F1 Coverage - The Verdict: 2013 Season

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  • Ambient SheepAmbient Sheep Posts: 929
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    Much as I dislike the current arrangement, I prefer it to anything that would have in-race adverts, so I'm glad that Channel 4 didn't get it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 120
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    Having watched the BBC Highlights package, my main question is this:

    Why on earth did the camera have to keep moving? Suzi and DC were having a discussion on the grid, and the whole time the cameraman was moving left and right and back and forth, seemingly at random. It was bizarre! Other than that the BBC effort was largely as expected. Suzi was a bit formal with DC but I expect that'll get better with time.

    The VT of them going back and forth with comments and observations was pretty good, and the the new graphics employed in the buildup (I'm talking primarily about the stuff used in the team-by-team segment) look great.

    Returning to Sky briefly, I'm going to add my name to the list of people baffled by their obsession with VTs. The four race highlights reels were a new watermark in that regard, but the whole presentation sags under the weight of the packaged content and stings. The Pole Lap analysis has a bespoke animated sting. What and who is that for?
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    dansus wrote: »
    Or the BBC could have done their final year and Ch4 could have taken over. But seems the beeb didnt want that, preferring to cling on for dear life, even if it meant viewers missing out.

    Bernie even said he liked the Ch4 proposal, but said his hands were tied because he was still in contract with the beeb and it was too late in the year for Ch4 to take over in 2012.

    Bernie says a lot of things, he could have done whatever he wanted - but Channel 4 couldn't commit for a year, so who does it for only a year in the meantime? And would the agreement have been honoured after that time?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Just been watching BBC on sky catchup, amazingly it was in HD, but pq still inferior to sky HD.
    Suzi and David were ok, but Suzi sounded scripted and very nervous.
    Did wonder why they bother to go out to Australia for highlights, they could have done their parts from a UK studio, with perhaps an interviewer/pit guy at the race. I did struggle to understand the pit guy, I thought Natalie was bad but he was poor and it was not just the engine noise. But Ted is so superior, I suppose others will always come up short.
    I thought the BBC grid graphics looked dated.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    lettice wrote: »
    Just been watching BBC on sky catchup, amazingly it was in HD, but pq still inferior to sky HD.
    Suzi and David were ok, but Suzi sounded scripted and very nervous.
    Did wonder why they bother to go out to Australia for highlights, they could have done their parts from a UK studio, with perhaps an interviewer/pit guy at the race. I did struggle to understand the pit guy, I thought Natalie was bad but he was poor and it was not just the engine noise. But Ted is so superior, I suppose others will always come up short.
    I thought the BBC grid graphics looked dated.

    Why did they bother to go out? Because they get better coverage than staying in the studio.

    They didn't want to lose live rights to half the races, so it's good that the coverage is as good as possible.

    If the commentators for TV and radio go out, the interviewers too, then you've got quite a big team going out anyway. So two extra won't make any difference to the budget.
  • dansusdansus Posts: 2,559
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    mikw wrote: »
    Bernie says a lot of things, he could have done whatever he wanted - but Channel 4 couldn't commit for a year, so who does it for only a year in the meantime? And would the agreement have been honoured after that time?

    The BBC would obviously do 2012, they would have to pay £50m either way and the budget was already allocated because it was part of the original contract. Problem was they couldnt afford to renew the contract and would have lost the rights to most likely at the time, Ch4.

    Sky would have made a bid but given the thinking at the time that eyeballs were the biggest assets to the teams, it seems likely Ch4 would have got it.
  • BenFranklinBenFranklin Posts: 5,814
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    If Bernie had wanted to he could have forced the BBC to do 2012, the BBC simply did not have a get out clause (paying £50m NOT to show F1 was simply not an option).
  • User68571User68571 Posts: 3,901
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    As I said earlier....discussing the bidding process is like playing with hand grenades, wake me up when everyone's bored of it!!

    For something completely different:

    Formula1blog.com have just put up their latest race review, I haven't had chance to listen yet but I often find their podcasts quite enjoyable to listen to, even if I don't always agree on every point.

    Link http://www.formula1blog.com/2013/03/19/formula1blog-com-podcast-306-australian-gp-review/

    Passes an hour or two while I'm pottering around with it in the background
  • ktla5ktla5 Posts: 1,683
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    dansus wrote: »
    The BBC would obviously do 2012, they would have to pay £50m either way and the budget was already allocated because it was part of the original contract. Problem was they couldnt afford to renew the contract and would have lost the rights to most likely at the time, Ch4.

    Sky would have made a bid but given the thinking at the time that eyeballs were the biggest assets to the teams, it seems likely Ch4 would have got it.

    says who? and would have been ads too? and if they REALLY wanted it, they would have made room !
  • ktla5ktla5 Posts: 1,683
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    R410 wrote: »

    Pricey, but it does work out cheaper than the much touted £633 a year ! £400 or so cheaper? and you could only sub to the days that are not live on BBC1 / 2
  • keicarkeicar Posts: 2,082
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    R410 wrote: »

    Still too costly, I make that £299.70 for full coverage of the 10 non BBC races, a cheap RTL set up still looks good value for £30.
  • F1 MikeF1 Mike Posts: 5,835
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    can you really get a full FTA setup for £30 ?

