The state of F1 in the UK

[tommy2k8]

I'm a bit worried about where F1 is going in the UK. Here's why:

Apparently, the viewership for F1 has declined. I think this is for a combination of reasons:

1) The racing on track is quite dull at times.
2) Maybe people are losing enthusiasm due to the Sky agreement from 2019.
3) Related to point 2, Bernie is gradually killing the sport.

Thoughts please?

[zako85]

If you think things are bad in the UK, it's 10 times worse in the USA. The only English-language channel that shows F1 is NBC Sports and its affiliates, which means that to watch most of the races you need to have a premium sports cable package subscription. But the pain does not end there. Even if you pay dearly for the cable sports package, you still get three minute-long interruption for commercials for every five minutes of coverage. Finally, as many races in Asia as possible are scheduled in a way such that the UK and other European viewers get to see the race in the prime time, which means the races start is at about 6-8am on Sunday in the USA, depending on where you live. I think a whole lot more night owls among Americans would have watched races live on Saturday night if there weren't so many night races or late evening races in Asia. I mean, an Asian race that starts around noon, is broadcast around 1-2am in US, a fine time for me to watch the race for example. Basically Bernie wants to move as many races as possible into novu-riche countries which pay him big bucks, but he also wants to continue broadcasting the races at the time when most Europeans are awake. He wants to have the cake (great fees) and eat it too (have as many European eyeballs watching the races on TV). But this really does screw a lot of people in the Americas, but anyways. A greedy pig is a greedy pig.

[tommy2k8]

If you think things are bad in the UK, it's 10 times worse in the USA. The only English-language channel that shows F1 is NBC Sports and its affiliates, which means that to watch most of the races you need to have a premium sports cable package subscription. But the pain does not end there. Even if you pay dearly for the cable sports package, you still get three minute-long interruption for commercials for every five minutes of coverage. Finally, as many races in Asia as possible are scheduled in a way such that the UK and other European viewers get to see the race in the prime time, which means the races start is at about 6-8am on Sunday in the USA, depending on where you live. I think a whole lot more night owls among Americans would have watched races live on Saturday night if there weren't so many night races or late evening races in Asia. I mean, an Asian race that starts around noon, is broadcast around 1-2am in US, a fine time for me to watch the race for example. Basically Bernie wants to move as many races as possible into novu-riche countries which pay him big bucks, but he also wants to continue broadcasting the races at the time when most Europeans are awake. He wants to have the cake (great fees) and eat it too (have as many European eyeballs watching the races on TV). But this really does screw a lot of people in the Americas, but anyways. A greedy pig is a greedy pig.

I agree, when I had ESPN, the IndyCar coverage was just as bad with commecials!

[zako85]

When it comes to sports coverage, Americans are screwed the most. Of course, it's not just IndyCar or F1, it's in every sport. You get 5 minutes of coverage for every three minutes of commercials. No wonder the American football or basketball are so popular in America. These are the spots where for every 30 seconds of action you get a 1-2 minute break (where commercials can be inserted). But this formula doesn't work with other sports, like F1 or football (the real football, not the American one). I really wish the Federal agencies in the USA, such as FCC or FTC looked into this issue and basically forbade commercials on ALL pay-for-subscription channels. But this can never happen because the federal agencies like FCC, FTC, and FDA mostly work for the goals of the big business, the guys that do most of the lobbying and hefty financial contributions to both of the parties.

[Jag_Warrior]

As an American, I look back with extreme fondness on the Speedvision days. I loved everything about Speedvision. I was so glad when they got the F1 coverage away from ESPN. I hated ESPN with a purple passion because of their CART and F1 (non) coverage. It was nothing for ESPN or ESPN 2 to delay coverage of a race and then run the result of the race across the crawler at the bottom... while you were watching the tape delayed coverage! :mad: Speed Channel was good, but not great. I liked that they largely continued with what we had with Speedvision (minus the flair) and kept Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett as the announce crew. I appreciated and enjoyed Peter Windsor's contributions at the tracks. I'm OK with NBC Sports. I use a Roku to get additional content (FP1, FP3, interviews, GP2 feature and sprint races, etc.), so I'm fairly happy right now. I'm generally OK with Leigh Diffey, instead of Varsha. And even though I find the overly spritely Will Buxton annoying to the Nth degree, I just tune him out as best I can. I get annoyed with the constant commercials, just like everybody else. But at least they do the side-by-side (that you can barely see), but it is what it is.

