BBC to axe F1 from 2013? Confirmed - F1 will be on Sky from 2012

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First off, I think that this deserves it's own thread.

Bad news for the BooByC. Their (leadership's) lack of imagination and foresight is astounding. Do they not recognise the value of the millions of viewers beyond the shores of the UK who also tune in via satellite or the internet? The current coverage of F1 is the best we've ever had and the benefits derived from having bagged the TV rights are two-way For us here in the UK it is another shop window promoting the UK to the rest of the world.

Why can't they merge BBC3 and 4 since these channels only stransmit half a day each and 50% of the programmes on said channels are trashy space fillers anyway. Why, when I channel hop to BBC2, 3 or 4 do I bump into programmes over thirty years old? Yesterday, after watching one of the best drama shows Auntie Beeb brings to us from abroad, Wallender (the Swedish production) were we then subjected to a "Top of the Pop's" from the 1970's (and anyone who liked that show then has grown up and moved on, I hope). Needless to say I hopped elsewhere.

One final point. We have seen the mainstream BBC news programmes become more and more insular and dare I say it xenophobic. The threat to F1 on the Beeb strikes me as symptomatic of the same process of contraction. The times they are a changing and having been an opponent of PPV it may just be time for a change. If I had the choice I wouldn't pay to watch anything on the Beeb other than F1 so it would be very interesting to see if the Old Auntie could survive in truly commercial competition.>:(
 
I laughed when I read this....

"Last Sunday more than eight million turned in to see Jenson Button's British triumph in Canada, but the BBC sparked controversy by cancelling Antiques Roadshow to stay with the rain-hit race after it was delayed for more than two hours.
Seven hundred furious fans complaining to the BBC after the hit-show was axed"
 
Quintessentially said:
I laughed when I read this....

"Last Sunday more than eight million turned in to see Jenson Button's British triumph in Canada, but the BBC sparked controversy by cancelling Antiques Roadshow to stay with the rain-hit race after it was delayed for more than two hours.
Seven hundred furious fans complaining to the BBC after the hit-show was axed"
Click to expand

ROFL

Oh god....seven hundred furious fans? :D

Wonder what would have happened if they axed Canada and put on Antiques Roadshow instead while the race was going on :whistle:
 
I warn caution against believing this. The first one is from a Murdoch paper - we know he wants to take F1 to Sky. The second one is from the Daily Mail - we know they have a major issue with the BBC and their report says that Antiques Roadshow is a "hit show"!

They may be right, I don't know, but the business model of F1 is free-to-view and I think the rights prices will lower to meet that.
 
Whilst the Sunday Times article is pure speculation (and an obvious conflict of interest), I think a serious point to take from all of this is that with the BBC facing a huge spending cut, we can't take F1 on the BBC for granted. I'm a big fan of F1 on the BBc, and I don't want to see it go, but it is a very real possibility which we have to keep in mind.

As for the debate on BBC3/4, I think they fulfil a valuable slot on the BBC, but as many have pointed out, most of it is a load of rubbish interspersed with some truly brilliant stuff. If you cut out the bad stuff, I'm sure they can manage with only one channel.
 
If money is so tight for the BBC to do F1 couldnt they consider leaving the presenting team (jake, eddie + stacks of camera crew etc) at home in a studio and only send the essentials. Surely that could save a huge chunk of money without the need to axe coverage altogether?
 
One of the key questions here is what do the BBC value so much that means they can't broadcast F1? What are they planning to replace it with if they free up the usual 1200 - 1500 slot? I'm 95% certain it would be a load of guff.

Fenderman and Gurra have made good points about finally making good use of BBC3/BBC4. BBC3 only shows Family Guy and some rubbish for chavs essentially, and BBC4 shows absolutely nothing of interest. Show the races on one of those channels if the top 2 channels are no longer an option.

The BBC have to think carefully about this, or they'll leave a lot of viewers feeling angry.
 
