Formula One - death of free to air coverage from the BBC?

The only other sport that I enjoy watching other than cycling is Formula One. Recent seasons have been some of the best racing I have seen in a long time and the BBC coverage has been excellent.
Now times are hard and the BBC (ever dependable to spend money wisely!) has decided to cut coverage to save money and full live coverage for the season is going to Sky Sports.
Good thing or a bad thing for Formula One and sport broadcasting in general in the UK - discuss?
Now times are hard and the BBC (ever dependable to spend money wisely!) has decided to cut coverage to save money and full live coverage for the season is going to Sky Sports.
Good thing or a bad thing for Formula One and sport broadcasting in general in the UK - discuss?
Summer - Dolan Tuono with Sram Force and Dura-Ace 7850 CL Carbon wheels
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
0
Posts
How will the children how can't afford Sky be inspired to become F1 drivers?
(I do like the idea that Sky are taking money off petrolheads to fund a cycling team)
I suspect it will be the same if F1 goes pay to view.
If the BBC had not broadcast any F1, the FTA rights may have had to go to Channel 4 from what I have read due to the Concorde Agreement with the teams.
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
Maybe it won't be the same today as there are so many more Sky viewers but I believe it will have an impact on the profile of F1.
Bernie is only interested in money, trouble is, all the value in F1 is in sponsorship from car manufacturers, etc. Take away a large part of the audience and their perceived value from formula 1 diminishes.
I just think this is the start of the beginning of the end for widely watched Formula 1 in the UK. And why would I fund the Murdoch's after they have been shown for what they represent?
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
However, if I was running a minority sport I don't think I'd ditch the free to air BBC for a company that anyone with a brain would not do business with.
I don't understand how people can be happy to pay up to £60 a month for telly that's still infested with adverts. Are people mental?
The only people without Sky are middle class families with consciences and an objection to funding a certain snake like aussie's pockets. For everyone else, it's the first thing to get along with your 52" LCD TV with your first unemployment / incapacity benefit cheque.
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44397853765
I think I can agree with that.
f1 isnt a sport
F1 is pretty boring, you see more passing every lap in Superbikes & MotoGP than in an entire F1 race.
Personally though I don't watch F1 so I wont miss it. I'd rather see the money spent on some decent drama or on sports coverage that might encourage people to get off their censored and have a go. If it winds up a few petrolheads so much the better.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
That was the good old days of 'Grandstand',World of Sport',Dickie Davies and David Coleman. Suddenly a new age came in of satellite tv and 'pay-for-view' and there was shedloads of cash which everyone wanted a share of. I notice that football fans don't object when their team is promoted and there is money available from TV rights. Same reason that J.Vaughters and others are starting to make noises about tv money in cycling. people like Nike dream of Nike athletes appearing in Nike stadia filmed by Nike tv. Paid for by us
Probably correct.
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
So saying, about 15 years ago when this tinterweb thing was taking off we took a cable package that did include phone, dial up and tv (inc films but not sport) for about £35 per month.
After about a year or maybe two, Sky started introducing additional movies (and sports) channels. Our subscription remained the same and did not include the new movie channels. It didn't take long to realise that all the good films we had been enjoying watching were now on the channels we didn't have. Basically we were expected to pay another several pounds per month simply to regain the viewing levels that we had previously.
Subscription cancelled and won't ever go back for that and exactly the reasons others have stated in this thread already.
Well I can't think of many sports that have crossed back to terrestial once they gone to sky. It doesn't really concern me though, I got rid of my tv a while back and don't miss it. I resented paying for the nonsense the BBC served up let alone sky's stuff.
I did hear that when F1 has been televised by the BBC viewing figures have been 7m+, but on Sky it's only 1m or so. Sky must be hoping for a mass-migration of petrol-heads to their subscription service.
Personally I won't miss it, most races are little more than a parade. If the gorgeous lasses who stand out on the track got a bit more tv time then I might, but as it is I just can't be arsed.
What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!
BBC have this off to a tee. A great presenting team, slick interludes and features and are well respected in the paddock for their coverage and thus all the teams are willing to talk with them.
I remember seeing the now defunct A1 Series on Sky. Production was shockingly bad. Tony Jardine just didn't work for some reason. Their champions league, premiership etc production is so far behind the BBC and even ITV.
Blonde bimbo in the pit lane and some non descript ex driver and god knows who commentating. Maybe Carlton Kirby ;-)
I for one will watch the highlights on BBC and hope to god that Humphrey, Brundle, Coultard and Jordan don't jump ship. Also glad to hear 5 live keep their coverage as Davidson and Croft are excellent.
It was John Watson,I agreee it was shite.
I wouldn't mind so much if it was going to eurosport or sky1, something like that but Sky sports is rediculously expensive. I'm out I'm afraid.
The bastards have bought a lot of the good stuff off motors TV as well, used to enjoy the DTM and F3 Euro series.
Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
The A1 series was pretty flawed though, and never seemed to get any widescale media support. (Which is odd, considering how many newspapers Murdoch owns)
I think Sky will have to give F1 more support, Bernie will probably make sure of that. However, I can't imagine that it will be anywhere near as good as the BBC coverage, which personally, is the best of all the sports coverage which I have seen.
Can't see many fans paying for Sky Sports for just half the races either, so viewing figures are surely going to go through the floor, which will pee the teams off no end.
Winter - old faithful Ribble winter bike
SugarSync cloud storage referral link (better than DropBox atm imho) https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=mzo2tcrhm5gn
http://reverendfrog.co.uk/frogblog/nott ... lking-censored :shock: