Rumour: BBC looking to end it's F1 coverage deal early

GravyMonster · 14 Mar 2011 at 13:05

http://old.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=401996

Motorsport.com said:
British media reports say the national broadcaster BBC is considering abandoning its television coverage of Formula One.

The move, with senior managers reportedly also considering dropping coverage of the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament, is amid the BBC coming under pressure to cut 20 per cent from its budget by 2014.

The Guardian said the BBC, having taken over Britain's F1 coverage from commercial broadcaster ITV in 2009, currently spends 40 million pounds ($64 million) on the sport per year.

The current contract runs until 2014.

A report in the Daily Mail said F1 is a "non-peaktime product" for the BBC, with its cost "seen in some quarters as an extravagance at a time when cuts are desperately needed".

A BBC spokesman said: "We are looking at a range of ideas and it would be wrong to comment on what is speculation."

The BBC F1 coverage is the best there has ever been. While I wouldn't mind them trimming the coverage slightly, maybe less build up, maybe have 1 group of pitlane reporters cover both TV and 5Live rather than the current setup.

How about axing crappy talent shows? Snooker? Move Only Connect to BBC3 and axe BBC4?

Anything other than having Sky buy the rights please. We'd end up having to pay £15 a race or something knowing Murdoch and his money grabbing shenanegans.

GravyMonster · 14 Mar 2011 at 17:12

Goksly said:
They wouldn't trim the coverage, as that means they are getting less for their money - Bernie won't say 'if you cut an hour off, I'll give you £4mil back...'.

Very true.

Still there is a long list of pointless things which neither 'inform' nor 'entertain' which the BBC could get rid of first.

GravyMonster · 15 Mar 2011 at 14:28

Skeeter said:
This is a good point... IS there really anywhere else for it to go? I mean it has a habbit of being on at the same time as the 'sacred' football, and its also not very consistent in its timings. I doubt Sky would want it...

Sky would probably have it tucked away on SS2/3/4.

They didn't do a bad job with their coverage of A1GP, it was just a bit dull and lifeless with Georgie Thompson (who knows as much about motorsport as my toaster) presenting. Ben Edwards and John Watson were good commentators though.

GravyMonster · 15 Mar 2011 at 14:41

Exactly. Plus the added bonuses the Beeb brings of the forum on the red button and the highlights and full quali/race being shown on iPlayer.

More than covers the cost of the license fee IMO.