Free to air F1 likely to end

[Duke]

We knew it was coming, but could be sooner rather than later - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jun/07/bernie-ecclestone-formula-one-free-bbc

Bernie Ecclestone has signalled that Formula One could drop its free‑to‑air television coverage on the BBC since the exposure it gets through the pay‑per‑view broadcaster Sky is sufficient on its own. It follows the announcement on Thursday that the rights to broadcast live F1 races in Italy have been sold to Sky Italia in a deal which further reduces the sport's free-to-air coverage.

This year, for the first time in the modern history of F1, not all races are being broadcast in full on free-to-air TV in the UK. At an estimated cost of £25m annually Sky is broadcasting all races, qualifying and practice sessions live while the BBC is paying around £15m to show half of the races live with delayed highlights of the others. "We will never move all countries to pay‑per‑view only though it wouldn't make any difference here in the UK," said Ecclestone.

I can't remember how many years the BBC had left on the original contract, but it seems to be changing again.

 

[Duke]

if sky changed the package so that i could pay for access to that channel on a race by race basis and be advert free i'd be quite happy to pay that.

I think they need to have something like that in the contract with FOM. Some sort of pay per weekend/season for those that don't want the whole sports package.

 

[Duke]

Just get the HD pack as it's only £10 and gets you SSF1 - it's what I do.

The only things I miss from the sports pack are Eurosport for MotoGP, WTCC and Le Mans, and SS2 for NASCAR and Indycar.

I meant really for those on VM who have to have the the sports pack to get F1 channel or those on Freesat/Freeview. But yeah for Sky viewers, the HD pack isn't too bad.

 

[Duke]

I've watched a mixture of BBC and Sky. As I'm using Sky Go which is in SD, then I tend to watch the BBC when they do it live as its in HD. To me both are much the same so am happy to watch either.

 

[Duke]

streams are **** quality,(even if I had the quality of bt phone line to get a decent net speed), so thats out - and Im not allowed Sky in my building

Sky Go is watchable. Would be nice to have it in HD at some point (even 720p).

 

[Duke]

Since the BBC lost full live rights I have not watched a single F1 race this year. Thanks BBC, I have my weekends back.

lol bitter much?