I've never spent time in the UK. But I suspect that you folks are used to free-over-air coverage that we've never really had. I guess the closest thing that we've had to that is the occasional race that would be on ABC, Fox or NBC. Way back when, we just had Wide World of Sports highlights on ABC. So we're more used to being crapped on than Europeans. I guess that's why F1 viewership hasn't really gone up or down dramatically here. In countries that used to have decent free-over-air coverage, viewership seems to have fallen the most.

My fear is that if/when F1 gets sold again, a Comcast (NBC) competitor will be in the ownership mix and will move the coverage to some outlet that ruins what we have now. But for those who want to enjoy what you're already having to pay for in the U.S., I suggest that you look into a Roku or similar streaming device. The NBC Sports channel/app is very decent and worthwhile.

[Starter]

As an American, I look back with extreme fondness on the Speedvision days. I loved everything about Speedvision. I was so glad when they got the F1 coverage away from ESPN. I hated ESPN with a purple passion because of their CART and F1 (non) coverage. It was nothing for ESPN or ESPN 2 to delay coverage of a race and then run the result of the race across the crawler at the bottom... while you were watching the tape delayed coverage! :mad: Speed Channel was good, but not great. I liked that they largely continued with what we had with Speedvision (minus the flair) and kept Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett as the announce crew. I appreciated and enjoyed Peter Windsor's contributions at the tracks. I'm OK with NBC Sports. I use a Roku to get additional content (FP1, FP3, interviews, GP2 feature and sprint races, etc.), so I'm fairly happy right now. I'm generally OK with Leigh Diffey, instead of Varsha. And even though I find the overly spritely Will Buxton annoying to the Nth degree, I just tune him out as best I can. I get annoyed with the constant commercials, just like everybody else. But at least they do the side-by-side (that you can barely see), but it is what it is.
Speedvision was the best. They also had a weekly show that recapped other forms of motorsport (even NASCAR) so you could keep up with all of the sport. I miss those days.


My fear is that if/when F1 gets sold again, a Comcast (NBC) competitor will be in the ownership mix and will move the coverage to some outlet that ruins what we have now. But for those who want to enjoy what you're already having to pay for in the U.S., I suggest that you look into a Roku or similar streaming device. The NBC Sports channel/app is very decent and worthwhile.
I have a Verizon package which is one step above basic cable and I (currently) don't have to pay extra for NBC Sportschannel. If and when I do it'll be bye bye to F1 and IndyCar for me because I refuse to pay top tier prices for something covered over by commercials.

[driveace]

The BIG problem now as you say is that its all PAY ! Or nearly all pay ,there are probably 5 or 6 races on Channel 4 ,some are delayed or some highlights that are free .Whereas it ALL used to be FREE .
Bernie and his greed are killing the sport, and if its not free ,then I go to a relatives home an watch it on Sky package that they have ,otherwise I miss it
Its bad for the public and bad for F1 too .Can I add that occasionally when I have been on Holiday in Spain or Croatia I have watched F1 on German TV and Netherland TV ,and on one of them when the adverts come on the race can still be seen in a small box in the corner ,so you don't miss what is going on .

[Whyzars]

F1 is slowly dying because the racing technicals have gone to hell and the cars sound like industrial flatulence.

People blaming Bernie is sort of counter-productive as he is only getting the best deal he can.

A TV network that pays for the rights to transmit an F1 race these days is nuts in my opinion. F1 should be paying for its own coverage out of the Mercedes advertising budget.

