BBC and Sky to share F1 coverage

[Editor]

http://www.pitpass.com/44339-BBC-and-Sky-Sports-to-share-F1-rights

So now we know. Not only will you have to pay your licence fee you will now need to subscribe to Sky.

Of course, the clue was there the other week when FOTA president Martin Whitmarsh, claiming that F1 is at the crossroads, stressed that it needs to "monetize"

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=44215

Discuss

[wackydo]

Just gutted, I might just give f1 up completely now.

Sky was the absolute worse thing that could happen to F1. 10 minute advert breaks in the middle of races for sure.

[sonic]

While I note that Sky UK are promising to provide even more compressive coverage, that didn't happen a few years ago when Sky NZ took the coverage off free to air TV in New Zealand.

Not only do you have to buy a Sky subscription, you have to pay extra to see F1, buy making a further purchase of Sky Sport.

The coverage has continued to shockingly bad since they day they took over. Often messing up the sound in particular. Often they will play the audio of the BBC commentary teams post match analysis at the same time as the post race driver press conference. Making both inaudible. IT happens more times than it doesn't.

Once sky had the sport, they quickly treated it like a second class citizen in New Zealand. There was certainly no improvement in coverage, with my having to pay a sizable fee to get sky and then sky sports, only for F1.

I avoided this for three years before finally giving in. Although once again, I know longer subscribe.

[BigG80]

I have Sky TV already but I don't subscribe to Sky Sports or anything like that. I've been following F1 since the 1991 British Grand Prix and I'm lucky that my girlfriend is now a massive fan too. But we're going to have to think very seriously about whether to start paying for Sky Sports just to get F1. It is another expense while we're saving for a house and I don't know if we'll be able to justify it.

I'm thoroughly p***ed off at this announcement and it is making me gloomy about the future prospects of the coverage. For all the moans about EJ and others moaning about everyone else on the team, the fact remains that this is the best coverage of F1 that I've ever seen and I don't want to see it end.

A black day.

[Rich Ghia]

To say I am devastated is an understatement. I've grown up with this sport. Watching it with my Mum since I can remember. I remember the grainy pictures coming from the other side of the world and Murray's distant voice. Now in my mid 30s I have just had my first child and we sat and watched the British GP. She used to whiz around in my wifes tummy when the GP was on and seems to enjoy the noises now. I guess I have half a season left to enjoy this now. I was hoping to raise another F1 fan.

It has to be remembered that this sport has only just starting picking viewers back up. During the Schumy years it was getting 3 million max and people were turning off in their droves. A grade A football match on Sky now gets around 3 million and people say that is a success. What viewership are they actually expecting on sky. It is simply a money up front deal. The Premier League is not actually as successful viewership wise as they make you believe. Yes Sky fork out alot of money and people like Tevez commande £200k a week but in reality only 5% of the population seem him play live.

This isn't a deal which benefits the far east with different kick off times. It has just simply taken it away from its core viewers in Britain. You only have to see what Sky did with Indycar, A1, superbikes to see what it feels about motorsport. If a football match clashes it gets shoved to Sky sports 3 and even less people view it.

Dark day for the sport and dark day for me. I've already lost football to these vultures now they have taken my one true sporting love.

[BigMac]

[Rich Ghia]

[BigMac]

[johnoneill2006]

I have just read the news.

I guess fans of "Allo Allo", "Keeping Up Appearances" and that bit where Del Boy falls through the bar will be thrilled at this news. "Fork Handles" anyone?

This is a such a step backwards and very disappointing, and not helped by provocative comments from Barbara Slater that they are "absolutely delighted".

The TV audience will collapse in the UK. The show, whilst improving a little this year, still is not good enough to justify the cost against other forms of entertainment.

People like me who are obsessed with F1 will just have to get on with it and get the subscription, but the casual viewers will be lost. The large numbers of people who watch the start and then keep it on in the background will be gone.

I would be amazed if the income from the TV revenues will be enough to offset the sponsorship income being lost.

The most guility party in all of this in my view is ITV and the way that they forced Eurosport to lose their free-to-air rights in 1996, and then got bored of showing the sport.

A very sad day. Right up there with the cancellation of Concorde and the Space Shuttle.

[Rich Ghia]

[BigMac]

I quoted Wackydo...... errr... not you.

Glad you have been enjoying F1 for much longer than I, and lucky you

[Gary]

[Rich Ghia]

[BigMac]

Oh Gary, that is the reason we dont have any of the fun we used to have in Pitpass - before your time baby.

I am sure Wackydo will get over it and enjopy the banter. Why don't you.

[Editor]

Come on, we're all meant to be fans on here... be it for six weeks, six months, six years or sixty.

So let's cut the nonsense and get back to discussing the issue in hand.

OK?