Free to air F1 likely to end

[Skeeter]

Oh christ, just when things had calmed down, here we go again.

But hey, you know what they say, any publicity is good publicity, ain't that right Bernie.

And just to clear some things up, the original contract that the BBC had from 2009 for 5 years (to the end of 2013) is no longer valid. It was replaced with the sharing deal with Sky that runs until 2017 (end of, I beleive). So unless the BBC can strike another contract change, or someone buys them out of their contract, they will have obligations to show F1 until 2017. To what extent that coverage has to be we can only guess at. The orignal contract that expired next year is not in effect.

And if you wan't to make comparisons between Sky and BBC you have to work on a % of potential audience, and using those figures Sky is around the same as BBC was last year.

 

[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.

 

[Flibster]

Given that the BBC have turned down highly successful TV shows as it's not an audience they want, have virtually no other sport on, spent 900 million on an unneeded move to Salford...

Why would they want F1? It's a minority audience show.

They could have something like "Britain may have talent, but none will appear on this show" garbage on instead that will make them money.

 

[FreeStream]

Oh for heavens sake.

What a joke.

I love the BBC coverage and for one won't be getting sky!

 

[Skeeter]

Why would they want F1? It's a minority audience show.

This is the reality that most people refuse to accept.

We may think we are die hard fans of a massively popular sport, but in reality we are overwhelmingly overshadowed by a lot of other sports like Golf and Tennis, and sports that are far cheaper to cover.

Its impossible to support an F1 broadcasting package without subscriptions and adverts. Its as simple as that.

 

[arknor]

Where have those figures come from, as they aren't especially clear:

Sky Live - 738k (6.2%)
* race average - 1.4m
* peak - 1.6m

So if the race average is 1.4m, what is the 738k figure being quoted?

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=112436&st=520

738k
is the program average ie people whpo watch the build up etc aswell as the race

 

[Goksly]

Thought the deal was supposed to safe guard f1 till 2017?

 

[GravyMonster]

It only means that the BBC has to show F1 in some form until 2017. The details of the contract aren't public, but it could be as simple as a 30 minute highlight program for each race, or it could be a continuation of the half-live deal of this year.

 

[413x]

Meh nearly to the point where I cba at all, I almost considered the hd pack but no way the sports pack

 

[Housey]

A Bernie brain fart to get the BBC to pay more.

 

[Skeeter]

A Bernie brain fart to get the BBC to pay more.

How would that work? The BBC have a contract until 2017. Its a little early if he's playing the 2018 contract negotiation game.

 

[~Mike~]

Bernie Bernie Bernie Bernie Bernie Bernie Bernie Bernie.........








Money Money Money Money Money Money Money Money.........










The little dwarf can go and **************************************

* insert your own profanity

/rant over

 

[phil-k]

Why doesnt the BBC just take on Indycar where they actually do some overtaking

 

[mranderson]

Pure marketing tricks. If viewer numbers go down they will have to rethink their strategy. People have more important things to worry about - and as they pulled the plug from the Turkish GP they will have to do the same with Sky if numbers/publicity decline. Consumers are the ones that dictate what is going to happen - not B or anybody else.

 

[.:MBK:.]

honestly, as long as the race remains ad free i wont lose much sleep, even if the sky team could use some work.

if they do an ITV though i will be a lot less inclined to bother with the sport anymore

 

[deuse]

honestly, as long as the race remains ad free i wont lose much sleep, even if the sky team could use some work.

if they do an ITV though i will be a lot less inclined to bother with the sport anymore

Someone said(on the BBC site) that from 2013 there will be adds in the race.

On a side note..Mclaren GT3 is on pole for the race come on Lewis do the same.

 

[Skeeter]

Why doesnt the BBC just take on Indycar where they actually do some overtaking

Because I can count the number of Indycar fans in the UK on one hand.

Someone said(on the BBC site) that from 2013 there will be adds in the race.

Nothing has been confirmed, but all the Sky advertising for the SSF1 channel included lines like "uninterrupted races for 2012", which has firmly cemented doubt in my mind. There will be no adverts during any races the BBC also has live though, as everyone able to watch the Sky coverage will also have BBC, meaning the moment they put an advert on everyone will turn over to BBC and stay there.

 

[arknor]

canada
race average 1.63m, peak 1.77m for Sky
BBC's highlights programme had 2.3m, peaking as soon as it began with 3.1m. The figures are the lowest since 2006.

almost 1m turned into radio5 live to listen to the race
https://twitter.com/JennieGow/status/212213836198064129

 

[Skeeter]

Before you get to carried away, how many people watched the Italy v Spain match that was on at the same time?

 

[Tute]

I prefer the BBC coverage personally. At the moment I watch the non-BBC races on Sky as we have it in the house, however I don't pay for it and probably won't bother with it when me and the girlfriend get a place of our own. It'll be Freeview HD and if F1 is Sky only then they can go **** themselves.