    I would think probably not, when you factor in the dish & cabling, mounting etc. but I'd happily be proved wrong
  • BenFranklinBenFranklin Posts: 5,814
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    keicar wrote: »
    Still too costly, I make that £299.70 for full coverage of the 10 non BBC races, a cheap RTL set up still looks good value for £30.

    And that's if you have to have practice, if you skip that it comes down to £200.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    dansus wrote: »

    Sky would have made a bid but given the thinking at the time that eyeballs were the biggest assets to the teams, it seems likely Ch4 would have got it.

    No chance of that i'm afraid. Sky wanted it, i understand, at any price.

    F1 is a business and they want to make as much money as possible.
  • theAREtheARE Posts: 1,847
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    And that's if you have to have practice, if you skip that it comes down to £200.

    But the picture quality wont be as good as D-SAT and the experience will be very dependant on your internet speed.

    So it's a lot more money for inferior quality.

    If you live in a super fast broadband area then you may not notice the difference, but if your in a rural area with plain old adsl2 then you may have problems

    Still, a good first step I guess.

    Edit: plus if you want to use XBox to access NowTV and dont already have a Gold account you'd need to upgrade to that which is an additional £35
  • theAREtheARE Posts: 1,847
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    mikw wrote: »
    No chance of that i'm afraid. Sky wanted it, i understand, at any price.

    F1 is a business and they want to make as much money as possible.

    It's a balancing act though - you do have to wonder how much sponsors (especially for smaller teams) are being put off by the sport being pushed behind a pay wall to at least some degree in most major markets.

    Yes Bernie's job it to maximise money income, but if more teams are forced out due to lack of sponsorship and the quality of the drivers decreases due to teams going with pay drivers then the value of the sport for the next negotiation will decrease too.

    it's a very fine line.
  • BenFranklinBenFranklin Posts: 5,814
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    mikw wrote: »
    No chance of that i'm afraid. Sky wanted it, i understand, at any price.

    F1 is a business and they want to make as much money as possible.

    This is NOT fact, please stop stating it as such. Cheers.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    This is NOT fact, please stop stating it as such. Cheers.

    It most certainly is - unless you think it's not a business,

    Look at Football and Cricket - if pay TV want a sport enough, they will get it.
  • callmedivacallmediva Posts: 1,862
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    theARE wrote: »
    It's a balancing act though - you do have to wonder how much sponsors (especially for smaller teams) are being put off by the sport being pushed behind a pay wall to at least some degree in most major markets.

    Yes Bernie's job it to maximise money income, but if more teams are forced out due to lack of sponsorship and the quality of the drivers decreases due to teams going with pay drivers then the value of the sport for the next negotiation will decrease too.

    it's a very fine line.

    The thing is, in a few years time, how many pay drivers will there be if sponsors don't get the exposure they're looking for.
    If there are no pay drivers, there'll be even fewer teams.
    It's a very slippery slope
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    mikw wrote: »
    No chance of that i'm afraid. Sky wanted it, i understand, at any price.

    F1 is a business and they want to make as much money as possible.

    And your source for that is?
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    lettice wrote: »
    And your source for that is?

    I am a freelancer for Sky Sports - didn't know much until it was revealed that Sky wanted to buy the sport, that was just a statement of intent in reality in order to get Bernie's ear.

    Was told by my department head (when i asked about it) that we were "going for it" in terms of making a bid.
  • theAREtheARE Posts: 1,847
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    callmediva wrote: »
    The thing is, in a few years time, how many pay drivers will there be if sponsors don't get the exposure they're looking for.
    If there are no pay drivers, there'll be even fewer teams.
    It's a very slippery slope

    Yeah and the only way to keep it afloat will be for Bernie to give teams more of the TV money - so he's no better off and it damages the sport in the long term
  • F1 MikeF1 Mike Posts: 5,835
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    mikw wrote: »
    I am a freelancer for Sky Sports - didn't know much until it was revealed that Sky wanted to buy the sport, that was just a statement of intent in reality in order to get Bernie's ear.

    Was told by my department head (when i asked about it) that we were "going for it" in terms of making a bid.

    look, there has been a noticable change from this season in how the sports rights are shared. Not just in the UK, but across the major markets in europe.
    It's not only Sky UK.
    The whole tv portal has changed, and that is down to Bernie.

    We have discussed this long before now

    Sky UK was his guinea pig last season, testing the water.… anyone that believes otherwise is just completely clueless.

    Can this thread please not become another runaway debate about how the rights have been split?
  • theAREtheARE Posts: 1,847
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    F1 Mike wrote: »
    Can this thread please not become another runaway debate about how the rights have been split?

    I think there are 2 debates here - the Sky/BBC one yes we've had it before many times and nothing new can be added to that one.

    But the larger debate is if moving to a partial or fully Pay TV platform in many major European markets is putting off (or potentially putting off) sponsors from entering the sport and how that effects the smaller teams and the entire health of the sport moving forward.

    We've seen signals that this might be happening over the winter with HRT going under and Caterham and Marussia having to take paid drivers in order to survive

    It's a different debate and potentially has wide reaching implications for the sport.
This discussion has been closed.