channel 4 presenters were better in my view.

I hate croft.

Sky they over concentrate on telling you whats happening and seem to not like going against f1 politics.

Also sky seem to have got rid of their best 2 guys now to make it even worse.

I think liberty have/were trying to find a way out of the sky contract as they want to go down the free to air route to maximise eye balls, and then charge extra for things like extra cam views etc.

 

[MissChief]

Yeah channel 4 presenters were better in my view.

I hate croft.

Sky they over concentrate on telling you whats happening and seem to not like going against f1 politics.

Also sky seem to have got rid of their best 2 guys now to make it even worse.

I think liberty have/were trying to find a way out of the sky contract as they want to go down the free to air route to maximise eye balls, and then charge extra for things like extra cam views etc.

Trying being the operative word. Say what you want about Sky but the contract is tighter than a gnat's chuff. Their lawyers have done an amazing job and breaking it would likely cost Liberty billions.

I still have £11 Entertainment codes available. Add on F1 and get it all for £21pm for 18 months! Include IndyCar on a 'several seasons' deal as well as other options like Game of Thrones, Westworld and many others and the ability to record, pause and rewind and you're onto a winner IMO!

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Billions?

They could pay them off (at a guess I’d say millions is more realistic) but they are probably just waiting for the contract to lapse so they can run it on their terms.

If Liberty can make the F1TV platform successful in other countries then I think they’ll consider jumping sooner.

Sky are probably worried that F1TV will shaft them out of subscribers so they can’t afford to be too restrictive with Liberty.

 

[MissChief]

Billions?

They could pay them off (at a guess I’d say millions is more realistic) but they are probably just waiting for the contract to lapse so they can run it on their terms.

If Liberty can make the F1TV platform successful in other countries then I think they’ll consider jumping sooner.

Sky are probably worried that F1TV will shaft them out of subscribers so they can’t afford to be too restrictive with Liberty.

Sky have exclusive rights from 2019 through to the end of 2024. Why would they agree to allow F1TV into the UK? Their contract is watertight and signed with Formula One Management prior to Liberty's takeover. They've paid as much as £1 billion for five years exclusive coverage. They'll be wanting that money back as a minimum, as well as compensation for the potential loss of subscribers if even FTA coverage is allowed, never mind F1TV launching. Maybe not 'billions' as that implies two or more, but I'm pretty sure Sky will either say 'no chance matey' or 'Sure, £1.5Bn please Mr Liberty person Sir' or similar.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Why would they agree to allow F1TV into the UK?

If F1TV becomes as good as I think it could, there will be lots of people with VPNs who would jump at the chance of ditching sky for a more a la carte F1 experience.

Liberty will protect themselves against litigation from sky by taking some or banning some users but secretly they’ll be loving the extra revenue from people who just want to pay to watch f1.

Doesn’t bother me either way, there are ways to watch it without paying (legally or not) but money talks and I wouldn’t be surprised if the deal ends before 2024

 

[timmeh]

I thought F1TV were blocking a lot of VPNs?

You could always try a VPN + SlingTV, HuluLive, DirecTVNOW and then watch the races via the ESPN website, although they probably block VPNs too.

 

[pastymuncher]

I know it's not live but we just received next weeks telly magazine and C4 have a 90 minute qualifying highlights from 12.00-13.30 on Saturday and 2 hour race highlights from 14.00-16.00 on Sunday so they could easily cover all of qualifying and the race in those. I will watch qualifying and the race on Sky, which I only have for another 6 weeks, then will have a look at C4's coverage to see what it's like as that is likely to be my F1 cover after Sky finishes. At least that moron Croft isn't on C4!!

 

[Kevin Clark]

Some details here about the ch4 coverage. Sounds like they're quite restricted from the deal Bernie did.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/47542802

 

[chrcoluk]

indeed, was here to post it.

Sky has imposed a series of restrictions on C4 in the contract for the highlights races, which will affect both the race coverage itself, and what happens around it.

For example, only 50% of the total running time of C4's programme can now be taken up by the on-track coverage - down from between 60-70% last year. They are not allowed to do interviews in what is known as the 'pen' - where all the drivers are taken to do a round-robin of broadcasters after qualifying and race - or in the pit lane. Any 'pen' interviews they use will have to come from Sky. The amount of interviews C4 can do in the paddock is restricted. And they have been forbidden from doing a 'grid walk'.

sky pulling all the stops to get people to pay a premium for their coverage.

 

[Jokester]

Looks like I probably won’t be watching much F1 this season then.

 

[Entai]

I would put a lot of money on the fact that Sky will be doing a lot of behind the scenes negotiating over the next few years so that they will get the F1TV stream and pass it on to their subscribers after 2024.

I would imagine Liberty would be far happier with a billion or two guaranteed cash up front, than hope that they can draw that many subscribers by only running the stream themselves and not allowing access by Sky.

The thing is for every one subscriber Sky loose because the subscriber thinks it is expensive, they will be gaining between 5 to 10 new ones not caring about the price.

 

[lordrobs]

Some details here about the ch4 coverage. Sounds like they're quite restricted from the deal Bernie did.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/47542802

As someone who will not pay for Sky the contents of that article are quite positive for me in places;

The deal contains a requirement that the British Grand Prix and extended highlights of the remaining races must be on free-to-air television.

So highlights aren't going from freeview, they simply haven't decided who will have them year on year. I'd be amazed if no one snaps them up, even if offered as a real last minute deal. I really like the Channel 4 coverage but even if they don't get the highlights they have to offer them to someone.

Also, highlights can only be up to 50% of the coverage... well as long as Channel 4 are happy to dedicate a chunk of time for the program as a whole then that won't be a problem. 1 hour build up, 1.5 hours of race, 30 minutes of post race analysis... sounds good to me.

Losing the grid walk is a blow because of the rapport that DC and Webber have with the drivers.

Losing Chandock is no real loss in my eyes and as much as I liked Wolff's contributions she always had to play it a bit safe when talking about certain teams, for obvious reasons