AXLE TRAMP said:
It's not so much what the BBC value as more about what they don't - i.e. the F1 fans...
Click to expand
Then your gripe is aimed at Bernie, and not the BBC. The BBC shelled out £300m for that contract. I don't think the F1 fans are really worth £300m I'm afraid.

Bernie charges extortionate amounts, and companies were willing to pay it. If he genuinely valued the fans, there would be no need to charge such an amount.

Or you could argue that F1 at those prices is pretty cheap, seeing as the BBC broadcasts to other countries too. Take for example the current price of American Football contracts. ESPN has to pay $1.8bn (yes, billion) per year for the NFL's TV rights - which only includes one live game per week, and a general usage of the National Football League's IP which would be used in highlights, clips, interviews etc.
 
“BBC axes Formula 1″ - main headline

“The proposal to dump F1 will be among a package of measures to be put to the BBC Trust in the Autumn.” - Final line of article

a) Now, it doesn't take a degree in journalism to work out that The Sunday Times (a Murdoch run newspaper) has clearly twisted sources, when nothing has been decided

b) Note the "unnamed source" from the article - i.e. an unnamed source could have told me that the world was going to end tomorrow

c) where could F1 move to exactly? I think Sky is a no-go as it would be disastrous for the commercial aspect of F1, I doubt that Bernie would want to leave the commercial platform that is the BBC (BBC viewing figures 2011), and after the often complained about ITV coverage, I doubt that you should read to much into the article, I would assume that it is a load of scaremongering from The Murdoch (Sunday) Times

d) http://f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29802:f1–anchor-jake-humphrey-bbc-formula-1-broadcast-axe-reports-inaccurate&catid=1:f1&Itemid=157 - Humphery's view

http://f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29802:f1–anchor-jake-humphrey-bbc-formula-1-broadcast-axe-reports-inaccurate&catid=1:f1&Itemid=157 - article to dispel some of the 'facts' in the Sunday Times article
 
people forget the British public pay the TV licence and that goes to the BBC and remember there was a freeze on the increase of the TV licence by the government so the BBC know they need to make cuts to accomodate this rather than seeing annual increases.

When the BBC bought the F1 back from ITV there was questions ask whether it was money well spent..considering they managed to produce two great seasons luckily rather than having a one sided Schumacher walkover then the answer is emphatically yes
But Bernie is a ruthless businessman and will no doubt ask ITV or C5 if they want to broadcast it...he will not sell it to SKY unless the next concorde agreement has that arrangement..something I don;t see Bernie being too keen on
 
I don't think it is a 'freeze' at all - Bigger population + more employment (latest employment figures) = more income for the BBC. It is only a price freeze, not an income freeze.
 
mjo said:
I don't think it is a 'freeze' at all - Bigger population + more employment (latest employment figures) = more income for the BBC. It is only a price freeze, not an income freeze.
Click to expand

One assumes that the BBC will put a lot of money and time into the Olympics next year so they have to look to make cuts elsewhere and F1 is one of their more costly outlays
 
Good point - but surely they can cut in other areas (areas with less viewers than f1) such as the number of BBC radio stations, special regional programing (not regional news) or sports like snooker or darts

In answer to all the inevitable comments about cheapness of darts or snooker, to borrow a phrase from a well-known supermarket chain - "every little helps"
 
Rumours are flying around the net today that BBC is to drop F1 from 2013.
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/51983.html

If this is true where will F1 head too?

I can't see ITV wanting it back after all they dropped it because their couldn't afford to keep it. Would Sky take it on? I don't think they'd want too. Which leaves ESPN a pay per view sports channel and i can see them wanting it. They already have DTM and F3 Euroseries aswell as the Superleague GP.

Surely Aunty Beeb won't let us down would they? What about Brundle, DC and EJ would they go to another boardcaster? All three have been a joy to watch in the last 2 and a bit seasons would be gutted to lose them as they all a brilliant laugh.
 
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