Pay for entertainment. Game of Thrones is entertainment, F1 is not.

[zako85]

I think the smartphone application developers have found a very good business strategy. If you want to have something for free, then you gotta see the ads. On the other hand, for a small fee you get to enjoy the full functionality of the app with no ads. I don't fully get why this formula hasn't been successful in the sports in the US. I mean, in USA, the consumers pay big money for the cable sports channels, and they still watch at least 3 minutes of commercials for 5 minutes of coverage. Something is not right. I think there are people out there who'd pay a hefty fee just to watch the race with no ads, but such option does not exist.

[zako85]

F1 is slowly dying because the racing technicals have gone to hell and the cars sound like industrial flatulence.

The sound of F1 engines is irrelevant. Bernie generates the most money from TV rights, and TV will never convey really the thrills of the sound of F1 engines. F1 is viewership is falling because Bernie realized that having fewer viewers who pay dearly for the sports channels is more profitable than airing F1 on free-to-view channels to significantly more viewers. The explanation of what's going on has nothing to do with the tech of F1 racing, and everything with the economics of modern day sports broadcasting.

[Koz]

Is F1 free to air anywhere in Europe?

[henners88]

With so many options to get satellite channels for free now, I think the days of paying Sky £60 a month are over. I've had a Skybox F5 for nearly 2 years now and pretty much everybody I know either has one or a chipped Amazon Fire Stick. I've still only watched 4 Grand Prix this year though. I find F1 less appealing these days and get more use out of the BT Sport channels or the movies.

[Whyzars]

The sound of F1 engines is irrelevant.

I respectfully disagree.

Every race my wife has watched since the V8's were dumped has resulted in her saying "They sound like sh*t, I can't watch this" and she gets up and leaves - and she does know what F1 cars used to sound like.

Would I pay to watch an F1 race today - ummm no, not yet. The cars rarely get close to each other and when they do it doesn't lead to anything to get excited about. There is no more seat of the pants driving and they never look they are truly pushing - maybe because they aren't.

Fuel management kicks in from the first lap and every car/driver on the circuit is at 80% for the entire race - 80% is F1's idea of 110%. The cars are being starved of fuel and the fans are being starved of competition.


Bernie generates the most money from TV rights, and TV will never convey really the thrills of the sound of F1 engines. F1 is viewership is falling because Bernie realized that having fewer viewers who pay dearly for the sports channels is more profitable than airing F1 on free-to-view channels to significantly more viewers.

Bernie sells what is his to sell for whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Good on him.

If pay-TV providers are coughing up the money then it is not Bernies fault that their business model is based on charging for the F1 races - and nobody wants to pay for F1. If sufficient numbers of people were wanting to watch F1 then "free to air" would be paying the top dollar and I'm confident Bernie would sell to them. The U.S. has plenty of people watching NASCAR on whatever format so its not a motorsport thing.


The explanation of what's going on has nothing to do with the tech of F1 racing, and everything with the economics of modern day sports broadcasting.

By "racing technicals" I was referring to such wonderful innovations as the DRS which have shoved any semblance of actual racing up our collective bums. Add to that the endless advertising for Mercedes, even in the commercial breaks, and I often find watching puppies licking windows much easier to endure than a 2016 F1 race.

I am not down on Mercedes. They are unequalled in what they have achieved and are the World Champions of the "V6 Economy Run - 100kg class". I am patiently waiting for F1 to be F1 again.

Fix the cars/sound/racing and you take a step toward fixing F1. The greatest ally we may have against the muppets who are crushing F1 like a Big Green nerf ball is Bernie - because he may actually have the most to lose.

[Rollo]

If sufficient numbers of people were wanting to watch F1 then "free to air" would be paying the top dollar and I'm confident Bernie would sell to them.


Care to explain Australia then?

Foxtel gouged out Network Ten, stripped it of its assets and now Ten is even more of a pauper than it used to be.

[2fast2think]

Your right it is the economics of the modern day all together millions isn't enough they wan't billions lol