BBC to axe F1 from 2013? Confirmed - F1 will be on Sky from 2012
- Thread starter Quintessentially
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from autosport 
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BBC director general Mark Thompson has defended the decision for Formula 1 television coverage to be shared with Sky from next year - claiming any other deal would have been worse for fans.
In a transcript that has just been published from a recent hearing in front of MPs at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Thompson said that the share deal is better for fans than if F1 coverage had gone to another British broadcaster.
He claimed that there was a real danger of F1 eventually disappearing totally to a pay channel – whereas now fans will at least have free access to half the races.
"We know that Formula 1 has only fairly recently come back to the BBC; it has been very popular on the BBC," said Thompson.
"Secondly, we know that Formula 1 fans ideally do not want Formula 1 to be interrupted by advertising, because of the character of the sport. Nor, of course-for the subset of Formula 1 fans who do not have Sky subscriptions-would they, ideally, like Formula 1 to go entirely behind a pay wall.
"I believe that the arrangements that we have reached offer very good value to the licence payer, and the experience of Formula 1 on the BBC will still be very rich. The first grand prix next season, when this new arrangement starts - the Australian Grand Prix - will be live on Sky in the very early hours of the morning. There will be a 75-minute highlights package in peak time on the BBC, which we would expect to reach many more people than the live coverage."
He added: "Talking about changing the arrangements in the existing contract and the extension of that contract, all I would say - and I have of course heard the arguments that perhaps this could have been picked up by another free-to-air broadcaster - is that what we have done has guaranteed that a very large amount of Formula 1 will still to be free-to-air to the British public for many years to come. Had we simply stopped the contract and decided to walk away from Formula 1 after that, there was a real danger that all of Formula 1 would have gone behind a pay wall."
Thompson said the deal with Sky will save the BBC more than £150 million over the duration of the contract – and made it clear that there was no consideration given to offering the F1 contract to another British free-to-air broadcaster.
"We were quite clear that, to get the economics to work for us, it was going to have to be a pay partner, and this was the only pay partner, credibly, whom we thought we could involve in it - indeed, a pay partner who had expressed interest in this very topic of conversation previously," he said. "It was an example of a free-to-air pay partnership, which is not by any means unknown in the market.
When pushed further on why there was not even a single conversation with Channel 4, Thompson said: "It seems to me that it was not required of us, and given that, in a sense, what we were trying to achieve on behalf of the licence fee payer was a significant saving, actually keeping the confidentiality of the process until it was clear whether the thing was viable and whether all parties to it - including, of course, the rights-holder - were happy, militated in terms of doing it the way we did it."
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What a massive knob
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BBC director general Mark Thompson has defended the decision for Formula 1 television coverage to be shared with Sky from next year - claiming any other deal would have been worse for fans.
In a transcript that has just been published from a recent hearing in front of MPs at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Thompson said that the share deal is better for fans than if F1 coverage had gone to another British broadcaster.
He claimed that there was a real danger of F1 eventually disappearing totally to a pay channel – whereas now fans will at least have free access to half the races.
"We know that Formula 1 has only fairly recently come back to the BBC; it has been very popular on the BBC," said Thompson.
"Secondly, we know that Formula 1 fans ideally do not want Formula 1 to be interrupted by advertising, because of the character of the sport. Nor, of course-for the subset of Formula 1 fans who do not have Sky subscriptions-would they, ideally, like Formula 1 to go entirely behind a pay wall.
"I believe that the arrangements that we have reached offer very good value to the licence payer, and the experience of Formula 1 on the BBC will still be very rich. The first grand prix next season, when this new arrangement starts - the Australian Grand Prix - will be live on Sky in the very early hours of the morning. There will be a 75-minute highlights package in peak time on the BBC, which we would expect to reach many more people than the live coverage."
He added: "Talking about changing the arrangements in the existing contract and the extension of that contract, all I would say - and I have of course heard the arguments that perhaps this could have been picked up by another free-to-air broadcaster - is that what we have done has guaranteed that a very large amount of Formula 1 will still to be free-to-air to the British public for many years to come. Had we simply stopped the contract and decided to walk away from Formula 1 after that, there was a real danger that all of Formula 1 would have gone behind a pay wall."
Thompson said the deal with Sky will save the BBC more than £150 million over the duration of the contract – and made it clear that there was no consideration given to offering the F1 contract to another British free-to-air broadcaster.
"We were quite clear that, to get the economics to work for us, it was going to have to be a pay partner, and this was the only pay partner, credibly, whom we thought we could involve in it - indeed, a pay partner who had expressed interest in this very topic of conversation previously," he said. "It was an example of a free-to-air pay partnership, which is not by any means unknown in the market.
When pushed further on why there was not even a single conversation with Channel 4, Thompson said: "It seems to me that it was not required of us, and given that, in a sense, what we were trying to achieve on behalf of the licence fee payer was a significant saving, actually keeping the confidentiality of the process until it was clear whether the thing was viable and whether all parties to it - including, of course, the rights-holder - were happy, militated in terms of doing it the way we did it."
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What a massive knob
It is utterly unbelievable that the BBC can manage to carve up a situation so badly that Ecclestone and Murdoch turn out to be the "good guys" in all of this!
In summary,
What a collossal bell-end.
I actually lol'd.
Dizzi
Podium Finisher
After reading the Autosport article I think the BBC should be reported to Brussels for contravening the fair competition rule.
So they reckon depriving a lot of us of half a season is better than watching all the races live with an occasional advert. Honestly what a bunch of...well my parents brought me up better than to say what I really think.
It's not even as if the BBC negotioated the decent races...no Canada, no Melbourne but we do get Valencia <whoopee>
Someone in the BBC really hates formula 1 don't they.
So they reckon depriving a lot of us of half a season is better than watching all the races live with an occasional advert
. Honestly what a bunch of...well my parents brought me up better than to say what I really think.It's not even as if the BBC negotioated the decent races...no Canada, no Melbourne but we do get Valencia <whoopee>
Someone in the BBC really hates formula 1 don't they.
Mark Thompson (the boss), Barbara Slater (head of sport) to name but a few.
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
and
After reading the Autosport article I think the BBC should be reported to Brussels for contravening the fair competition rule.
So they reckon depriving a lot of us of half a season is better than watching all the races live with an occasional advert
It's not even as if the BBC negotioated the decent races...no Canada, no Melbourne but we do get Valencia <whoopee>
Someone in the BBC really hates formula 1 don't they.
I believe it's even worse than that.... If we wish to watch the Canadian GP, it will, necessarily, either be late at night or the following day!!! - the BBC's statement says: "Races in the Far Eastern time zone will have highlights broadcast on BBC One at 1400, with those in the European time zone getting 90 minutes at 1730."
Oh yes, just to confirm to the BBC... 2pm is NOT PEAK TIME
5.30pm is NOT PEAK TIME.....
They seem to have looked at the ratings that races like the Brazillian GP in 2009 and the Canadian GP in 2011 have got, and jumped to the conclusion that if they show the coverage at that time, lots of people will watch - and seem to have completely missed the fact that people only watch at that time because it's LIVE!!!
Jos the Boss
Champion Elect
5:30?! for a european race?!?!?! What the fuck? what's wrong with 3? Talk of retards...
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
I could justify showing the race later, if they actually SHOWED IT AT PEAK TIME!!! - I mean, maybe putting the race on at 7.00pm would be a good idea.... However, 5.30 is a completely dead time!
I said no such thing, it was The Massive Knob BBC director general Mark Thompson, Bell-end extraordinaire. ( to give him his full title) 
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
Sorry, I was just looking for the appropriate bit of quote from his Grand Imperial Majesty, Mark Thompson.....
Yeah, but the problem with those races is they don't want to show them live because they can run over, and thus they'll get loads of complaints for delaying Strictly Come Dancing (which ran over and delayed MotD every week in 2009) or the Antiques Roadshow.
They think this will lose them the licence fee.
The BBC has no interest in sport. It is tied into showing Euros and World Cups due to the fact ITV can't do it alone. It shows the Olympics as a "cultural" thing. It is interested in rugby union in winter, rugby league's Cup competitions. It is interested in horse racing twice a year, rowing when its the posh universities, golf for one-and-a-half tournaments and tennis for three tournaments (all held in London, one of which is a major, one of which is incredibly minor). And it shows a darts "World Championship" which does not contain any of the best players.
It doesn't show any cricket. It shows highlights of football with the worst punditry team anywhere on the planet (apologies to Lee Dixon). British sport's greatest modern success story (cycling) is confined to ITV4 and Eurosport.
Fact is, in showing half the races the BBC is showing a greater commitment to Formula One than any other sport but snooker!
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
I suppose it boils down to the following question. Would you like half the races, free of charge, and advert-free, or all of the races, live with adverts.... Personally, I grew used to the adverts in races, but the fact is that there was no opportunity to gain all of the races live, as the BBC negotiated a position, abusing their position of monopoly.
I don't think Channel 4 and 5 would have been able to fund this, but I can't believe the best response was a BBC-led carve up.
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
And herein lies the issue - Channel 4 and 5 probably couldn't afford to pay what Sky and BBC are paying between them. However, this does raise the issue that without the offer of the share, this deal wouldn't have been possible anyway, because of the requirement of broadcasting on FTA in the UK... If we're all absolutely honest about this, though, the reason that F1 is now no longer going to be 100% FTA lies way back in 1996, when ITV gained the rights from 1997 onwards. This produced an era of competition for F1 broadcasting rights, which has led to the current farce. I've always been happy to blame ITV for things, and again, I'm going to blame them here!
Andy Karter
Rookie
I thought it bad news when ITV took it on and showed adverts mid race. The switch to Sky is a complete disaster for those of us not prepared to pay £40/month to watch it. I still live in hope they'll change the current thinking and at least show us the full race after it's been shown on Sky live.
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